Core Viewpoint - Apple is expected to report strong fiscal Q1 2026 earnings, with a Buy rating and a price target of $325 from BofA Securities, driven by robust iPhone demand and growth in services revenue [1] Group 1: Earnings Expectations - BofA forecasts fiscal Q1 revenue of $140 billion and EPS of $2.69, exceeding Street estimates of $138 billion and $2.67, indicating a 13% year-over-year revenue growth compared to the company's guidance of 10%–12% [4] - Gross margin is projected at 47.5%, with further expansion anticipated in fiscal Q2 due to a higher services mix [4] Group 2: Demand and Growth Drivers - Continued strong demand for iPhones and double-digit growth in services revenue are expected to drive near-term estimates higher [2] - Upcoming catalysts include the launch of a foldable iPhone in the fall and an enhanced Siri powered by Gemini AI, which could lead to increased upgrade rates [2] Group 3: Market Performance and Investor Sentiment - Apple shares have underperformed early in 2026 due to concerns over rising memory costs, but iPhone demand appears resilient, with potential revisions to production plans [3] - Despite weaker App Store trends in China, services revenue is anticipated to maintain double-digit year-over-year growth [3] - BofA notes that Apple remains underweight in investor portfolios, a situation expected to change during the year [4]

Core Viewpoint - Apple Inc is experiencing positive momentum with a new partnership with Google and strong expectations for first-quarter financial results, supported by analyst optimism [1][2] Group 1: Analyst Insights - Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan maintains a Buy rating on Apple stock with a price target of $325, indicating confidence in the company's performance [1] - Mohan anticipates strong iPhone sales and expanding gross margins for both the December and March quarters, suggesting a bullish outlook ahead of earnings [2] - The analyst expects first-quarter revenue to exceed estimates, driven by robust iPhone sales and double-digit growth in Services revenue [2] Group 2: iPhone Sales Projections - Mohan estimates that Apple sold 85 million iPhones in the first fiscal quarter, an increase of 2 million units from previous estimates, and raises the second-quarter estimate to 54 million units [3] - Year-over-year iPhone revenue growth is projected at 17% for the first quarter, marking one of the best quarters for the smartphone [3] Group 3: Future Catalysts and Challenges - Looking ahead to 2026, rising memory costs are identified as a potential challenge, but deemed manageable [4] - Key upcoming catalysts include the launch of a foldable iPhone in the fall and an enhanced Siri integrated with Gemini AI, which could drive higher upgrade rates [4] Group 4: Investor Sentiment - Current investor sentiment towards Apple stock is relatively negative, attributed to higher memory costs affecting the tech sector [5] - Apple is currently underweight in investor portfolios, but this trend is expected to reverse in the coming year [5] - As of Monday, Apple stock is trading at $260.25, up 0.34%, with an 11.3% increase over the last 52 weeks [5]

Apple was facing increasing questions about its plans for artificial intelligence as other big tech companies invested tens of billions in the technology. ...

 Apple has chosen Google's Gemini to power its next iteration of Siri, coming later this year, both companies said in a joint statement on Monday.Apple and Google's Siri deal follows months of rumors saying that the iPhone maker had chosen Gemini to advance Siri over OpenAI's ChatGPT. A report in November said that Apple would pay Google $1 billion per year for Google's AI prowess. It helps that last November's release of Gemini 3 made a huge impact and reportedly put OpenAI in a "code red" position. "After ...

About this content About Emily Jarvie Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, ...

Technology giant Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) saw its stock gain in 2025 with shares up 11.5%. That gain underperformed against several of the leading broad stock market indexes. A new report on global smartphone market share could set the stock up for strong first-quarter financials. • Apple stock is showing upward bias. What’s ahead for AAPL stock?Apple Tops Global Smartphone MarketFor the first time since 2011, Apple is the lone global smartphone leader, according to preliminary data from Counterpoint Researc ...

Apple has tapped Google to power a new artificial intelligence (AI)-centric version of Siri.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.The two tech giants announced a partnership Monday (Jan. 12), saying the n ...

The iPhone maker reportedly sealed a long-rumored partnership with Google Gemini, sparking hope that Apple is taking AI more seriously. ...

Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) senior vice president (SVP) of services – Eddy Cue – sees Gemini as the "winner† time whe... ...

It’s official. Apple has chosen to work with Google, a longtime partner, to power AI features like Siri. “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users,” Apple and Google said in a statement. The partnership confirms previous reporting on a deal with Google. Neither Apple nor Google have confirmed the price tag, but previous reports indicate ...