Sterne Agee Views Apple's Inclusion of 4G LTE as a Positive

Sterne Agee has published a research report on Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) commenting on the company's inclusion of 4G LTE with the next-generation iPad.

In the report, Sterne Agee writes, "We view the potential inclusion of 4G LTE for iPad as a positive and a good indicator that the upcoming iPhone 5 refresh in the fall timeframe will likely include this key feature as well. This is consistent with what we had commented in early January where our industry sources indicated AAPL has made noticeable progress in improving battery life that have plagued competitor products. This is due to the company's ownership of core intellectual property including systems design, semiconductors, battery chemistry, and software."

Sterne Agee maintains its Buy rating and $550 price target on Apple, which closed yesterday at $502.60.