5 Things Apple Investors Must Watch in 2014

In a lot of ways, Apple investors had a forgettable 2013. Shares underperformed the market, and Apple had no major surprises up its sleeve. However, 2014 could have plenty of notable developments in store for Apple. The company will likely announce changes to its capital return program within a matter of months. Even if Apple doesn't pursue a share repurchase program that's as hefty as Carl Icahn is proposing, the company will still likely increase its capital returns to shareholders.

Both a larger iPhone and iPad are possibly in the pipeline as well, which would expand Apple's two most important product portfolios by addressing different segments. The iPhone could see renewed growth in Asia, as Apple has now inked official carrier partnerships with both NTT DoCoMo and China Mobile . Next year could also be the year that Apple decides to jump into the wearables game with an iWatch, considering how the smartwatch market has the potential to explode in unit volumes in the coming years.

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Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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