Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Apple is preparing to launch a new hardware leasing program with Klarna that could make it easier and cheaper to upgrade to the latest iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman explains why the initiative could reshape Apple's upgrade cycle, lock customers into its ecosystem, and pave the way for more expensive devices like the foldable iPhone.

Samsung has unveiled a new lineup of foldable smartphones and offered a closer look at its upcoming smart glasses, developed with Google and partners. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman explains why Samsung's latest foldables preview Apple's own plans, and why privacy could become the biggest hurdle for the next generation of AI-powered wearables.

Samsung on Wednesday launched its latest foldable smartphones as it looks to maintain its leadership in a product category that it pioneered, ahead of Apple potentially entering the market.

The South Korean tech giant unveiled its Galaxy Z8 Series at an event in London. The three devices and their prices are:

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra ($2,099)Galaxy Z Fold8 ($1,899)Galaxy Z Flip8 ($1,199)Samsung's foldable products have usually consisted of two devices — the Fold brand which opens like a book and the Flip device which opens like a traditional flip phone.

However, Samsung now has three products with the "Ultra" being its highest-spec smartphone of the series and one that resembles its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold7.

"2026 is a huge year for foldables with the near certainty that Apple will be unleashing a foldable iPhone iPhone later in the year," Ben Wood, chief analyst and chief marketing officer at CCS Insight, told CNBC.

"Therefore, this is a critical launch for Samsung who were the market makers in this category, because Apple joining any category immediately gives it another level of legitimacy."

Various reports have indicated that Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone this year, adding more competition to the market that Samsung has dominated since it launched its first foldable in 2019.

Price jumpSamsung's latest products are also more expensive than their predecessors, which was largely expected. This is due to rising component costs, in particular memory chips, which have seen prices skyrocket due to high demand from the AI industry and a shortage of supply.

Those same memory chips go into smartphones. The Z Fold8 Ultra is $100 more than its equivalent predecessor, the Z Fold7. The Galaxy Z Flip8 is also $100 more than the Z Flip7.

CCS Insight's Wood said he was surprised there wasn't a bigger increase in price, which implies that Samsung may not be passing all of the cost rises to consumers.

"That underlines the fact that Samsung is keen to maintain a competitive price point," Wood said.

The more than $2,000 price tag on the Ultra will be a "talking point," Wood added.

New product in the Fold seriesThe Galaxy Z Fold8 is a new style of device. While it opens like a book and is smaller than the "Ultra," Samsung said that the smartphone is designed to ensure a better viewing experience for content due to its 4:3 screen ratio.

"It is little surprise that we have seen Samsung deliver a different form factor for its Fold portfolio, because it has been widely rumoured that Apple is looking to have a wide screen foldable for the forthcoming iPhone and it is something that Samsung and others are keen to get ahead of," Wood said.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and the Fold8 both run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

There are some differences between the two devices. The Ultra has a more advanced camera with three different lenses as well as a bigger battery.

There is a $200 difference between the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra which, which may not be that large at the high-end of the market where buyers are willing to pay more. It does mean that Samsung will have to provide its customers with a clear reason to buy the Fold8 over the Ultra model.

"The lower specification on the Z Fold8 means Samsung will have to have a very strong sales proposition for this device so consumers can understand why they would choose this device over the Z Fold8 Ultra, which is only $200 more," Wood said.

Apple is raising prices on Apple Music subscriptions as well as certain Apple One plans as the company faces higher licensing costs.

The tech giant last week hiked prices for Apple Music plans across subscription tiers. Individual plans will rise by $1 a month to $11.99, while student plans will increase by the same amount to $6.99 a month.

Prices for the Apple Music family plan are also rising by $3 per month to a new monthly rate of $19.99.

The company also hiked prices for some tiers of Apple One – the company's bundle that allows consumers to subscribe simultaneously to Apple TV, Music, iCloud+, Arcade, Fitness+ and News+ or the first four services.

APPLE RAISES IPAD AND MACBOOK PRICES AS MEMORY CHIP COSTS SURGE

Apple raised prices on Apple Music plans as well as some Apple One packages. (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Prices for the Apple One family tier are set to rise by $2 to a new total of $27.95 per month. Family plans may be shared with up to five people and have up to 200 gigabytes of iCloud storage, though they don't include News+ or Fitness+ in the package.

The individual Apple One subscription, which includes the same four services but with 50 gigabytes of iCloud storage, is unchanged at $19.95 a month.

Apple One's Premier package, which includes all six of the company's subscription services with up to 2 terabytes of storage and may be shared among five people, will rise in price by $2 to $39.95 per month.

APPLE BRIEFLY OVERTAKES NVIDIA AS WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE COMPANY AMID AI INVESTMENT DOUBTS

Ticker Security Last Change Change % AAPL APPLE INC. 327.74 +1.15 +0.35% The price increases apply to consumers in the U.S. as well as other countries around the world.

The moves weren't announced by Apple, which adjusted the prices for the various subscriptions and tiers on its website on Friday. Apple told 9to5Mac, "As a result of rising licensing costs, Apple Music is increasing its subscription price beginning today."

FOX Business reached out to Apple for comment.

APPLE HIT WITH LAWSUIT CLAIMING ICLOUD+ PRIVACY TOOL COULD EXPOSE USERS' REAL EMAILS TO WEBSITES

Apple's subscription price hikes follow higher iPad and MacBook prices. (Apple)

In late June, Apple announced price hikes for its iPad tablets and MacBook laptops amid rising memory chip costs.

