Apple Stock Just Hit An All-Time High: What's Going On?

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares hit a new all-time high Tuesday morning amid aggressive leadership changes in its AI division and robust sales data suggesting a record-breaking holiday quarter. Here’s what investors need to know.

What To Know: Investor sentiment was lifted by reports that CEO Tim Cook is intensifying his focus on artificial intelligence. Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster noted that the departure of AI chief John Giannandrea likely reflects Cook’s “intense” pressure to accelerate innovation.

Apple has meanwhile hired former Microsoft and Google executive Amar Subramanya to lead the division, signaling a renewed commitment to competing with tech rivals.

The rally is further supported by confirmed momentum for the iPhone 17. Data indicates Apple captured 26% of all smartphones sold in China during the recent Singles’ Day festival, helping the company reclaim its status as the top-selling smartphone maker.

This resurgence underpins management’s guidance for the fiscal first quarter, with CFO Kevin Parekh projecting revenue growth of 10% to 12%, potentially hitting a record $139 billion.

Despite looming regulatory scrutiny in the EU regarding Apple Ads and Maps under the Digital Markets Act, Wall Street remains focused on fundamentals. Following a fourth-quarter earnings beat of $102.47 billion and the rollout of M5-powered devices, Apple appears positioned to deliver what Cook has promised will be the company’s “best quarter ever.”

Benzinga Edge Rankings: Benzinga Edge data reinforces the bullish thesis, highlighting a massive 97.32 Growth score and positive price trends across all time horizons.

AAPL Price Action: Apple shares were up 0.79% at $285.33 at the time of publication on Tuesday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week high, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Currently, AAPL is trading approximately 8.4% above its 50-day moving average and about 25.6% above its 200-day moving average. This positioning suggests a strong bullish trend, as the stock is well above both key moving averages, which typically serve as indicators of support.

The 52-week range of $169.21 to $287.40 highlights the significant price appreciation seen over the past year, with Tuesday’s high marking a notable milestone.

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How To Buy AAPL Stock

By now you’re likely curious about how to participate in the market for Apple – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.

If you’re looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You’ll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

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