Is Apple Stock a Buy for 2026?

Group 1 - Apple has been noticeably absent from the artificial intelligence (AI) investment discussions, rolling out some AI features but lagging behind competitors [1] - The company has a market cap of $3.9 trillion, which is behind Nvidia's $4.6 trillion, and while it could be argued that Apple should be valued higher based on profits, its growth has been stagnant for years [4][5] - Apple's innovation has decreased, leading to a lack of widely accepted products, and while it may be waiting to implement AI strategies, this could backfire if competitors launch compelling AI features [6][7] Group 2 - The growth rate of Apple has slowed significantly, with high-single-digit growth being the best it has delivered in recent years, which is concerning for its future performance [5][9] - In 2025, Apple's stock rose 8.6%, underperforming the S&P 500, which rose 16.4%, indicating that despite dividends and stock buybacks, Apple is not achieving market-beating returns [10]