The company raised the price of the MacBook Air by $200 to a new total of $1,299, while the budget Neo laptop price rose from $599 to $699. The price of a MacBook Pro with 1 terabyte of storage rose $300 to $1,999, while the iPad Air with 128 gigabytes of storage rose from $599 to $749.

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Apple said at the time that it has "never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," adding that it had "shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products."

Apple is reportedly teaming up with deferred payment processor Klarna to launch a new lease-to-own program for its devices.

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the program — dubbed Apple Upgrade — is set to launch next Tuesday, July 28. It will allow consumers to pay for their purchases over multi-year periods, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches.

Bloomberg writes that the lease term for iPhones and Apple Watches will be up to 24 months, while leases for Macs and iPads will be up to 36 months. The devices can either be kept or returned at the end of the leasing period, while upgrades to new devices will also be available (hence the name of the program). The report notes vaguely that, in some cases, “transactions will incur an additional fee.”

Apple already has a similar program called iPhone Upgrade, although the company plans to stop allowing new customer sign-ups to instead build out the broader, more inclusive Apple Upgrade program, the report said.

A leasing program is an obvious strategy for Apple at this point. The iPhone maker has been battling supply chain issues wrought by “RAMageddon” — the industry-wide shortage of memory chips that is driving up the price of hardware. Those shortages have been driven largely by the AI industry, which is gobbling up so much memory that it’s not leaving much for the rest of us.

To deal with these issues, Apple recently announced that it would be raising prices, and Upgrade clearly seems designed to make those hiked prices more palatable to consumers.

TechCrunch reached out to Apple and Klarna for more information.

Overall, the new program seems like a shrewd move for Apple, which is currently facing a hectic transitional period. As new CEO John Ternus takes the reins, the company also entered into a legal battle with AI startup superstar OpenAI — suing the company for alleged trade theft.

In short: The company has its hands full, and anything that can shore up sales and keep the business headed in the right direction is worth trying.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing [email protected].

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Apple (AAPL - Free Report) Apple’s business primarily runs around its flagship iPhone. The Services portfolio that includes revenues from cloud services, App store, Apple Music, AppleCare, Apple Pay, and licensing and other services now contributes a significant part of revenues.

AAPL is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Momentum investors should take note of this Computer and Technology stock. AAPL has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 10% over the past four weeks.

Three analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.02 to $8.76 per share. AAPL also boasts an average earnings surprise of +7.3%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, AAPL should be on investors' short list.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 21st, 2026

Arbor Trust Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 7.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 29,603 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 2,477 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 3.3% of Arbor Trust Wealth Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Arbor Trust Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $7,513,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. First National Bank of Hutchinson lifted its stake in Apple by 24.6% during the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,544,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $134,554,000 after purchasing an additional 69,207 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $16,742,000 after purchasing an additional 2,695 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $12,587,000 after buying an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Apple Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple Intelligence reportedly received regulatory approval in China, potentially opening the door for a major new AI growth catalyst in one of Apple’s most important markets. Apple Intelligence Just Got the Green Light in China. What That Means for AAPL Stock. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and Morgan Stanley both reiterated constructive views on Apple (AAPL) ahead of July 30 earnings, with analysts saying the company should beat Q3 expectations and that long-term AI and silicon strategy supports upside. BofA Analyst Sees Apple Beating Estimates in Q3 Results Apple’s Long-Term AI and Silicon Strategy Underpins Buy Rating and Unchanged $360 Price Target Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly overtook Nvidia in market value and reclaimed the “world’s most valuable company” crown, underscoring strong investor demand for its lower-capex AI strategy and durable cash generation. Apple Reclaims World’s Most Valuable Company Title at $4.9 Trillion Positive Sentiment: Several upbeat commentary pieces argue Apple’s AI approach avoids the massive infrastructure spending weighing on peers, while China partnership news with Alibaba could strengthen the company’s consumer AI strategy. Why Is Alibaba Stock Gaining Monday? Neutral Sentiment: Some articles highlight that Apple’s stock is near record highs and may be flashing technical warning signals after a strong run, suggesting traders may be cautious into earnings. Apple Stock Sends Major Warning Signal as Momentum Hits Peak Apple stock’s 12-day momentum triggers sell signal not seen since 2020 Negative Sentiment: Investors are also weighing legal risk from Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI, which could signal rising competition in AI hardware and add uncertainty around Apple’s broader AI ambitions. Apple’s Sues OpenAI, But Leaves Jony Ives Out of It. Here’s Why Apple Stock Down 2.1% Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $326.59 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $304.29 and its 200 day moving average is $277.50. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $201.50 and a 52 week high of $334.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The company has a market cap of $4.80 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.49, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.10.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.46 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.65 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.06%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms recently weighed in on AAPL. Maxim Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 target price (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Tigress Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $375.00 price target (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Apple presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.43.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AAPL

Insider Buying and Selling In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,226,770. This trade represents a 3.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $421,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,366 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,675,650. This represents a 10.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 2,924 shares of company stock valued at $825,546 in the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Apple (Free Report)

Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple’s principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Apple The Ugliest Stocks in the Market Just Got a Very Expensive Vote of Confidence Is Domino’s Stock Serving Up a Buying Opportunity? A $1T Black Hole: SpaceX Eyes Pentagon AI to Break Free Why Gold Miners Could Be the Market’s Biggest Comeback Story Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 21st, 2026

Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI lowered its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 2.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 898,698 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 27,032 shares during the period. Apple makes up 20.4% of Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI’s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI’s holdings in Apple were worth $228,081,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total transaction of $421,850.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,366 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,675,650. The trade was a 10.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 2,924 shares of company stock valued at $825,546 in the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth AAPL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Monness Crespi & Hardt upped their price target on shares of Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 target price on Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.43.

