Apple shares rallied 0.8% in premarket trading

Apple shares rallied 0.8% in premarket trading after Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty reiterated an overweight rating on Apple.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty reiterated an overweight rating on Apple after reports that iPhone output might be hindered by the global chip shortage.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty on Wednesday urged investors to buy the dip in Apple despite reports that the tech giant may need to cut production of its signature iPhone 13 by as much as 10 million units due to the global chip shortage.

"We are buyers of any near-term Apple share price weakness on iPhone supply-chain disruption given Apple is likely to receive more supply than competitors, demand isn't perishable," Huberty wrote in a note.

"If Apple can't meet near-term demand, the shortfall is likely to be even greater at competitors, creating an opportunity for share gains," she wrote in a note published Wednesday.

Shares of the Cupertino, Calif., company on Wednesday slipped 0.4% to $140.91.

The investment firm maintained its overweight rating on the stock with a price target of $168 a share.

"While we have not specifically heard of material iPhone production bottlenecks due to semiconductor shortages at Broadcom or Texas Instruments, broader supply tightness continues to be a real issue across a number of end markets," she added.

Broadcom and Texas Instruments are manufacturing partners for Apple.

Apple had expected to produce 90 million new iPhone models in the last three months of the year.

But it’s now telling manufacturing partners that the total will be lower because Broadcom and Texas Instruments are struggling to deliver enough components,Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

"Our FY22 estimates are unlikely to change materially even if revenue and EPS shift across quarters," she added.