Morgan Stanley: Behind Apple's Across-the-Board Price Hike, It Is Actually Hedging Against Exploding Chip Costs

According to TechFlow Research, the latest report on Apple released by Morgan Stanley on July 14, 2026, shows that Apple increased prices for Mac, iPad, and accessories by 15-54% within two weeks. The underlying driver is forced cost hedging, rather than simple profit extraction. DRAM and NAND chip costs are expected to rise by 190% and 280% respectively in 2027. The chip cost for a single iPad will rise from $51 to $144, and this item alone could consume 30-40% of the gross profit.