View Our Latest Analysis on Apple

Apple News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple Intelligence reportedly received regulatory approval in China, potentially opening the door for a major new AI growth catalyst in one of Apple’s most important markets. Apple Intelligence Just Got the Green Light in China. What That Means for AAPL Stock. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and Morgan Stanley both reiterated constructive views on Apple (AAPL) ahead of July 30 earnings, with analysts saying the company should beat Q3 expectations and that long-term AI and silicon strategy supports upside. BofA Analyst Sees Apple Beating Estimates in Q3 Results Apple’s Long-Term AI and Silicon Strategy Underpins Buy Rating and Unchanged $360 Price Target Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly overtook Nvidia in market value and reclaimed the “world’s most valuable company” crown, underscoring strong investor demand for its lower-capex AI strategy and durable cash generation. Apple Reclaims World’s Most Valuable Company Title at $4.9 Trillion Positive Sentiment: Several upbeat commentary pieces argue Apple’s AI approach avoids the massive infrastructure spending weighing on peers, while China partnership news with Alibaba could strengthen the company’s consumer AI strategy. Why Is Alibaba Stock Gaining Monday? Neutral Sentiment: Some articles highlight that Apple’s stock is near record highs and may be flashing technical warning signals after a strong run, suggesting traders may be cautious into earnings. Apple Stock Sends Major Warning Signal as Momentum Hits Peak Apple stock’s 12-day momentum triggers sell signal not seen since 2020 Negative Sentiment: Investors are also weighing legal risk from Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI, which could signal rising competition in AI hardware and add uncertainty around Apple’s broader AI ambitions. Apple’s Sues OpenAI, But Leaves Jony Ives Out of It. Here’s Why Apple Price Performance Shares of Apple stock opened at $326.59 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $304.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $277.50. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $201.50 and a 12-month high of $334.99. The firm has a market cap of $4.80 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.The company had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.46 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.65 earnings per share. Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were given a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is an increase from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is 13.06%.

About Apple (Free Report)

Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple’s principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Apple The Ugliest Stocks in the Market Just Got a Very Expensive Vote of Confidence Is Domino’s Stock Serving Up a Buying Opportunity? A $1T Black Hole: SpaceX Eyes Pentagon AI to Break Free Why Gold Miners Could Be the Market’s Biggest Comeback Story Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 21st, 2026

Flatrock Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 58,234 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock, valued at approximately $14,779,000. Apple makes up 6.6% of Flatrock Wealth Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. lifted its stake in Apple by 0.4% during the third quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. now owns 9,898 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,520,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC grew its position in Apple by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 12,326 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,351,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. grew its position in Apple by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,051 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $286,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 2.0% in the first quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC now owns 2,029 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $515,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Investment Co lifted its position in shares of Apple by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Orion Investment Co now owns 14,354 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $3,902,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apple Trading Down 2.1% Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $326.59 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $201.50 and a 1 year high of $334.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $304.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $277.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.80 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.The business had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.65 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This is an increase from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have recently commented on AAPL. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, May 1st. BNP Paribas Exane raised Apple from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. UBS Group set a $250.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.43.

View Our Latest Analysis on Apple

Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total transaction of $421,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,675,650. This represents a 10.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 2,924 shares of company stock valued at $825,546. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple Intelligence reportedly received regulatory approval in China, potentially opening the door for a major new AI growth catalyst in one of Apple’s most important markets. Apple Intelligence Just Got the Green Light in China. What That Means for AAPL Stock. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and Morgan Stanley both reiterated constructive views on Apple (AAPL) ahead of July 30 earnings, with analysts saying the company should beat Q3 expectations and that long-term AI and silicon strategy supports upside. BofA Analyst Sees Apple Beating Estimates in Q3 Results Apple’s Long-Term AI and Silicon Strategy Underpins Buy Rating and Unchanged $360 Price Target Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly overtook Nvidia in market value and reclaimed the “world’s most valuable company” crown, underscoring strong investor demand for its lower-capex AI strategy and durable cash generation. Apple Reclaims World’s Most Valuable Company Title at $4.9 Trillion Positive Sentiment: Several upbeat commentary pieces argue Apple’s AI approach avoids the massive infrastructure spending weighing on peers, while China partnership news with Alibaba could strengthen the company’s consumer AI strategy. Why Is Alibaba Stock Gaining Monday? Neutral Sentiment: Some articles highlight that Apple’s stock is near record highs and may be flashing technical warning signals after a strong run, suggesting traders may be cautious into earnings. Apple Stock Sends Major Warning Signal as Momentum Hits Peak Apple stock’s 12-day momentum triggers sell signal not seen since 2020 Negative Sentiment: Investors are also weighing legal risk from Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI, which could signal rising competition in AI hardware and add uncertainty around Apple’s broader AI ambitions. Apple’s Sues OpenAI, But Leaves Jony Ives Out of It. Here’s Why Apple Profile (Free Report)

Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple’s principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

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SummaryApple Inc. remains a buy, supported by accelerating top and bottom-line growth and a robust ecosystem.AAPL trades at a 37x forward P/E, a 54% premium to peers, justified by 29% bottom-line growth versus a sector median of 17%.Smartphone market expansion, estimated at a 4.3% CAGR to $749B by 2033, positions AAPL as a key beneficiary.Risks include margin erosion, AI execution, price hike pushback, and macroeconomic headwinds, but no structural issues were identified. Getty Images

It's been a while now since my latest coverage on Apple Inc. (AAPL). I was on board with the idea that its continued top and bottom-line growth may be rewarded with a higher premium, and that was

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of AAPL either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Apple will report its Q3 on Thursday, July 30. Ahead of the release, shares are trading at new highs and at a forward multiple of just under 40x earnings. The company also just regained its throne as the world's largest from Nvidia.

