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Apple stock seen hitting $2,000 by the end of 2015

Even if Apple's stock continues to trade at its relatively low valuation of just 14 times earnings, the company's rapidly ballooning earnings will force the stock up to $2,000 per share by the end of 2015, calculates independent analyst Andy M. Zaky.

Zaky, a frequent AppleInsider contributor, was profiled today by Fortune blogger Philip Elmer-DeWitt, who noted that "his estimates over the past four years have been considerably more accurate than your average Wall Street analyst."

In looking at Apple's performance long term, Zaky notes that Apple's "Trailing Twelve Months" (TTM), a figure that represents a company's financial performance over the last 12 months, is poised to more than triple over the next three years, largely due to continued growth in its iPhone sales.

Given that Apple is currently trading under 14 times its current TTM of $41.04 (closing today at $569.18), Zaky notes that by Q4 of 2015, the company's estimated TTM of $145.96 will make even the same conservative 14x P/E valuation result in a share price of $2,043.44, giving the company a two trillion dollar market cap, something the world has never seen before.

Zaky wrote, "I'm fairly confident about these numbers. Here's what I think will guide that: Q1 2013 = 55 million iPhones shipped. Q1 2014 = 80 million iPhones shipped. Q1 2015 = 110 million iPhones shipped."

Zaky further predicted, "2014 is the golden age of Apple and the peak growth year. After 2015, growth will stall and Apple will become a mature company — at least for this era."