Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google should look for a new chapter in artificial intelligence collaboration with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) after its courtroom victory over the Department of Justice, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.
Judge Clears DOJ Overhang For Google And Apple
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google will not be forced to divest core businesses such as Chrome or Android, nor end its multibillion-dollar deal with Apple to remain the default search engine on iPhones.
The decision removed what Ives called a "black cloud worry" hanging over both companies.
"It's the dream scenario for Google. It's the dream scenario for Apple," Ives told CNBC's Closing Bell on Wednesday. "Because now they really get unleashed from an M&A perspective as well as ultimately what I and you look at that search deal … this is now going to be really the next stage of growth."
Dan Ives Predicts Gemini AI Partnership Could Expand
Ives suggested the two tech giants may move closer on AI following the favorable ruling.
"Apple and Google, potentially could start to walk down the aisle in terms of a bigger Gemini partnership from an AI perspective," he said.
Previously, Ives said that investors are likely to view this as a champagne moment. "This is a monster win for Cupertino and for Google, it’s a home run ruling that removes a [$25 billion] overhang on the stock."
Last month, it was reported that Apple approached Google about creating a custom Gemini AI model to power a revamped version of Siri as soon as next year. As per the report, Google has already started training the model, which would run on Apple's servers.
Analysts See Major Win For Apple's Services Business
Other Wall Street analysts echoed Ives' view that the ruling secures stability for Apple's lucrative Services segment.
JPMorgan's Samik Chatterjee called the outcome "better than feared" and said it removes investor concerns about disruption to Apple's $20 billion-a-year search deal. Bank of America's Wamsi Mohan added the decision should bring "more confidence" to Apple's Services revenue.
Google's Stock Outlook Improves As Valuation Gap Closes
Alphabet shares continued to rally on Wednesday, with Class A up 0.34% and Class C up 0.35% in extended trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
Ives raised his Google price target to $245, saying the stock could climb toward $300 as the DOJ overhang lifts and investors reward its AI strategy.
"This is a stock that could have a three in front of it as we go into the next six months," Ives said on CNBC.
Alphabet trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio near 22, still a discount compared to Apple's multiple of about 30. Earlier, investment advisor Ross Gerber had called Alphabet undervalued, citing its investments in YouTube, Waymo and Gemini AI.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that GOOGL maintains solid trajectory across short, medium and long-term horizons. More in-depth performance insights can be found here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