I keep hitting the buy button on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) because I have finally found a mega-cap AI story where I do not have to underwrite a $400 billion data center bill to believe in the upside. That is the whole thesis in one sentence, and the receipts have only gotten better every quarter I have added.

The Capital-Light AI Bet I Cannot Stop Making Apple’s edge is an asset-light, consumer-facing AI model that outsources heavy training to partners and leans on on-device processing. Tim Cook framed it plainly on the last call: “Apple Intelligence is woven into the core of our platforms, powered by Apple silicon and designed from the ground up to deliver intelligence that is fast, personal, and private.” The distribution moat sits on an installed base above 2.5 billion active devices. That is the AI shipping channel I get for free with the stock.

The Q2 FY26 numbers back the conviction. Revenue hit $111.184 billion, up 16.6% year over year, with EPS of $2.01 versus a $1.9404 estimate, the 8th straight beat. iPhone did $56.994 billion on iPhone 17 demand, Services printed an all-time record $30.976 billion, and Services gross margin came in at 76.7%. Cash and equivalents jumped 61.82% to $45.572 billion. Return on equity sits at 141.5% and return on invested capital at 53.35%. Those are the fingerprints of a business that does not need a hyperscaler’s balance sheet to compound.

Then there is the capital return. Management authorized a fresh $100 billion in buybacks and raised the dividend 4% to $0.27 per share. Projected free cash flow of roughly $140 billion funds that firepower without diluting the AI investment. R&D is still accelerating faster than the company overall, per Cook.

Why Apple, Not Microsoft The natural alternative is Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and I own a smaller position there. Microsoft is a phenomenal business, with Azure growing 39% in constant currency and a $625 billion RPO backlog. The issue for repeat buys is the cost. Microsoft’s Q2 FY26 CapEx was $37.5 billion in a single quarter, with roughly two-thirds on short-lived GPU and CPU assets. Apple’s comparable Q1 FY26 capital spend ran about $2.37 billion. That gap shows up in returns: Microsoft’s ROE is 34% against Apple’s 141.5%. Microsoft’s forward P/E of 20 looks cheaper than Apple’s 35, but the market has already voted on which model it prefers this year: MSFT is down 18.21% year to date while AAPL is up 22.99%.

The Risk I Am Not Ignoring Valuation is the real risk. Paying 41x trailing earnings and 10.86x sales for a hardware-anchored business is not cheap, and analyst consensus of $318.25 already sits below the current $333.74. Add in tariff and Greater China exposure, and a multiple compression scenario is real. What keeps me buying is that gross margin expanded to 49.3%, Greater China grew 28% in Q2, and the buyback authorization gives me a structural bid underneath the price.

What Keeps the Buy Button Active The September hardware refresh is the next lever, and Polymarket puts 96.6% odds on an iPhone 18 launch in 2026 and 90% on a foldable iPhone before 2027. Every one of those units ships Apple Intelligence into a paying customer’s pocket without Apple renting a gigawatt of power to do it. I am going to keep buying Apple until the market decides that monetizing AI matters less than spending on it, and I do not see that day coming.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Apple didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Apple (AAPL 2.11%) stock fell 2.3% through 2:45 p.m. ET Monday afternoon -- but not for lack of trying.

In a note intended to boost the stock, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan reiterated his "buy" rating and $380 price target. With Apple stock trading below $327, that should have sounded encouraging -- but investors sold it instead of buying.

Why?

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Accentuate the negative, eliminate the positive Consider what Mohan had to say about Apple. Long-term, he likes Apple stock just fine and predicts that, by December 2026, new iPhone launches at higher prices will start boosting profit margins and improving company profits. Unfortunately for Apple, investors are more focused on the short term today -- and Mohan had some cautionary words on that front.

Heading into the Q3 2026 report due out July 30, the analyst warns that rising component costs will subtract 190 basis points from quarterly gross margin, which will average 36.8%. Next quarter's numbers could look even worse, with Q4 gross margins falling further to 34.1%.

Granted, Mohan reassures that these declines are "transitory" and predicts margins will rebound above 38% in fiscal Q1 2027. Granted, he also expects Apple to beat analyst forecasts in each of Q3 and Q4 despite weak margins.

It doesn't matter. Investors heard only the part about declining gross margins for two straight quarters -- and sold Apple stock today.

Today's Change

(

-2.11

%) $

-7.05

Current Price

$

326.69

What's next for Apple stock? But can you blame them? Priced at 40 times earnings but pegged for only a 13% long-term growth rate, Apple stock doesn't look especially cheap today. Weakening margins could make it look even more expensive as profits suffer, too. On top of all that, longtime CEO Tim Cook is headed for the exits.

Maybe selling Apple ahead of earnings isn't the worst idea after all.

Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

• How is AAPL stock currently doing?

BofA Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan reiterated a Buy rating on Apple stock with a price target of $380.

The Analyst TakeawaysApple should report a strong June quarter, Mohan writes in a new investor note.

"Overall builds are likely strong, but we are taking a conservative approach; iPhone launch cadence can change some seasonality, which we are reflecting," Mohan said.

The analyst said investor focus for the quarterly results will be on gross margins, cost inflation and the end of Cook’s run as CEO for Apple.

Mohan sees Services strength offsetting App Store weakness for the quarter.

"We model Services gross margins at 76.5% for the June quarter and then holding steady at 76% for the September and December quarters. Over time, we see the potential for Services gross margins to grow to 80% and overall company gross margins to grow to 50%."

