Apple Stock 2026: a New Era About to Begin?

30 years ago, if you asked someone about apple, the first question might have been: green or red?

Fast forward to 2026, Apple has built a technology ecosystem spanning iPhones, Macs, AirPods , watches and more.

In the AI era, Apple has faced criticism for being slower than its competitors in adopting it. They seems to be slower catching up towards the AI boom.

However, things would started to change in 2026 with a newer product developments and a major leadership transition upcoming this year.

So, as both an Apple investor and user myself, what should we expect from Apple moving forward?

Apple has long been known for turning innovation into products that change how we live. One of its biggest breakthroughs came in 2007 with the launch of the original iPhone.

Since then , smartphone market has been shaped and changed completely.

In 2025, prior the release of the iPhone 17 model , they have claimed a 25% market share of worldwide smartphone market in Q4 2025

Today , Apple is much more than just the iPhone. The company has built an ecosystem around products such as the Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Air Pods, alongside services such as iCloud, Apple Music. Together, these products and services encourage users to stay within the Apple ecosystem.

Still, finding the next big breakthrough hasn’t been easy. Throughout the years , Apple is trying to replicate those success into other innovation and products.

Vision Pro, the AR/VR technology is being labeled high price tag and Apple Intelligence, which have only achieved modest results compared to other AI available in the market.

Airpower, a multi-device wireless charging mat announced in 2017 is also canceled after failing to resolve internal heating issues.

Other ambitious projects including its long-rumored apple electric car, Project Titan were called off due to high R&D cost and low profit margins.

 So is this the end of line growth for Apple in today’s market ? Let’s look at the numbers.

Apple Performance

Despite some challenge in new innovation product in recent years , the numbers return otherwise.

In Q2 FY2026, the company recorded $111.2 billion in revenue, up 17% year-on-year, while diluted earnings per share rose 22% to $2.01.

The quarter was supported by record March-quarter iPhone revenue and another all-time high for Services, while Apple also generated more than $28 billion in operating cash flow.

Questions remain where will Apple’s next major breakthrough will come from. However, these numbers show that its existing business remains highly profitable and continues in a linear growth.

In 2022, Apple become the world’s first company to reach a $3 trillion market capitalization , and till-date is the world second most valuable companies in terms of market cap , valued at roughly $4.7 trillion behind AI powerhouse NVIDIA.  

Apple grow well in financial and numbers , but does it reflect well in Stock price for investors and traders ? How did they perform against other companies. Let’s take Bob as example.

Bob are given RM 4,236 to purchase iPhone 8 in 2017 , but Bob choose to take that money and invest in Apple Stock.

• RM 4,236 invested on the day iPhone 8 release
• September 22 , 2017 Apple stock price were at $37.88
• 28 shares of Apple were purchase
• Current Apple Stock Price = $320
• Average Return = 744.77%
• Total Earning = RM35,751.84 – RM4,236 = RM 31,515.84

Congratulations , Bob just profited RM 31,515.84 from the total investment if selling all of the Apple Stock.

What if Bob had RM1,000 instead? Apple isn’t the only option. From fractional shares to other investments, here are some of the best ways to invest RM1,000 in Malaysia.

Now, Bob thinking was Apple actually the best investment among the world’s biggest technology companies? Let’s compare them against MAG7

Over 10 years, Apple returned 1,033.7%, outperforming Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft. However, it remained far behind Nvidia’s extraordinary 24,345% return and Tesla’s 3,239.2%.

The emerging AI trend and EV car adaptation certainly pushed the other co stock to perform better than Apple.

So, Apple has certainly rewarded long-term investors, but it hasn’t been the best-performing MAG7 stock. The bigger question is will Apple continue producing strong returns from here , and is it time to invest?

So, what could actually push Apple into its next growth cycle? Despite already being one of the world’s largest companies, Apple still has several cards left to play.

Apple’s financial engine remains strong, with Q3 FY2026 revenue growing 16% year-on-year to US$109.4 billion. More importantly, the growth was broad-based, with iPhone, Mac and Services all recording their strongest June-quarter revenue ever. EPS also increased 29%, showing that Apple’s earnings are growing even faster than revenue

Services are becoming an increasingly important part of Apple’s revenue mix. Unlike one-time purchases, services such as Apple TV, AppleCare, iCloud can generate recurring revenue from Apple’s existing users. In FY2025, Services revenue grew about 14% to US$109.2 billion, compared with roughly 4% growth for iPhone revenue.

Next , the arrival of John Ternus as Apple’s new CEO could also bring a renewed focus on hardware innovation after Tim Cook’s highly successful 15-year tenure. His appointment could signal a renewed emphasis on product and hardware innovation

John will host his first event in the upcoming Apple Event with rumors of iPhone Fold to be reveal. The new product introduction , could it trigger another upgrade cycle, tune-in for Apple Events at September 9.

Investing is always about the futures, not the number. Despite strong financial position , Apple face challenge finding the next product that could shake the entire market.

Apple is still playing catch-up in AI. While competitors such as Samsung and Google have moved faster in bringing advanced AI features to smartphones, Apple has taken a more cautious approach.

Apple Intelligence continues to improve, but its current capabilities still feel limited in areas such as cross-app assistance, AI-powered editing and real-time translation.

Next is absence of new breakthrough product. iPhone remains Apple’s biggest product, while newer bets have yet to recreate its success. Vision Pro has underwhelmed commercially, and Apple canceled its EV project.

However, the rumored iPhone Fold could create excitement, but it still needs to prove there is mass-market demand.

Tariffs and supply-chain uncertainty could squeeze Apple’s margins. Apple is shifting production from China to India and Vietnam to reduce its dependence on one market, but changing trade policies continue to create uncertainty.

President Trump has also pushed Apple to manufacture more iPhones in the U.S., a move that could significantly raise Apple’s labor and production costs.

After looking at both sides, here is where I stand on Apple.

Apple remains the largest position in my portfolio, and I continue to invest in the stock monthly through dollar-cost averaging (DCA).

Of course, looking back five years, it is easy to say that NVIDIA, Tesla or even Bitcoin would have delivered much stronger returns. But that does not mean Apple has stopped growing.

Apple is still capable of delivering good financial reports and generate enormous cash flow , with waiting the right moment to capture market demand.

For me, the question is no longer whether Apple can grow as aggressively as some of the biggest winners of the past five years. Instead, it is whether Apple can use its enormous cash-generating ability, ecosystem and loyal customer base to create its next major growth engine. 

I believe Apple still has opportunities to create a new generation of devices. To double down, i believe Apple new CEO John Ternus can bring his hardware engineering background into Apple’s next chapter.

That is why I will continue to DCA into Apple with the strong fundamentals and several opportunities still ahead.

The next few years will tell us whether Apple can turn those opportunities into its next chapter of growth. So , are you ready for the Ternus era?

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