Josh Kohn-Lindquist, The Motley Fool

Fri, May 1, 2026 at 5:38 PM CDT

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), a consumer electronics and software giant, closed Friday at $280.25, up 3.28%. The stock moved higher after Apple reported record quarterly results, issued upbeat guidance, and expanded its capital-return plans. Investors are watching whether demand for the iPhone and MacBook Neo sustains double-digit revenue growth. Trading volume reached 76 million shares, about 63% above its three‑month average of 46.6 million shares. Apple IPO'd in 1980 and has grown 218,248% since going public.

The S&P 500 added 0.28% to finish at 7,229, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.89% to close at 25,114. Within the technology sector, Microsoft closed at $414.44, up 1.63%, while HP finished at $20.83, down 0.14%, underscoring mixed reactions across device makers.

After rising 3% today, Apple is again nearing all‑time highs, despite being critiqued by many in the market for “missing” the broader AI revolution. During Q2, Apple’s sales grew 17%, and EPS rose 22%, sailing past analysts’ expectations. Management guided for sales to increase between 14% and 17% in Q2.

Several analysts raised their price targets on the stock, citing that Apple could be an AI beneficiary despite largely sitting out the massive capex spending cycle engulfing its mega‑cap tech peers. My most intriguing takeaway from the quarter was that higher‑than‑expected demand for Apple’s MacBook Neo helped set a March record for new Mac users.

Despite being a $4 trillion company, Apple continues to find new ways to deliver solid growth for its shareholders.

Before you buy stock in Apple, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Apple wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $504,832!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,223,471!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 971% — a market‑crushing outperformance compared to 202% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

See the 10 stocks *

*Stock Advisor returns as of May 1, 2026.