For Apple’s iPhone segment, Mohan is conservative on future quarters and could see revenue growth declining "given the cadence of iPhone launches this year."

"Investor questions focus on sustainability on strong iPhone demand and whether the ‘supercycle’ thesis can really play out."

Mohan says AI features and an aging installed base are expected to drive iPhone demand, but investors worry about whether demand has already peaked.

Apple Stock Price ActionApple stock is down 2.5% to $325.54 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $201.50 to $334.98. Shares hit all-time highs last week and are up over 50% in the past 52 weeks.

Photo: Tim Cook, Shutterstock; Apple iPhone 16e, courtesy Apple

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Apple is preparing its biggest iPad mini update in five years, complete with an OLED display, while also planning refreshes across the rest of its iPad lineup. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman joins Ed Ludlow to discuss Apple's hardware roadmap and how the company is adapting Apple Intelligence for the Chinese market.

© 2024 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images

I keep buying Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction), and the more I read about what its Magnificent Seven peers are spending on AI, the harder my conviction gets. Every quarter I look at what this company actually does with the cash a phone business throws off, and I add to the position again.

Here is what pulls me back to the buy button. Apple sells hardware and software that hundreds of millions of people already use every day, and it turns that installed base into recurring cash. 2.5B+ active devices is the moat. Apple monetizes intelligence through the phones and Macs already sitting on desks, so it does not need to build a data center empire to justify an AI story.

The Receipts Three data points anchor the position. First, cash generation. Full fiscal 2025 revenue was $416.16B, net income was $112.01B, and operating cash flow reached $111.48B. Buybacks alone consumed $90.71B of that. Q2 FY26 layered on $111.18B in revenue (up 16.6% YoY), EPS of $2.01 beating by 3.59% (the 8th consecutive quarter of beating expectations), a fresh $100B buyback authorization, and a 4% dividend raise to $0.27 per quarter.

Second, the balance sheet. Return on equity of 171.42%, return on invested capital of 53.35%, operating margin of 31.97%, and $147 billion in cash and marketable securities against $85 billion in debt. Third, capex discipline. Apple’s full FY25 capex was $12.7B, and Q1 FY26 capex ran $2.37B, down 19.29% YoY.

Why Not Microsoft or Alphabet Those are the two names a reader reaches for first when they think “AI winner.” Both sit inside the hyperscaler capex curve I want to avoid. Vanguard’s 2026 outlook projects AI scalers will spend roughly $2.1 trillion on capital investment from Q1 2025 through Q4 2027. Goldman Sachs’ 2026 outlook flags that hyperscaler capex plus buybacks and dividends have consumed ~95% of operating cash flows over the last 12 months vs ~80% in 2019, forcing some of them into credit markets to keep the machine running. That is the trap I do not want retirement money exposed to.

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CFO Kevan Parekh drew the line on the Q2 call: “From the start we have believed AI is a really important investment area for Apple Inc., and we are going to be doing that incrementally on top of what we normally invest in our product roadmap.” Incremental. Inside an existing product framework. Tim Cook backs the product side: “Apple Intelligence is woven into the core of our platforms, powered by Apple silicon and designed from the ground up to deliver intelligence that is fast, personal, and private.”

The Real Risk Valuation. Trailing P/E of 41 and forward P/E of 33 leave little margin for error. If iPhone growth stalls, or if Greater China ($20.497 billion in Q2 FY26) turns on tariff or regulatory pressure, this multiple compresses. I hold that risk clearly. What keeps the thesis intact: Services set an all-time record at $30.98B, Greater China grew 28% in the March quarter, and management guided June quarter revenue growth of 14% to 17%. Growth is still on the right side of that multiple.

The buy button stays active because Apple is turning the AI cycle into cash rather than capex, and every quarter the receipts get thicker.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Apple didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Apple (AAPL +0.26%) is likely to report critical information that investors will not want to miss.

*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of July 16, 2026. The video was published on July 18, 2026.

Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.

Obchodní aktivita amerických politiků je investory dlouhodobě bedlivě sledovaná. V minulých letech byly pod drobnohledem především investiční kroky bývalé šéfky Sněmovny reprezentantů Nancy Pelosiové (a jejího manžela), od návratu Donalda Trumpa do Bílého domu se pak více pozornosti upřelo právě na něj. Americký prezident v posledním majetkovém přiznání zveřejnil tisíce transakcí uskutečněných prostřednictvím svěřenského fondu. Server Benzinga se podíval na portfolia obou politiků a našel v nich hned desítku shodných titulů.

Společným jmenovatelem většiny shodných pozic jsou technologické firmy a společnosti profitující z rozvoje umělé inteligence. Na seznamu tak figurují jak zástupci Magnificent Seven, tak ale třeba i méně tradiční sázky typu Tempus AI či energetická skupina Vistra.

Mezi nejčerstvějšími přírůstky v portfoliu rodiny Pelosiových jsou Uber a Intel. Paul Pelosi podle zveřejněných dokumentů nakoupil dlouhodobé call opce na obě společnosti s expirací v příštím roce. Trumpův svěřenský fond mezitím letos u obou titulů vykázal kombinaci nákupů i prodejů, přičemž převažovaly nákupní transakce.

Výrazný překryv pak lze zpozorovat u největších technologických společností. Pelosiovi dlouhodobě drží expozici vůči Alphabetu, Nvidii, Applu, Amazonu a Broadcomu, často prostřednictvím opcí, které byly následně převedeny na akcie. Trumpův fond zase během letoška uskutečnil u těchto jmen desítky obchodů, přičemž některé transakce byly v řádu milionů dolarů.

