Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) continued to see its highest-ever share price this week, closing yesterday right under $163 per share. Right at the time this post was being written, AAPL shares stood at $165.58, up over 2% from yesterday's close. Are the company's shares headed to $200?

In an easy answer, yes they are -- but the question is, will it happen this year? That depends on iPhone sales numbers plus sales for its newer iPod products, released just in time for holiday pickings in standard Apple release schedule fashion.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) wisely upped its price target on Apple from $150 to $180 this week, citing the iPhone's forecasted ability to drive "more ancillary revenue" than the investment house's previous guess. In addition, Morgan Stanley said that market estimates still are not taking into account Apple's "true operating margin potential."

With the company settled in for yet another blockbuster iPod holiday sales season as well as the impending release of its new Leopard MacIntosh computer operating system, perhaps Morgan Stanley should reconsider its $180 target and go for the jugular at $200. Maybe even that level is too low.

Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has had an incredible run over the last several months. This has been a trend that has been strong since early August, when it started moving from the $50s to the low $90s today. Is Apple poised to have doubled it's price within two quarters if it passes the $100 mark? It looks likely if Apple has a strong winter retail season.

Jonathan Hoopes of ThinkEquity Parners LLC did a survey of Apple Retail traffic on Black Friday to get an estimate of what kind of sales traffic Apple was getting. The traffic was strong enough to make ThinkEquity raise Apple's target price from $100 to $110. So at least one analyst seem to think that yes, we will see Apple hit that point.

The next question on investors minds is whether the stock will split if it holds steady at these heights. Apple ended the trading today at $91.81, up $2.27, a 2.54% increase in price.

Tobias Buckell is a freelance writer, author, and professional blogger. He owns Apple stock.