Honestly, if you're checking what is the price of apple stock today, you’re probably seeing a number that feels a bit "stuck." As of January 15, 2026, Apple (AAPL) is trading right around the $260.00 mark. Specifically, the stock closed yesterday at $259.96, down about 0.40% on the day. It’s been a weird start to the year for the Cupertino giant. Just a few months ago, everyone was screaming about Apple hitting a $4 trillion market cap, but today, that number has cooled off to about **$3.82 trillion**.
It’s not exactly a crash, but it's definitely a "valuation reset." You've got high-interest rates still lingering and a sudden realization among investors that the AI hype might have moved too fast for the actual hardware sales to keep up.
What is the price of apple stock today and what’s moving the needle?
The price you see on your screen—whether it's $259.96 or a few cents higher in pre-market trading—is a reflection of a massive tug-of-war. On one side, you have the "perma-bulls" who think Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone (rumored for later this year) will be the second coming of the smartphone. On the other, you’ve got skeptics looking at the 34.97 P/E ratio and wondering if the growth justifies the premium.
Apple’s 52-week high is $288.62, so we are nearly 10% off the peak. That hurts if you bought in late 2025.
Why the dip? Basically, it’s the "AI gap." While Microsoft and Google are shouting from the rooftops about their data centers, Apple has been more quiet. They launched Apple Intelligence back in late 2024, but it hasn't turned into a "must-have" upgrade for the average person yet. Plus, there’s a real concern about chip shortages. Chipmakers are prioritizing AI servers over consumer phones, and that’s making it harder for Apple to keep margins high.
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The $4 Trillion question: Is AAPL overvalued?
Let’s look at the numbers. They’re kind of staggering.
- Current Price: ~$260.00
- Dividend Yield: 0.39%
- Market Cap: $3.82 Trillion
- Earnings Per Share (EPS): $7.43
Most analysts, like the folks over at Wedbush and Morgan Stanley, are still sticking to a "Buy" rating with price targets in the $285 to $325 range. But if you look at the actual performance, Apple underperformed the S&P 500 in 2025. It grew about 8.6%, while the broader market was up over 16%.
It’s weird to think of Apple as a laggard, right?
But that’s exactly what happens when a company gets this big. To move the needle on a $3.8 trillion valuation, you need more than just a slightly better camera on the iPhone 17 Pro. You need a whole new category.
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The wildcards for 2026: Foldables and smart glasses
If you’re holding AAPL, you’re basically betting on two things: the iPhone 18 and Apple Glasses.
There is a ton of chatter about Apple finally ditching Qualcomm modems for their own in-house C1 chip in the next iPhone. If they pull that off, it saves them billions. It also gives them more control over how the phone handles AI tasks.
Then there are the smart glasses. We’ve seen the Vision Pro, which is cool but, let’s be real, nobody is wearing that to the grocery store. The "Apple Glasses" are supposed to be the real deal—augmented reality that looks like regular eyewear. Reports from Smart Analytics Global suggest this could quadruple AR revenues by 2027. If today's price feels high, it's because the market is already pricing in some of that magic.
What most people get wrong about Apple's price
People love to focus on hardware sales. "Oh, the iPhone is down 2% in China, the stock is dead!"
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They're missing the forest for the trees. Apple's Services segment (App Store, iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple TV+) is a literal money printer. It has gross margins near 70%. Even if people wait an extra year to buy a new phone, they are still paying for storage and subscriptions. That’s the floor that keeps the stock from falling to $200.
Honestly, the biggest risk right now isn't the competition. It’s the leadership. Tim Cook has been a master at operations, but there’s constant talk about a succession plan. If John Ternus or another executive takes over, the market might get jittery until they prove they have the "product soul" that Steve Jobs had.
Actionable steps for investors
If you're looking at what is the price of apple stock today and trying to decide whether to hit the buy button, keep these factors in mind:
- Watch the $255 support level. If the stock drops below the recent low of $256.71, it might trigger more selling toward the $240 range.
- Keep an eye on the "Apple Creator Studio" reception. Apple just introduced this new suite of creative apps; if pro users adopt it quickly, it signals strength in the Services division.
- Dollar-cost averaging is your friend. Trying to time the exact bottom of a $3.8 trillion company is a fool's errand. If you believe in the long-term AI play, small, consistent buys usually beat a lump sum entry during a "valuation reset."
- Monitor the foldable rumors. If leaks about a September 2026 "iPhone Fold" start getting confirmed by supply chain analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo, expect the stock to start front-running that hype cycle.
Apple isn't the "get rich quick" stock it was in 2008. It's a mature, massive ecosystem. Today's price of $260 reflects a company that is currently between big ideas, waiting for the next hardware revolution to justify its next leg up to $300 and beyond.