Strong iPhone Sales Drive Apple Up 18% in 6 Months: Buy the Stock? – February 12, 2026

Key Takeaways

AAPL shares rose 18.1% in 12 months, driven by strong iPhone 17 and Services growth.
iPhone 17 sales climbed 23.3% to $85.27B, making up 59.3% of fiscal Q1 2026 revenues.
Apple’s Google Gemini deal aims to boost Apple Intelligence and support Services expansion.

Apple (AAPL Quick QuoteAAPL – Free Report) shares have appreciated 18.1% over the trailing six-month period, outperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 10.2%. The outperformance can be attributed to strong iPhone 17 sales that jumped 23.3% year over year to $85.27 billion and accounted for 59.3% of first-quarter fiscal 2026 net sales. Strong iPhone 17 sales drove China revenues in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Services, which accounted for 20.9% of quarterly revenues, grew 14% year over year to $30.01 billion in line with management guidance. So, what should investors do with Apple stock now? Let’s find out.

Apple’s iPhone Benefits From Expanding Features

The company has been adding features to the iPhone line-up, including Apple Intelligence tools as well as Apple Creator Studio, which is driving iPhone sales. Since the launch of Apple Intelligence, the company introduced dozens of features, including writing tools and cleanup and made it available in 15 languages. Visual intelligence is helping users learn and do more with their content on iPhone. It is helping users search faster, take action and answer questions across their apps.

Apple’s multi-year collaboration deal with Alphabet (GOOGL Quick QuoteGOOGL – Free Report) is now expected to be a key catalyst in boosting Apple Intelligence features. Under the agreement, the next generation of Apple’s foundation models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri, will now be powered by Google models. However, Apple Intelligence will…

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