1 Reason to Buy Apple Stock, and 1 Reason to Stay Away

Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) are up nearly 12,000% since the launch of the very first iPod in 2001. With that wildly successful product, Apple began its transformation from a niche computer company to a mobile device powerhouse. The iPhone came along in 2007, and the rest is history.

Apple is now valued at roughly $800 billion, making it the most valuable publicly traded company by a wide margin. Profits remain out of this world -- the company produced $45 billion of net income last year. Could Apple stock keep moving higher? The company's vastly powerful brand is one reason to believe the run isn't over. But as annual smartphone upgrades become increasingly incremental, all the customer loyalty in the world won't matter if Apple can't convince its users to shell out for a new iPhone.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Image source: Apple.

Source: Fool.com