Apple Inc.
(NDQ: AAPL)Share Price and News
Introduction to Apple (NDQ:AAPL)
Apple Inc. is a technology company that designs, manufactures, and markets a range of consumer electronics, software, and services. Its most notable products include the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, Apple Watch, and AirPods, while it also offers digital services such as the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, and Apple TV .
Operating globally, Apple has a strong footprint in just about every country on the planet (even in China which has kept out other tech giants like Google) and continues to focus on integrating hardware, software, and services to create a seamless customer experience.
Apple reigns supreme for its focus on design, user experience, and ecosystem. Its co-founder Steve Jobs continues to be remembered to this day. The brand is synonymous with quality, reliability, innovation, and arguably even luxury.
Apple's Company History
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Cupertino, California. Wayne ended up selling his 20% stake for US$2,000 - poor him. The company initially focused on personal computers, first producing the Apple I, Apple II and the Lisa, but it gained true fame with the release of the Macintosh in 1984.
Jobs and Wozniak departed in the mid 1980s and the company struggled for over a decade until Jobs returned. Job’s second stint lasted until 2011 when he stood down for health reasons and died 2 months thereafter. There's never been another run like Job's second stint where it unveiled product after product - the iMac, the iPod, iPhone, iPad.
Obviously things have been different since then. The ‘One More Thing’ days are gone. Those days could’ve realistically continued (not forever but for a few more years at least) – all Apple had to do was replace Steve Jobs with Jony Ive, the chief designer. Instead, the company opted for Tim Cook, who was Chief Operating Officer and had been with the company in various roles since 1998.
It is hard to argue his tenure has not been a success, given the company’s market cap has gone up from $377.5bn at the end of 2011 to over $3tn now, not to mention that the company’s revenue grew from $108bn in FY11 to over $400bn today. Considering some, led by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, were not even sure the company would survive post-Steve Jobs, it is a fair feat.
In the post-Jobs era, there have been some new products, particularly the Apple Watch. None of these have been the gizmos that any of Jobs’ products were. Yes, it keeps rolling out new phones, although the improvements are incremental at best.
Cook's challenge has been to position Apple credibly in the AI era, an effort anchored by the rollout of Apple Intelligence and a notable partnership with Google to integrate the Gemini AI model into Apple's software platforms.
Future Outlook of Apple (NDQ: AAPL)
Apple's fiscal year runs to late September, and fiscal year 2025, which ended 27 September 2025, delivered a solid performance after a more muted 2024. Full-year revenue reached $416.2 billion, up 6.4% year-on-year, with net income of $112 billion. Services continued to be the standout performer, growing at double-digit rates across nearly every market Apple tracks, while the iPhone 17 launch in September injected fresh momentum into hardware sales heading into the crucial holiday quarter.
That momentum translated into a remarkable fiscal Q1 2026 result — the quarter covering October to December 2025 — reported on 29 January 2026. Revenue of $143.8 billion was up 16% year-on-year and well ahead of Wall Street's expectations of $138.5 billion. Earnings per share reached $2.84, up 19% from the prior year and beating the consensus estimate of $2.67. Gross margin expanded to 48.2%, above the top end of guidance, driven by favourable product mix and the growing contribution of the high-margin Services division. iPhone revenue surged 23% to $85.3 billion — described by CEO Tim Cook as driven by "simply staggering" demand — with all-time records achieved across every geographic segment, including Greater China, where revenue jumped from $18.5 billion to $25.5 billion. Services hit an all-time quarterly record of $30 billion, up 14% year-on-year, with records also set in advertising, cloud services, music, and payment services. Operating cash flow for the quarter was $53.9 billion, and the company returned approximately $32 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.
Looking into Q2 fiscal 2026, management guided for revenue growth of 13% to 16% year-on-year, with gross margin expected between 48% and 49% — signalling continued confidence in both the product cycle and the ongoing expansion of Services. Apple also indicated it expects its installed base of active devices, which crossed 2.5 billion for the first time, to keep growing, providing an ever-larger addressable market for its subscription and software revenues.
Is AAPL a Good Stock to Buy?
Apple is the largest company in the world by market capitalisation, and the investment case for owning its shares has evolved considerably over the past decade. For much of its history, Apple was valued as a hardware company — cyclical, dependent on product launches, and vulnerable to consumer spending slowdowns. Today it is increasingly understood as something more durable: a platform business with one of the most loyal and large-scale user ecosystems ever assembled.
The Services division is the heart of this re-rating. Generating over $100 billion in annual revenue at gross margins approaching 75%, Services — which encompasses the App Store, Apple TV+, Apple Music, iCloud, Apple Pay, and advertising — is growing consistently at double-digit rates and is largely insulated from the product release cycles that have historically created volatility in Apple's revenues. With over 2.5 billion active devices providing the foundation for that ecosystem, the monetisation opportunity remains substantial and growing.
The most recent results also demonstrated that the hardware business is far from exhausted. The iPhone 17 cycle produced record quarterly revenues, including a significant recovery in Greater China — a market that had been a persistent concern for investors following years of softening sales. The rollout of Apple Intelligence and its expansion into new languages, including simplified Chinese, has given the upgrade cycle genuine new momentum.
The risks are real, however. Apple trades at a significant premium to the broader market, leaving limited room for disappointment. Its dependence on iPhone revenue — which still accounts for around half of total sales — means any stumble in a future product cycle would weigh heavily on results. Regulatory pressure is mounting globally, with competition authorities in the EU, US, and elsewhere scrutinising App Store practices and the Google search licensing arrangements that generate billions in annual Services revenue. A disruption to those deals could materially affect earnings. Manufacturing concentration in Asia and ongoing tariff uncertainty also present supply chain risks that management has acknowledged but not yet fully resolved.
For long-term investors, Apple remains one of the most dependable compounders in global equities. Its combination of brand loyalty, financial strength, a growing high-margin services business, and a culture of disciplined capital return makes it a natural core holding. Those concerned about valuation may prefer to accumulate during periods of market weakness rather than at current elevated prices.
Our Stock Analysis
The Magnificent Seven Tech Stocks and AI: Are they keeping pace or falling behind the competition? And are investors aware of the reality?
Magnificent Seven Tech Stocks and AI are a fascinating pair. It could give them another 1-2 decades of dominance at…
Cisco Systems (NDQ:CSCO): Will this US$300bn company really be a winner from the AI boom? Investors aren’t so sure
As a big company in the networking equipment space, Cisco Systems (NDQ:CSCO) is a company you could be forgiven for…
The Exclusive Club of Trillionaire Companies: Here are the 11 listed stocks above a trillion dollars!
Nvidia had been in the club of Trillionaire Companies since May 2023 when it crossed US$1 trillion but is now…
Apple Event: Buy, Sell, or Hold? What the ‘Awe Dropping’ Launch Means for Investors
Apple’s product launches are typically major events in the tech world, and their latest “Awe Dropping” launch is no exception.…
Share buybacks: Are they a good sign or a waste of money?
Share buybacks are a controversial topic amongst investors. Some say it is a waste of money, others will welcome it…
Should I buy Apple shares from Australia? Can the US$3.3tn behemoth grow any further?
Investors asking themselves, ‘Should I buy Apple shares from Australia,’ are not just considering buying shares any company, but the…
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple’s dividend yield is typically low compared to other sectors, hovering around 0.6–0.7%. However, its consistent dividend growth makes it an attractive option for income-seeking investors.