Zvláštní pozornost pak poutá Nvidia, která se stala jedním z hlavních symbolů boomu umělé inteligence. Pelosiovi v posledních letech opakovaně navyšovali svou expozici vůči nejhodnotnější veřejně obchodované společnosti na světě, zatímco Trumpův fond patří mezi nejaktivnější obchodníky s tímto titulem, odhalila analýza serveru Benzinga.

Kromě zavedených technologických gigantů spojuje obě portfolia také orientace na perspektivní segmenty. Zde můžeme zařadit Tempus AI, jež využívá umělou inteligenci ve zdravotnictví, nebo velkého hráče v oblasti kybernetické bezpečnosti Palo Alto Networks. Dalším méně očekávaným jménem je pak energetická společnost Vistra, kterou investoři často vnímají jako nepřímou sázku na rostoucí spotřebu elektřiny datových center.

Deset akcií, které se letos objevily v portfoliích Pelosiové a Trumpa:

Uber Technologies
Intel
Alphabet
Nvidia
Tempus AI
Vistra
Apple
Amazon
Broadcom
Palo Alto Networks

Odlišné investiční přístupy

Benzinga si také všímá toho, že i přes shodu u některých titulů se styl obou táborů výrazně liší. Paul Pelosi je známý využíváním dlouhodobých call opcí, které následně převádí na akcie. Jeho strategie se soustředí především na velké technologické společnosti a strukturální růstové trendy.

To Trumpův svěřenský fond naopak podle zveřejněných údajů realizoval během let 2025 a 2026 desetitisíce transakcí napříč řadou sektorů. Přesto i zde dominují velké americké společnosti a zejména technologické tituly, které tvoří významnou část nejaktivněji obchodovaných pozic.

© Photo by Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Apple just closed at a fresh all-time high. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) trades at $333.26 after a 5.39% weekly gain and a 22.81% year-to-date gain.

Our 24/7 Wall St. price target for Apple is $363.77, implying another 9.15% of upside over the next 12 months. The recommendation is buy, with confidence at 90%.

Metric Value Current Price $333.26 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $363.77 Upside 9.15% Recommendation BUY Confidence 90% How Apple Powered Through Every Headwind and Hit $333 Apple has climbed 11.37% over the past month and 59.21% over the past year.

The March quarter delivered $111.2 billion in revenue, up 16.6% year over year, with EPS of $2.01 beating the $1.94 consensus for an eighth consecutive quarterly beat. iPhone hit $56.99 billion on iPhone 17 demand, and Services set another record at $30.98 billion. Management authorized a fresh $100 billion buyback and raised the dividend 4%.

On July 16, 2026, Apple received Chinese government approval to roll out Apple Intelligence features with Alibaba and Baidu partners, pushing the stock 4.2% higher in one session. Greater China revenue recovered to $20.50 billion in the March quarter, removing the largest remaining overhang on that region.

Why Bulls See $380 and Beyond The bull case rests on Services compounding, iPhone 18 tailwinds, and Apple Intelligence monetization. Citi carries a $365 target on margin expansion tied to selective price hikes and market-share gains. Our bull-case scenario points to $380.43 over 12 months.

Prediction markets on Polymarket assign a 66.2% probability that Apple hits $344 in July, and an iPhone 18 release before year-end sits at 96.6%. Broadcom’s supply agreement extending through 2031 secures a critical silicon partner.

The Risks Worth Watching KeyBanc is the loudest bear, carrying an Underweight rating and a $250 target citing extended replacement cycles and reduced carrier subsidies. Trailing P/E of 40 leaves little margin for a miss.

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Insider selling reached $87.6 million over the past three months, and Apple’s active OpenAI trade-secret lawsuit adds legal noise. Our bear case scenario pegs 12-month downside at $308.83. The multiple expansion reflects Services now running at a $30.98 billion quarterly run rate with structurally higher margins than hardware.

How Apple Compares to Microsoft and Alphabet Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) trades at a P/E of 29 with fiscal Q3 2026 EPS of $4.27 on 18.3% revenue growth. Microsoft’s cheaper multiple reflects heavier capex intensity; Apple’s premium reflects capital-light Services and buyback firepower.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) posted Q1 2026 EPS of $5.11 on revenue of $109.9 billion, up 21.8%, with Google Cloud growing 63%. Alphabet’s faster top-line growth against Apple’s premium multiple frames the tradeoff. Against these peers, our 24/7 Wall St. price target of $363.77 looks reasonable.

What to Watch Next on Apple The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $363.77 with 90% confidence reflects a defensible 9.15% path higher over 12 months, anchored by China AI approval, Services compounding, and the iPhone 18 cycle.

The bull thesis strengthens if the July 30 earnings report confirms Services margin expansion. The setup weakens if iPhone 18 pre-orders disappoint or if forward guidance softens on China. The setup favors the bulls.

The 5-year base case sits at $465.41 by July 2031, assuming current growth trajectories and margin trends hold.

Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $345 2027 $375 2028 $405 2029 $435 2030 $465 These projections assume Apple continues executing on Services growth and the iPhone 18 and 19 cycles land on schedule. Meaningful upside or downside could result from foldable iPhone traction, further AI monetization, or a China policy reversal.

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Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 19th, 2026

Collaborative Fund Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 15,116 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock, valued at approximately $3,836,000. Apple makes up approximately 2.4% of Collaborative Fund Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its position in Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $69,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling In other Apple news, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $421,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,675,650. This trade represents a 10.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,226,770. This represents a 3.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 2,924 shares of company stock worth $825,546. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Apple Stock Up 0.1% NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $333.74 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $201.50 and a fifty-two week high of $334.99. The firm has a market cap of $4.90 trillion, a P/E ratio of 40.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $303.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $277.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The business had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.65 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. Apple’s payout ratio is 13.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have issued reports on AAPL shares. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Apple from $335.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $365.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $276.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, June 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $318.43.

