Checking the ticker for what’s the current price of Apple stock on a Sunday evening like this usually means looking at the most recent closing bell data. Right now, Apple (AAPL) is sitting at $255.53. That was the final price when the markets wrapped up on Friday, January 16, 2026.
It’s been a bit of a rough ride lately. Honestly, if you’ve been watching the charts this month, it looks more like a ski slope than a growth curve. The stock has actually slid about 5.7% since the start of the year. Just a few weeks ago, we were looking at prices above $271. Now, we’re hovering in the mid-250s.
Why the sudden chill? It’s not just one thing. Investors are currently chewing on a mix of supply chain hiccups and some pretty loud opinions from Wall Street heavyweights.
What’s the current price of Apple stock doing right now?
The market is closed today, January 18, so that $255.53 figure is your anchor until Monday morning. During Friday's session, the stock was fairly active, hitting a high of $258.90 before sellers took control and pushed it down to a low of $254.93.
Volume was high, too. About 72 million shares changed hands, which is well above the usual average. When a stock drops on high volume, it usually means the big institutions—the "smart money"—are the ones doing the selling.
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Recent Price Action at a Glance
To give you some perspective, the 52-week range for Apple has been wide. We’ve seen a low of $169.21 and a high of $288.62 within the last year. Being at $255.53 means we are roughly 11% off the all-time highs. For a company with a market cap of $3.76 trillion, that's a massive amount of "value" that just evaporated in a few weeks.
The sentiment shifted fast. Back in late 2025, everyone was cheering the iPhone 17 launch. It was a genuine hit, helping Apple grab about 20% of the global smartphone market. But now, the conversation has shifted to 2026's challenges, specifically rising costs for components and a weirdly intense debate over AI strategy.
The Google Gemini Factor and the "Strategic Catastrophe"
The biggest headline lately involves Apple's partnership with Google. On January 12, it was confirmed that Apple’s next-gen AI features—the stuff powering the revamped Siri—will be built on Google’s Gemini models.
You’d think a partnership between two giants would be good news, right?
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Well, it depends on who you ask. Analysts at ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, haven't held back. They recently called this deal a "strategic catastrophe." Their argument is basically that Apple is admitting it can't build its own foundational AI models. They see it as a sign that Apple is losing its grip on the tech stack.
On the flip side, banks like JPMorgan and Evercore ISI are staying bullish. They see this as a pragmatic move. Why spend tens of billions trying to catch up in a specialized field when you can just plug in the best existing tech and keep your margins high? Samik Chatterjee at JPMorgan even maintained a price target of $305 recently, suggesting there's still plenty of room to run.
Upcoming Earnings: The January 29 Catalyst
If you're wondering where the stock goes next, circle January 29, 2026 on your calendar. That’s when Apple drops its quarterly earnings report.
Wall Street is expecting an Earnings Per Share (EPS) of around $2.65. That would be a 10% jump from the same time last year. If Apple hits or beats that number, the current "slump" might look like a gift in hindsight.
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- iPhone Momentum: We need to see if the iPhone 17 sales are actually holding up or if they’re trailing off.
- Services Growth: This is Apple’s secret weapon. App Store and subscription revenue have been growing at about 15% lately.
- The AI Roadmap: Investors want more than just "we're using Gemini." They want to see how it turns into actual revenue.
Actionable Insights for Investors
So, what do you do with this info? If you’re holding AAPL or thinking about jumping in, here are a few things to keep in mind.
First, watch the $250 level. Technical analysts usually see that as a "psychological floor." If the stock breaks below that, we might see a faster slide toward $240. However, if it holds, it could be a solid base for a rebound leading up to the earnings call.
Second, don't ignore the dividend. Apple's yield is small—about 0.41%—but it’s incredibly stable. The company is sitting on a mountain of cash, and they’re likely to continue aggressive share buybacks, which naturally supports the stock price over time.
Finally, keep an eye on the broader tech sector. Apple has been underperforming the S&P 500 slightly this month, but it’s still one of the most liquid and "safe" bets in a volatile market. Some investors are actually rotating out of high-priced AI hardware like Nvidia and moving into Apple because it feels less "bubbly."
Next Steps for You:
Check the pre-market quotes tomorrow morning around 8:00 AM ET to see if the stock is "gapping" up or down before the official open. If you're a long-term investor, focus on the January 29 earnings release; that’s the data point that will actually define the trend for the rest of the quarter. Avoid making emotional trades based on daily swings in the $255 range—Apple is a marathon, not a sprint.