New York, January 21, 2026, 09:33 EST — Regular session underway.
- Apple shares rose roughly 0.2% in early trading, bouncing back from a 3.5% drop the previous day.
- Markets stayed on edge over U.S. tariff news as President Donald Trump prepared to speak at Davos.
- Wall Street is zeroing in on Apple’s January 29 earnings, as analysts debate the potential for iPhone growth against margin pressures.
Apple Inc shares crept up 0.2% to $247.15 in early Wednesday trading, rebounding slightly from a 3.46% slide the day before.
The timing is crucial. Apple will unveil its fiscal first-quarter results on Jan. 29 after the bell. Investors will focus on whether holiday demand and pricing held up well enough to offset rising component costs without cutting into gross margin, the portion of revenue left after direct expenses.
Equities held steady but remained jittery following Tuesday’s drop, as investors awaited President Donald Trump’s Davos keynote set for Wednesday. “The market is nervous about what Trump may say,” noted Gina Martin Adams of HB Wealth Management. Reuters
U.S. stocks plunged Tuesday, marking their sharpest one-day fall in nearly three months as investors reacted to new tariff threats targeting parts of Europe. President Trump announced a 10% import tariff starting Feb. 1 on goods from several European nations, set to jump to 25% on June 1 if no deal is reached concerning Greenland, Reuters reported. Jamie Cox of Harris Financial Group said he isn’t ready to declare this the beginning of a correction.
Apple got a boost from stock-specific factors. Evercore analyst Amit Daryanani moved the company onto the firm’s tactical outperform list, noting potential “near-term upside” for AAPL. He pointed to stronger-than-expected iPhone demand and minimal memory-cost pressure heading into the March quarter. Daryanani maintained his Outperform rating with a $330 price target, forecasting December-quarter revenue of $140.5 billion and earnings per share of $2.71—both figures surpassing Wall Street consensus mentioned in his note. tradingview.com
Citi took a more cautious stance on costs. Analyst Atif Malik lowered his Apple price target to $315 from $330 but maintained a Buy rating. He cited “higher memory component pricing risk” as the reason for trimming estimates, even though he still expects a December-quarter beat and a March-quarter outlook in line with forecasts. Citi remains bullish on Apple shares, pointing to the advanced Siri cycle and an upcoming foldable iPhone product cycle. TipRanks
Apple isn’t operating in isolation. A pivot from headline risk to policy—tariffs in particular—can weigh on the stock, affecting sentiment and the actual economy alike, from consumer demand to the cost and movement of its global supply chain.
Another straightforward risk: earnings. If Apple’s guidance falls short or management signals caution over margin pressures, the stock could falter—even if it surpasses near-term profit estimates.
Through the rest of Wednesday’s session, traders will watch tariff chatter closely while tracking moves in big-cap tech, where positions can shift quickly after a steep drop.
Jan. 29 is the date to watch. Investors want to hear Apple’s take on iPhone demand, the growth in Services, and just how much component costs—memory in particular—are eating into profits.
