AAPL

Apple shares hit an all-time high of $334.68 on July 16. The stock was up 23% on the year, the product pipeline was looking unusually stacked, and most of the analyst community already had a Buy on it. Then, on July 17, one of the banks that had been sitting on the sidelines decided it had seen enough. HSBC analyst Nicolas Cote-Colisson upgraded Apple from Hold to Buy and raised his price target from $260 to $366. He said Apple is now at "an operational turning point." The upgrade came with a detailed explanation of why he had been cautious before and what changed his mind. Cote-Colisson had spent most of 2026 preferring other parts of the AI trade over Apple. His firm had been more focused on hyperscalers and memory chip manufacturers, which it saw as better positioned to capture the immediate AI infrastructure boom. Apple was on Hold while those names were the preferred call. The switch comes from a different read on where Apple sits in the AI economy. Most AI infrastructure plays are spending enormous amounts on capital expenditure, CNBC reported. Apple is not. The firm invests roughly 2.5% of its 2026 estimated sales in capex. Hyperscalers are running at 39%. That gap is a big part of what Cote-Colisson is highlighting. Related: Citi revamps Apple's stock price target for the rest of 2026 "Apple is now at an operational turning point: not only can the company stay away from the (too) high capex debate... it is also well placed to leverage its 2.5 billion installed device base with its forthcoming revamped Apple Intelligence," Cote-Colisson wrote in his note. In other words, Apple gets AI exposure without the capital spending burden that comes with building data centers. That's a different kind of bet from a hyperscaler, and HSBC thinks the market hasn't fully priced it in yet. The upgrade isn't just an AI call. A lot of it is about what Apple is planning to release. Cote-Colisson described the upcoming product lineup as one of Apple's most innovative in years, Investing.com reported. The pipeline he's pointing to includes the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max coming this fall, an iPhone Air expected in April 2027, and a book-style foldable iPhone that HSBC flagged as the most significant new device in the lineup. More Apple: Apple stock move vindicates Palantir CEO warning for AI industry Apple’s iPhone cost problem reveals AI’s hidden bill Apple’s 2027 hardware...

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, XETRA:APC) is expected to deliver an in-line fiscal third-quarter performance, with UBS forecasting steady iPhone growth and Services revenue broadly tracking expectations despite ongoing supply chain pressures. UBS expects total revenue to come in at $107.8 billion, slightly below Visible Alpha consensus of $108.1 billion, while forecasting iPhone revenue of $53.3 billion, roughly in line with consensus and representing about 20% year-over-year growth. The analysts wrote that channel checks suggest Apple’s iPhone business gained market share during the quarter, supported by pricing trends and continued demand for higher-end smartphones. UBS noted that Apple was the only major smartphone vendor not to raise prices during the June quarter, which helped the company gain share across key markets including the US, Europe and China. The firm also highlighted that rising component costs, particularly for memory, have benefited premium smartphone demand as consumers have continued to favor higher-priced devices over mid-range and lower-end models. UBS expects the iPhone 17 lineup to have taken share during the quarter, though the analysts cautioned that the market may already be pricing in stronger-than-expected results. Apple shares are trading at roughly 35 times forward consensus earnings, which UBS views as limiting the potential risk-reward profile. Services revenue is expected to grow around 13% on a foreign exchange-neutral basis, according to UBS, with limited upside due to challenges affecting App Store revenue and Google search-related payments. UBS forecasts diluted earnings per share of $1.84, slightly below Visible Alpha consensus of $1.87. The firm noted that earnings could receive a modest boost if operating expenses come in at the lower end of Apple’s guidance range, which UBS estimates would be around $18.8 billion. The analysts expect gross margin for the June quarter to come in at 48.0%, in line with consensus and within Apple’s guided range of 47.5% to 48.5%. UBS expects higher memory costs to pressure iPhone margins, partially offset by the benefit of lower-cost inventory flowing through cost of goods sold. The firm estimates iPhone gross margin of approximately 39.5%, down about 250 basis points from the prior quarter. Looking ahead to the September quarter, UBS forecasts consolidated gross margin of 47.5%, with the ben...

