Apple stock price (AAPL) back in focus after “staggering” iPhone demand — what could move shares next week
Publish Date: 2026-01-31 12:55:00
Source Domain: ts2.tech
NEW YORK, Jan 31, 2026, 12:05 PM EST — Market closed.
- Apple shares ended Friday at $259.48, gaining 0.46%.
- Investors are balancing a brighter sales forecast with constraints on supply and climbing memory-chip prices.
- Upcoming milestones: Monday’s open, several megacap earnings reports, and the U.S. jobs data due February 6.
Apple shares closed Friday up 0.46% at $259.48. The iPhone giant’s earnings report and outlook reshaped expectations for big tech heading into Monday’s session. With U.S. markets closed Saturday, investors have a moment to dig into the details. (Investing)
The company forecasted March-quarter revenue growth between 13% and 16%, with gross margins expected to hit 48% to 49% — that’s the portion of sales remaining after product costs. It also set operating expenses at $18.4 billion to $18.7 billion. Tim Cook acknowledged, “We’re currently constrained,” citing processor supply issues. Sales in China jumped, and demand in India picked up pace. Still, Jacob Bourne at eMarketer warned that “inflation-fatigued” consumers could pressure hardware margins. (Reuters)
Apple reported fiscal first-quarter revenue up 16% at $143.8 billion, with earnings per share rising 19% to $2.84, driven by strong iPhone and Services sales. Cook noted the active installed base exceeded 2.5 billion devices. According to Kevan Parekh, the quarter brought in nearly $54 billion in operating cash flow, enabling Apple to return close to $32 billion to shareholders. (Apple)
The company revealed it acquired Israeli audio AI startup Q.ai in a deal pegged by a source close to the matter at roughly $1.6 billion. Johny Srouji described Q.ai as “a remarkable company” and said Apple is “thrilled to acquire the company” as it develops new tech to improve device performance with speech and sound in challenging environments. (Reuters)
Nikkei Asia says Apple plans to focus on producing and shipping its three top-tier iPhone…
