New York, Feb 6, 2026, 10:34 EST — Regular session
- Apple shares climbed in morning trading, following a volatile start at the open.
- Supply-chain costs drew renewed attention following a Reuters report highlighting a tightening market for memory chips in smartphones.
- Fresh U.S. data and Apple’s annual shareholder meeting on Feb. 24 are drawing investor attention.
Apple shares climbed on Friday, mirroring a calmer mood in megacap tech stocks as investors digested renewed concerns around component costs and their potential impact on iPhone prices this year. Mid-morning, Apple was up 1.1% at $278.94, putting its market value near $4.05 trillion.
The move unfolds amid jittery markets following a week marked by sharp asset swings fueled by AI concerns and mixed leadership. Global shares are on track for their steepest weekly drop since mid-November, as traders fixate on whether the AI boom’s costs are spiraling out of control. 1
Concerns have grown as major tech firms announce plans to ramp up spending on AI infrastructure, while investors fret over AI’s potential to shake up the software and data sectors. “Headlines that once sent shares soaring at the height of AI enthusiasm are now met with much more caution,” noted Carlota Estragues Lopez, equity strategist at St. James’s Place. 2
Apple faces a tough call: raise iPhone prices or swallow higher costs as a global DRAM shortage tightens supply. Tim Cook warned investors after earnings that memory chip prices are set to jump. Analysts, however, say Apple’s size and supplier connections might secure enough parts from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron. IDC’s Nabila Popal described the situation as a “two-sided sword,” while Ben Reitzes of Melius Research suggested Apple could snag a “disproportionate share of the available DRAM.” 3
Regulators jumped into the fray Thursday as the European Commission announced that Apple’s Maps and Ads services won’t be labeled “gatekeepers” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The move came down to their relatively low usage and limited market impact across Europe, a ruling Apple quickly embraced. 4
Apple closed Thursday at $275.91, slipping 0.21%, based on a delayed quote from Reuters. 5
Apple’s stock got a boost from last week’s quarterly update. On Jan. 29, the company reported fiscal first-quarter revenue rose 16% to $143.8 billion, while earnings per share jumped 19% to $2.84. iPhone and Services revenue both hit new highs, with CEO Tim Cook calling it the iPhone’s “best-ever quarter.” The company announced a $0.26-per-share dividend, payable Feb. 12 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 9. CFO Kevan Parekh added they generated “nearly $54 billion in operating cash flow.” 6
On the macro front, consumer sentiment showed just a slight improvement. The University of Michigan’s index ticked up to 57.3 in early February from 56.4 in January. Meanwhile, one-year inflation expectations dropped to 3.5% from 4.0%. Still, survey director Joanne Hsu cautioned that the “overall level of sentiment remains very low.” 7
But the risk hasn’t gone away: tech stocks have been plunging sharply whenever the market wobbles, and investors remain wary of pricey growth plays as economic signs sour. On Feb. 5, major tech shares dropped for a third day running, with AI-related companies feeling the pressure amid weaker economic data and renewed concerns over the high costs of expansion. 8
Investors face a crucial data reset following the government shutdown that threw off the schedule. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the January employment report will drop next Wednesday, while the January CPI report is now set for next Friday. 9
Apple has set Feb. 24 for its annual shareholders meeting, scheduled for 8:00 a.m. PT. The event will be held virtually, the company confirms on its investor relations page. 10