Nearly 700 miles from Silicon Valley, in the arid foothills of Boise, Idaho, you’ll find the headquarters of Micron Technology (MU), a global manufacturer of semiconductor chips and one of the world’s leading technology companies. It's also nearly 2,500 miles from Wall Street. Yet despite its remote location, Micron has become one of the market's biggest AI winners. Shares skyrocketed more than 680% from July 2025 to July 2026 amid explosive demand for the company’s high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are a critical component in AI infrastructure. But unlike other technology giants, such as Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOG), Micron didn't grow up in Silicon Valley. Instead, the company built one of the semiconductor industry's biggest success stories from an unlikely corner of the American West. Here's a closer look at the chipmaker's Boise HQ. The company's Idaho roots aren't an accident. Micron Technology was founded in 1978 by a team of semiconductor engineers — Ward Parkinson, Dennis Wilson, and Doug Pitman — who found themselves without jobs when their contract with Mostek Corp. was unexpectedly canceled. So they teamed up with Ward’s brother, Joe Parkinson, a corporate lawyer, to build their own semiconductor firm from scratch. They started out designing Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips for other companies. In 1980, they were introduced to Boise billionaire JR Simplot, who had made a fortune selling frozen French fries to McDonald's. Simplot was impressed by the team’s dedication to producing faster DRAM chips than anyone else. He was even more bowled over by computer technology. Simplot believed the computer industry was on the cusp of a revolution, and one day, while driving his Lincoln from his potato fields to the clean rooms at Micron, he prophesied that PCs were going to be "bigger than the goddamned wheel." Related: Micron Technology’s stock buybacks explained Simplot invested $1 million in the fledgling company, which gave Micron the capital it needed to move beyond consulting and begin manufacturing its own memory chips at scale. Just six years later, in 1984, the company went public at $13 per share. What began as a startup eventually became one of the world's most valuable semiconductor companies, surpassing a $1 trillion market capitalization on May 26, 2026. Unlike the headquarters of Meta Platforms (META), which has Frank Geh...

US equity markets were mostly tracking in the red before the opening bell Thursday as traders await

With the stock out of favor, investors are focused on slowing sales growth, but they may be missing the more powerful story of how efficiently Netflix is compounding profit per share. If you've looked at Netflix (NFLX) stock recently, you've probably seen the damage. The shares are down 42% over the last year, and the narrative is dominated by fears of slowing growth, intense competition, and wavering user engagement. It’s a story of a maturing giant whose best days are behind it. But beneath the gloomy headlines, a different story is unfolding, driven by one under-appreciated number. It’s the gap between the company’s sales growth and its earnings-per-share growth. Over the past three years, Netflix’s revenue has compounded at 13.7% annually. Its earnings per share, however, have compounded at 50% per year. That isn't a typo or an accounting trick; it’s the result of financial factors working behind the scenes. Two forces are driving this performance: the primary engine is a significant expansion in profitability, supplemented by a steady, disciplined reduction in the share count. While margin expansion has been the larger contributor to earnings growth, the 5.2% reduction in shares outstanding over the past three years ensures that every dollar of that increased profit is distributed across a smaller base, compounding the benefit for shareholders. Netflix’s operating margin has climbed consistently over the last three years—rising from 16.8% to 22.5%, then to 27.7%, and reaching approximately 29.7% over the last twelve months. While the pace of year-over-year margin expansion has naturally moderated as the company scales toward higher efficiency levels, the trend remains resolutely upward. Each dollar of revenue is now generating significantly more bottom-line profit, and by returning cash to shareholders, the company is ensuring that profit is divided among fewer slices, amplifying the return for each remaining share. This is why the market’s focus on top-line growth may be misplaced. The primary risk priced into the stock is that Netflix can no longer deliver the high sales growth of its past. But earnings-per-share growth means it doesn’t have to. This structure allows for earnings-per-share growth through disciplined execution, even with more moderate revenue gains. For investors, a key question is how this earnings growth relates to the company's valu...

