New York, Jan 27, 2026, 16:14 EST — Trading continues after-hours.
Apple shares climbed Tuesday, boosted by early buying ahead of the iPhone giant’s upcoming quarterly earnings and a new AirTag release.
The timing couldn’t be more awkward. U.S. stocks sit close to record highs, the Federal Reserve is in the midst of a meeting, and investors are facing a heavy slate of megacap earnings reports.
Apple’s earnings are crucial as they test two key drivers behind the stock’s long rally: demand for the iPhone and the expansion of its services segment. The latter, which covers the App Store, iCloud, and payments, remains Apple’s more profitable division.
Apple (AAPL.O) climbed roughly 1.1%, closing near $258.31 as the regular session wrapped up, with shares fluctuating between $256.08 and $261.93 earlier. The tech giant holds a market cap around $3.0 trillion and finished Monday at $255.41.
On Monday, Apple unveiled an updated AirTag featuring a longer Bluetooth range, a louder speaker, and a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. The company claimed this upgrade boosts Precision Finding—the Find My feature that provides on-screen directional guidance—by as much as 50%, all while maintaining the price at $29 per tag and $99 for a four-pack.
JPMorgan bumped its price target on Apple shares to $315 from $305, maintaining an Overweight rating. The firm highlighted strong demand for the iPhone 17 lineup and noted that Apple’s scale and supplier deals should help offset margin pressures caused by rising memory costs.
Jefferies took a different tack, cutting its price target to $276.47 from $283.36 but kept its Hold rating intact. Analyst Edison Lee flagged weaker momentum in services and referenced Sensor Tower data revealing App Store revenue growth of about 7% in the December quarter.
Morgan Stanley took a cautious stance on Apple’s short-term trading outlook. Analyst Erik Woodring suggested the stock might “trade sideways to modestly lower after earnings,” regardless of whether iPhone demand beats expectations. TheStreet
The S&P 500 reached a new high on Tuesday, while the Nasdaq surged to its best level in three months, led by Apple and other big tech stocks. The Federal Reserve kicked off a two-day policy meeting, with traders focused on Wednesday’s statement for hints on interest rate moves.
The bar isn’t set low. Should Apple’s guidance signal weaker demand in China, a slowdown in services, or greater margin pressure than expected, the recent rally could unravel quickly.
Apple’s fiscal first-quarter results come out Thursday, with a conference call set for 5 p.m. ET. Investors will be watching closely for fresh guidance and any change in how management talks about iPhone sales, services growth, and spending on new AI-driven features.
