NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 16:56 ET
- Wedbush’s Dan Ives kept a $350 target on Apple and flagged it as a top AI pick for 2026.
- Wall Street’s average target implies low-single-digit upside, with a wide spread between the high and low forecasts.
- Apple enters 2026 as a roughly $3 trillion bellwether for U.S. equity indexes.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives kept a $350 price target on Apple and listed the iPhone maker among his top five artificial-intelligence picks for 2026. “The elephant in the room remains the invisible AI strategy,” Ives wrote, saying Apple’s installed base of 2.4 billion iOS devices and 1.5 billion iPhones gives it leverage if it accelerates AI efforts. Business Insider
The call lands as investors reset positions after U.S. stocks logged another year of double-digit gains, helped by enthusiasm around AI-focused names despite tariff uncertainty. The S&P 500 rose 16.39% in 2025, the Nasdaq gained 20.36% and the Dow climbed 12.97%, Reuters reported.
That matters now because Apple is one of the market’s biggest stocks and an outsized weight in major indexes. Investors are looking for clearer signals in 2026 on whether Apple can turn AI features into higher device demand and steadier services growth.
Apple last traded at $271.86, giving it a market capitalization of about $3.01 trillion. The shares trade at roughly 30 times earnings, a valuation measure known as the price-to-earnings ratio.
MarketBeat data based on 37 Wall Street analysts show a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average 12-month price target of $283.92, about 4.44% above the stock’s current level. Forecasts range from $170 to $350, underscoring how divided analysts are heading into 2026. MarketBeat
A price target is an analyst’s estimate of where a stock may trade over the next year, not a promise. The gap between the average target and the most bullish calls leaves little room for disappointment if growth slows.
For Apple, the debate centers on whether AI can drive a meaningful upgrade cycle and lift spending across its ecosystem. Investors are watching for signs that new features translate into revenue, rather than simply becoming table-stakes software.
Apple has also signaled product and services updates for 2026, teasing “big” changes to its subscription fitness service, Fitness+, and suggesting they could arrive as soon as January. The company has also teased an upgrade to its virtual assistant Siri, Business Insider reported. Business Insider
Hardware bets remain a risk in the background. The Guardian reported Apple has cut production of its Vision Pro headset after sluggish demand, while the company has not disclosed sales figures for the device.
Microsoft and Nvidia remain key reference points for investors tracking the AI trade, with spending and adoption still seen as central drivers for large-cap tech in 2026. Against that backdrop, Apple faces pressure to show a clearer path from AI features to sustained growth.
U.S. markets are closed for New Year’s Day, leaving investors to digest year-end research and reposition for the first trading days of 2026. Apple’s next moves will be judged against a cautious consensus and a handful of aggressive targets.
With Wall Street pointing to low-single-digit upside on average, but with bulls still arguing for a larger re-rating, Apple’s 2026 stock forecast rests on execution. The market is looking for proof points on AI progress without new strains on margins or demand.
Related articles: NASDAQ:AAPL