Morgan Stanley and BlackRock reported strong quarterly results, once again exceeding Wall Street expectations like their peers that reported on Tuesday. Memory-chip makers, however, lagged the broader market's climb amid profit-taking following a strong run-up tied to expectations of AI demand. Crude oil prices continued to climb and stayed above $80 per barrel levels as the U.S. continued its attacks on Iran. U.S. stock futures were mixed in the overnight session late Wednesday, as a lower-than-expected wholesale inflation reading, coupled with record banking results, boosted investor sentiment, even as weakness in the semiconductor sector weighed on technology stocks. Dow futures were up 0.01%, S&P 500 futures climbed 0.01%, while Nasdaq-100 futures fell 0.17% at 9:03 PM EDT. See what 10M+ investors are talking about. Get the Stocktwits Daily Rip for what retail is watching right now, free to your inbox Among ETFs tracking benchmark indexes, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) were trading lower at the time of writing, while the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) edged higher. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) was down 0.05% amid ‘extremely bearish’ sentiment. All three benchmark indexes closed higher on Wednesday amid a growing risk appetite driven by lower inflation and strong bank earnings. The Nasdaq added nearly 160 points, closing up 0.62%. The S&P 500 was up 0.38%, while the Dow closed 0.29% higher. June’s Producer Price Index (PPI) declined 0.3% from the previous month, marking its steepest drop in more than a year and coming in below expectations. On an annual basis, producer prices increased 5.5%, also below forecasts. The lower wholesale inflation came a day after the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for June was also lower than expected. Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, said in a post on X on Wednesday, noting the decline in CPI and PPI: “These much better-than-expected figures are set to boost equities and further temper market expectations for upcoming interest rate hikes.” Meanwhile, two banks, Morgan Stanley (MS) and BlackRock (BLK), reported quarterly results, once again exceeding Wall Street expectations like their peers Goldman Sachs (GS), Bank of America (BAC) and others that also reported strong results on Tuesday. Among financial stocks, PayPal Holdings Inc. (PYPL) wa...

Jefferies names Amazon its top Mag 7 pick into Q2 earnings, citing a forward P/E of 29 versus Tesla's 179 and 75% quarterly earnings growth. Apple is the only dividend payer of the three, backing a fresh $100 billion buyback with a 141% return on equity, making it the right fit only for late-stage income retirees. This lithium producer surpassed a $1B private valuation, joining some of America's most powerful startups. Now you can invest in EnergyX alongside global giants like General Motors, but only through July 16. (sponsor) Retirement investors staring at Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) heading into Q2 earnings face one simple question: which of these three Magnificent 7 names best deserves a spot in a long-duration portfolio right now? Jefferies is making the case for Amazon, reiterating the stock as the firm’s top Magnificent 7 pick into Q2 earnings. Analysts cited an AWS Q2 growth forecast of 32%, Prime Day survey data showing 54% of members increased spending by more than 10% year over year, and an AWS remaining performance obligation backlog nearing $500 billion after 93% year-over-year growth in Q1. Here is how the three Big Tech names actually stack up. The gap here is wide. Amazon trades at a trailing P/E of 30 and a forward P/E of 29, with a PEG ratio of 1.4. Apple sits at a trailing P/E of 38 and a forward P/E of 33, with a PEG of 2.5. Tesla is in another zip code altogether, carrying a trailing P/E of 371, a forward P/E of 179, and a PEG of 5.1. For a retiree buying earnings power today, Amazon offers the cheapest access to the strongest near-term profit growth story in the group. Tesla loses this round on valuation by a wide margin. July 16 is the Final Day to Tap Into the Lithium Boom (sponsor)General Motors, POSCO, and 50,000+ everyday investors have already backed lithium producer EnergyX. Here's why you should do the same before their July 16 investment deadline: lithium prices are up 75% this year, with demand projected to grow a staggering 5X by 2040. With tech that can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods, EnergyX is preparing to unlock up to 15M+ tons. Become a private-stage EnergyX investor before the July 16 deadline. Apple and Amazon posted identical quarterly revenue growth of 16.6% year-over-year, with Tesla close behind at 15.8%. The bottom line is where they separate. Amazon'...

Dow Jones futures: Taiwan Semiconductor and GE Aero fell despite strong earnings as the AI stock sell-off continues.

