Analysts hold high hopes for Apple even as stock dives

Signs were there: Hints from Asian suppliers that demand for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus may be lighter than expected have prompted almost half of the analysts covering Apple to trim their earnings estimates since early December.

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple's stock slump of almost 20% over the past month has exposed a widening divide between investors and the sell-side analysts who cover the iPhone maker. 

Brokerage analysts focused on the company's relatively modest price-to-earnings valuation are mostly sticking to projections that would have Apple surge 50% or more this year, even after trimming their own earnings forecasts in the face of worries about soft demand for the iPhone.