Read Our Latest Report on Apple

Key Apple News Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: HSBC upgraded Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Buy and raised its price target to $366 from $260, saying the company is at an operational turning point with AI features and hardware momentum supporting growth. HSBC upgrades Apple to Buy, sees “strong cycle ahead” Positive Sentiment: China approved Apple Intelligence for iPhones, and Apple will integrate Alibaba’s Qwen AI model in its China rollout, a key step that could expand Apple’s AI adoption in one of its most important markets. Alibaba and Baidu shares jump in Hong Kong on Apple AI partnership Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports say Apple briefly overtook Nvidia in market value, reinforcing the view that investors are rotating toward Apple’s consumer execution and away from some AI-heavy names. Apple closes in on Nvidia in race for world’s most valuable company Positive Sentiment: Several commentaries highlighted Apple’s cash generation, shareholder returns, and robotics/innovation efforts, supporting the bullish “cash flow machine” and diversification narrative. Apple’s Core Business Cash Flow Machine Will Support Innovation and Diversification Apple Company Profile (Free Report)

Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple’s principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

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Fischer Financial Services Inc. trimmed its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 88.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,116 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 107,868 shares during the period. Apple makes up about 1.2% of Fischer Financial Services Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Fischer Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $3,583,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Apple by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $387,749,545,000 after purchasing an additional 26,856,752 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in Apple by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 604,056,505 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $164,218,801,000 after purchasing an additional 6,555,392 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Apple by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 358,032,517 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $97,031,587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,866,103 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Apple by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 230,483,035 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $62,659,118,000 after buying an additional 1,379,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $52,266,468,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts recently weighed in on AAPL shares. Monness Crespi & Hardt lifted their price target on Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, June 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $318.43.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AAPL

Trending Headlines about Apple Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: HSBC upgraded Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Buy and raised its price target to $366 from $260, saying the company is at an operational turning point with AI features and hardware momentum supporting growth. HSBC upgrades Apple to Buy, sees “strong cycle ahead” Positive Sentiment: China approved Apple Intelligence for iPhones, and Apple will integrate Alibaba’s Qwen AI model in its China rollout, a key step that could expand Apple’s AI adoption in one of its most important markets. Alibaba and Baidu shares jump in Hong Kong on Apple AI partnership Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports say Apple briefly overtook Nvidia in market value, reinforcing the view that investors are rotating toward Apple’s consumer execution and away from some AI-heavy names. Apple closes in on Nvidia in race for world’s most valuable company Positive Sentiment: Several commentaries highlighted Apple’s cash generation, shareholder returns, and robotics/innovation efforts, supporting the bullish “cash flow machine” and diversification narrative. Apple’s Core Business Cash Flow Machine Will Support Innovation and Diversification Insider Activity at Apple In related news, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $421,850.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,675,650. This represents a 10.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 2,924 shares of company stock worth $825,546 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Trading Up 0.1% Shares of AAPL stock opened at $333.74 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $201.50 and a fifty-two week high of $334.99. The stock has a market cap of $4.90 trillion, a P/E ratio of 40.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $303.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $277.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.65 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 13.06%.

Apple Company Profile (Free Report)

Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple’s principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Apple Netflix May Be Cheap Enough to Tempt Buyers After Earnings Drop Delta vs. United: Which Airline Is Better Built for Higher Fuel Costs? The Market Sold Alcoa After Earnings—But It May Be Missing the Real Story Why Intuitive Surgical’s Strong Quarter Still Spooked Investors

Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

The PHLX Semiconductor Index closed in a bear market on Friday, finishing more than 20% below its June peak. Apple (AAPL +0.26%) spent the same session touching a record intraday high of $334.98 -- and passing Nvidia for a moment to reclaim its title as the world's most valuable company, at about $4.9 trillion.

The divergence isn't random. Global chip stocks have erased about $3.3 trillion in market value since June 22 as investors rethink what the AI (artificial intelligence) build-out costs and who actually profits from it. Memory chipmakers, among the build-out's biggest recent winners, have been leading the declines.

Apple, however, is the one technology giant that never signed up to pay for the build-out in the first place.

Image source: Apple.

The cheapest AI strategy in big tech Apple spent just $12.7 billion on capital expenditures in fiscal 2025 while generating $98.8 billion in free cash flow. Rivals such as Microsoft and Amazon have committed hundreds of billions of dollars to AI infrastructure -- spending Apple has simply avoided matching. That leaves the iPhone maker's profits far less dependent on the AI spending boom continuing.

Apple's underlying business is performing, too. Apple's revenue for its fiscal second quarter (the period ended March 28) rose 17% year over year to $111.2 billion, with earnings per share up 22% and iPhone revenue setting a March-quarter record. Shares have gained nearly 59% over the past year, and the stock now sits more than 60% above its 52-week low of $201.50.

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So while the market punishes companies whose earnings lean on ever-rising AI capital spending, money is crowding into the megacap whose earnings don't. On Friday, that rotation was strong enough to push Apple back to the top of the market on the very day the chip index broke down.

The shelter has a price, though. At about $332 per share as of this writing, Apple trades at roughly 40 times earnings, a steep multiple for a company growing revenue 17%. Investors are no longer just paying for iPhone sales and services growth. They're paying a premium for safety.

That premium could keep expanding if the chip sell-off deepens, and Apple's light spending model means no wave of depreciation is coming to weigh on future earnings. Of course, a multiple this high leaves little room for disappointment if iPhone momentum cools. Friday's divergence says more about the chip trade than about Apple -- and investors chasing the safety should know they're buying a great business at a price that arguably already reflects it. With that said, I'm not selling my Apple shares.