By Wen-Yee Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI, July 16 (Reuters) - TSMC, the world's largest manufacturer of advanced AI chips, is expected to ‌notch a fifth consecutive quarter of record earnings on Thursday, with a ‌59% surge in net profit for April-June, driven by booming global demand for AI infrastructure. Analysts ​said demand for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TSMC) 3-nanometre and 2-nanometre process technologies for AI chips, as well as for its advanced chip packaging technology, CoWoS, remains strong. That has catapulted Asia's most valuable company, a key supplier to ‌Nvidia and Apple, to new ⁠heights. Its market capitalisation is now nearly double that of South Korean rival Samsung Electronics at around $1.95 trillion. TSMC is ⁠expected to report net profit of T$632.6 billion ($19.65 billion) for the second quarter, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 18 analysts. SmartEstimates place greater weight on forecasts ​from ​analysts who are more consistently accurate. An earnings ​call at which it will ‌provide third-quarter and updated full-year guidance is scheduled for 0600 GMT. Any result above T$572.5 billion would mark the company's highest-ever quarterly net income and its 10th consecutive quarter of profit growth. On Monday, the company announced a 36% rise in second-quarter revenue, ahead of market forecasts and a record high. Analysts broadly expect TSMC ‌to raise its full-year revenue growth outlook ​and will be watching whether it also ​increases capital spending, a key ​indicator of management's confidence in the durability of AI ‌demand. On its last earnings call in ​April, the company said ​2026 capital expenditure would be at the high end of its earlier guidance of $52 billion to $56 billion. TSMC is investing $165 billion to build ​chip factories in the ‌U.S. state of Arizona. TSMC's Taipei-listed shares have gained 57.4% so far ​this year, in line with the broader market. ($1 = 32.1880 Taiwan dollars) (Reporting by ​Wen-Yee Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

The S&P 500 ended 0.35% higher, while the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.62% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.26%. Brent crude held near $85.80 after rising on renewed concerns about the Strait of Hormuz ship blockade amid U.S.-Iran tensions. PYPL surged sharply on reports of a potential $53+ billion take-private offer from Stripe and Advent International at a significant premium. U.S. stock indices ended modestly higher on Wednesday as cooler-than-expected producer prices contributed to hopes for easing inflation, and solid earnings from big banks and chipmaking equipment maker ASML offset a sell-off in memory stocks. The S&P 500 ended 0.35% higher, while the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.62% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.26%. The Russell 2000, which tracks stocks with small market capitalizations, increased 0.39%. See what 10M+ investors are talking about. Get the Stocktwits Daily Rip for what retail is watching right now, free to your inbox Among ETFs tracking benchmark indexes, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) rose 0.4% and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) ended Wednesday around 0.27% lower, while the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) added 0.24%. Meanwhile, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) lost 1.59%, while the broader Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) slipped about 0.52%, though big tech names Alphabet (GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon.com (AMZN), Meta (META) and Apple (AAPL) rallied over 2.5%, owing to significant selling in memory chip and semiconductor stocks. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits for SPY, QQQ, and DIA stayed within 'bullish' zones, coupled with ‘normal’ message volumes. The Producer Price Index for June fell 0.3% month-over-month — the largest decline in over a year — versus expectations for flat readings. Year-over-year, PPI rose 5.5%, below forecasts. The drop was led by goods prices, particularly energy. This followed Tuesday’s soft CPI and gave markets further comfort that inflation pressures are moderating, supporting the “soft landing” view and tempering aggressive rate-hike pricing. Earnings season delivered clear positives in financials. Morgan Stanley and BlackRock posted strong beats, with BlackRock’s assets under management surging past $15 trillion. Banks’ blowout results stole some spotlight from Big Tech. However, tensions in the Middle East kept oil prices elevated, which capped some of the upside. Brent crude...

Apple shares rose 4% to $327.50. The Cyberspace Administration of China on Wednesday included Apple’s generative artificial intelligence on a list of newly approved providers. Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani wrote that the update clears the biggest regulatory hurdle for Apple Intelligence—the company’s AI software—in the world’s largest smartphone market.

JPMorgan (JPM), Citigroup (C), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Wells Fargo (WFC) all reported second quarter earnings results on Tuesday. Whalen Global Advisors chairman, Chris Whalen, shares his take on the recent results and his expectations for Morgan Stanley (MS) on Wednesday.