Daniel Sparks and his clients have positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The artificial intelligence (AI) boom continues to grab the lion's share of the market's attention. Businesses that have jumped into the trend with both feet have seen their shares perform well as investors gravitated to this trade.

Apple (AAPL +0.26%) has largely sat on the sidelines in this race, however, avoiding the massive spending activity of its peers. That doesn't mean it has been a slouch in terms of share price performance, though. The Magnificent Seven stock is up 22% in 2026 (as of July 16), and it has skyrocketed by 1,250% over the past 10 years.

Few companies can match Apple's incredible profitability. And the market fully appreciates how incredibly sound this dominant consumer technology business is from a financial perspective.

The company has raked in a remarkable amount of cash over the years, and the options it had for putting that money to work were almost limitless. However, over the course of his tenure as CEO, Tim Cook committed $851 billion of it to one specific priority, and that choice has benefited Apple shareholders tremendously.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The best investment is in the mirror In 2012, Apple's board of directors instituted a new capital allocation policy, authorizing a $10 billion share repurchase program, set to start in its fiscal 2013. This decision, which was certainly supported by the business's notable success at that point, came after Cook took the top job at Apple.

The company has continued to regularly put funds into its stock buybacks in the years since. In fact, in just the last two reported quarters, Apple spent $36 billion on stock buybacks. Clearly, the pace of those repurchases has increased dramatically over the years.

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Not all businesses can do this. Apple sells some of the most popular consumer hardware and software out there, supporting a robust ecosystem that powers its brand recognition. It booked $71.7 billion in net income in the last six months.

Since it started the program more than 14 years ago, Apple's stock repurchase activity has totaled a mind-boggling $851 billion. With that much money (or a fraction of it), it could have paid cash to acquire any one of 486 companies in the S&P 500 index, based on their current market capitalizations. That's a long list of large caps that includes many high-quality names.

Instead, Apple essentially chose to invest in itself and in rewarding its shareholders. Companies that repurchase their own shares do so at the expense of other uses of capital such as investing in growth opportunities and infrastructure, acquisitions, paying down debt, or paying dividends. Apple engages in all of these behaviors, too, but its board apparently believes that share repurchases are one of the best uses for its cash.

Certainly the business has prospered. From its fiscal 2012 to fiscal 2025, Apple's net income soared 169%. But thanks to stock buybacks that drastically reduced the outstanding share count by more than 40%, the company's diluted earnings per share were up an impressive 373% during that 13-year period.

Looking ahead, investors should expect this capital allocation policy to remain intact, even after John Ternus replaces Tim Cook as CEO in September.

View of an Apple logo at an Apple store in Paris, France, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesJuly 17 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab and the U.S. Department of Justice are in early discussions about settling a 2024 lawsuit that ​alleges the iPhone maker violated antitrust laws, Bloomberg News ‌reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Apple and the DOJ did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reuters ​could not independently verify the report.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

The discussions are active, ​but there is no guarantee that the two sides ⁠will reach an agreement, the report said, adding that the ​iPhone maker has made multiple offers to the DOJ to ​bring the case to a close.

The department and 15 states sued Apple in 2024 as the government cracks down on Big Tech, alleging the iPhone ​maker monopolized the smartphone market, hurt smaller rivals and drove ​up prices.

In the lawsuit, the U.S. had accused Apple of making it harder ‌for ⁠consumers to block competitors and cited five examples where Apple used mechanisms to suppress technologies that would have increased competition among smartphones: so-called super apps, cloud stream game apps, messaging apps, ​smartwatches and digital ​wallets.

It could ⁠not be learned whether the state attorneys general were engaged in settlement talks, according to the ​report.

Shares of Apple were down 1.1% in afternoon ​trading ⁠on Friday. They have risen about 23% this year.

The report comes days after Apple sued OpenAI and two former employees, alleging misappropriation ⁠of its ​trade secrets to benefit the ChatGPT-owner's ​foray into consumer hardware, a dramatic escalation of already simmering tension between the ​two companies.

Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Apple filed a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI last Friday, and it’s not messing around. The complaint alleges a pattern of misconduct reaching all the way up to OpenAI’s chief hardware officer and claims more than 400 former Apple employees now work at the company. OpenAI’s response so far has been carefully hedged, and the timing couldn’t be worse with the company reportedly eyeing an IPO as early as later this year. 

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into what the lawsuit could mean for OpenAI’s own hardware ambitions and IPO timeline, plus a bigger theme running through the week’s news: how much should anyone trust AI companies with their data? 

Listen to the full episode to hear more about: 

Why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is warning enterprises about handing data over to AI labs, and whether open source is really a way out of the “Trojan horse” data-trust problem  How forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) are changing the relationship between AI labs and their enterprise customers  Why General Catalyst just handed David Beckham’s health drink startup a $1 billion customer value fund  The scoop on a new $200M drug-discovery startup from an ex-OpenAI researcher  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. 

Anthony Ha is TechCrunch’s weekend editor. Previously, he worked as a tech reporter at Adweek, a senior editor at VentureBeat, a local government reporter at the Hollister Free Lance, and vice president of content at a VC firm. He lives in New York City.

You can contact or verify outreach from Anthony by emailing [email protected].

Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of 2 producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and engineered live performances and interviews from guests like lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Monmouth University.

You can contact or verify outreach from Theresa by emailing [email protected].

Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS Interactive.

You can contact or verify outreach from Kirsten by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at kkorosec.07 on Signal.

Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.

You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.