Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. The company offers iPhone, a line of smartphones; Mac, a line of personal computers; iPad, a line of multi-purpose tablets; and wearables, home, and accessories comprising AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, and HomePod. It also provides AppleCare support and cloud services; and operates various platforms, including the App Store that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games, and podcasts. In addition, the company offers various services, such as Apple Arcade, a game subscription service; Apple Fitness+, a personalized fitness service; Apple Music, which offers users a curated listening experience with on-demand radio stations; Apple News+, a subscription news and magazine service; Apple TV+, which offers exclusive original content; Apple Card, a co-branded credit card; and Apple Pay, a cashless payment service, as well as licenses its intellectual property. The company serves consumers, and small and mid-sized businesses; and the education, enterprise, and government markets. It distributes third-party applications for its products through the App Store. The company also sells its products through its retail and online stores, and direct sales force; and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and resellers. Apple Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Apple remains a high-quality business with very strong profitability, but the market is already pricing in an almost perfect scenario. In terms of efficiency, the company looks outstanding: ROE, ROA, ROI, and return on tangible equity are significantly above the industry median, while operating and net margins remain at strong levels and have generally improved over the years. Revenue, gross profit, EBITDA, and net income on a TTM basis are at large absolute levels, and shareholders’ equity is growing, which supports fundamental resilience. At the same time, the valuation multiples look expensive: P/E, P/S, P/B, and P/FCF are noticeably above industry benchmarks, and P/B in particular points to a very high premium to book value. This means that even with strong operating results, the potential for further re-rating is limited because expectations are already high. Liquidity is not ideal: the quick ratio and current ratio are below the industry median and hover around one, which is not critical for a company of this size but does not add arguments in favor of a higher valuation. The debt burden looks moderate and is improving: debt/equity is declining, and debt has been decreasing over the years, which partially offsets weak liquidity. Dividend yield is low and gradually declining, so the dividend factor does little to support a higher target valuation. Overall, the fundamentals confirm Apple’s quality and resilience more than they justify a significant upward revision to the forecast. For an investor, this is a story of a strong business with a premium valuation, where upside is limited and a moderately restrained reassessment of expectations is more likely.

Apple Inc.

Сильный индекс, незначительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, slightly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Медведи в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bears are confused.

Слабый индекс, значительно вырос. Рынок на стороне быков.

Weak index, significantly up. The market is on the bulls' side.

Слабый индекс, значительно упал. Рынок не поддерживает медведей.

Weak index, significantly down. The market does not support the bears.

Слабый индекс, незначительно вырос

Слабый индекс, незначительно упал. Приток средств в шорты остался положительным, но снизился.

Weak index, slightly down. The inflow of funds into shorts remained positive, but decreased.

Apple demonstrates outstanding profitability and capital growth, but trades at a high premium on valuation multiples; its fundamentals are strong, however the upside from revaluation...

Key Points
Taiwan Semiconductor expects strong growth for the rest of 2026 and 2027.
Apple stock is expensive considering the company's lackluster growth.
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) have been partners for a long time. Their relationship is pretty simple: Apple designs the chips, then gives those designs to Taiwan Semiconductor to manufacture. This relationship has worked out well over the past few years, and has allowed Apple to become one of Taiwan Semiconductor's largest clients.
But based on the stocks' valuations and how each company expects to grow, I think only one of them is a smart buy right now.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Apple's new chip uses Taiwan Semiconductor's most advanced technology
Apple's new A20 Pro chip appears in its newly launched iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, as well as its new folding smartphone, the iPhone Duo. The biggest advancement of this chip is that it uses Taiwan Semiconductor's cutting-edge 2-nanometer (nm) chip production process versus the last generation's 3nm process. This packs more transistors onto a chip in a tighter area and delivers better computing power while reducing energy consumption. That's a win-win for device users, but what about the stocks?
Apple's business is fairly focused: It aims to provide the world's best consumer tech hardware. It has long accomplished that goal with leading smartphones and laptops, but one area where it has clearly fallen behind its peers is in artificial intelligence (AI). Sure, there could be some debate as to the usefulness of some of its competitors' AI features. Still, Apple Intelligence has thus far not lived up to the hype, which could be a problem in the coming years as AI features become more popular and advanced.
Prior to the AI infrastructure build-out, Apple was consistently Taiwan Semiconductor's largest customer, but surging demand for data center GPUs has changed the picture. In 2023, 2024, and 2025, one client (largely assumed to be Apple) made up 25%, 22%, and 19% of TSMC's sales, respectively. TSMC's second-largest customer made up 11%, 12%, and 17% of revenue in those years, and that's widely assumed to be Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). But according to various media reports and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Nvidia recently overtook Apple as TSMC's top client due to the accelerating AI infrastructure build-out. With heavy data center construction expected to last for several more years, Apple may take a back seat to Nvidia with the foundry giant, which could also cost Apple some bargaining power.
Apple is a case of a company not embracing AI right now, while Taiwan Semiconductor is running toward it. I think that puts TSMC in a better position moving forward, and it's already showing up in its growth rate.
Taiwan Semiconductor looks like the far better buy
In 2026, Wall Street analysts expect Taiwan Semiconductor's revenue to grow at a 43% pace in New Taiwan dollars. In 2027, that figure is expected to be 34%. Apple isn't even close, with this year's expected revenue growth to be about 15% and next year's at 10%. One factor that might change this is a subscription AI model from Apple; that could provide its financials with an instant boost. But it may have lost that race already, as there are several great AI options available for iPhone users.
With Apple growing more slowly and maybe missing out on the chance to capitalize on one of the biggest technological revolutions of our time, TSMC looks to be a far better buy. When you take a look at their stock valuations, this hypothesis is confirmed.
Despite Apple's less energetic growth outlook, it trades at a massive premium to Taiwan Semiconductor.
With TSMC expected to outgrow Apple next year and trading at a lower valuation, I don't think there's really much of a debate as to which stock is the better buy. Taiwan Semiconductor is a far better investment than Apple right now, and I think investors will be very happy if they purchase TSMC instead of Apple over the next few years.
Should you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing right now?
Before you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $417,413!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,341,294!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 950% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 210% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 12, 2026.

Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Just Announced a Cutting-Edge Chip. 1 Stock Offers Far Greater Upside.

Key Points
Over the last 15 years, Apple reduced its share count by 43.2% under CEO Tim Cook.
Apple could make more aggressive investments in expanding its hardware ecosystem under new CEO John Ternus.
Nvidia is committed to returning half of its free cash flow to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.
Over his 15-year tenure as CEO, Tim Cook grew Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) from a market cap of around $350 billion to well over $4 trillion. The strategy was fairly straightforward.
Apple regularly releases new versions of its winning products like iPhone, Mac, and iPad; penetrates a few key product categories in wearables and headphones/earbuds; and expands its services (like app store revenue, advertising, iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Pay, etc.) to complement its hardware ecosystem.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
That strategy unlocked steadily rising profits and free cash flow (FCF), which Apple used to reinvest in its core business, grow its dividend, and buy back gobs of its own stock.
For years, Apple has had by far the largest buyback budget of any U.S. company. But that all could change under new CEO John Ternus.
Apple is reducing buybacks even as earnings growth accelerates
Cook's specialty was operations, but Ternus served as vice president of hardware engineering before becoming CEO. Hiring Ternus as CEO sends a clear signal to Wall Street that Apple is gearing up for a period of innovation rather than relying on its growing services network, marginal product upgrades, and stock buybacks to fuel earnings growth.
Even under Cook's leadership, Apple has already been pulling back on buybacks as it geared up for major product upgrades and new releases discussed during Apple's latest Sept. 9 event.
As you can see in the chart, Apple's trailing-12-month buybacks peaked at $100 billion but have since declined to $82.2 billion. Meanwhile, Nvidia's (NASDAQ: NVDA) buybacks have been surging in lockstep with its FCF, while major tech stocks like Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Alphabet -- which used to be buyback leaders -- have since pulled back in buybacks as they invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI).
For years, Apple's services sales were growing faster than its product revenue. But that trend has changed, as Apple reported its best third quarter in five years on July 30, which included an 18.1% year-over-year increase in product sales.
Granted, some of that jump could have been due to consumers anticipating price increases in response to rising memory chip costs. But it's still encouraging to see Apple's earnings growth pick up after years of sluggish results.
Nvidia's capital return program has room to run
Under Ternus, I'd expect Apple to continue paying sizable, albeit lower, buybacks while also reinvesting more capital in the business to grow its product portfolio. Meanwhile, Nvidia looks well-positioned to continue expanding its capital return program.
In its latest quarter, Nvidia spent $19.73 billion on buybacks and $6.05 billion on dividends after raising its dividend by 2,400% earlier this year. Meanwhile, Apple repurchased $25.95 billion in stock and spent $4 billion on dividends in its latest quarter. Apple has increased dividends every year since 2012, but it tends to make very small mid-single-digit increases.
On its Aug. 26 earnings call for the second quarter of fiscal 2027, Nvidia said it returned 60% of FCF to shareholders so far this fiscal year, ahead of its 50% guidance. But even if Nvidia reverts to closer to 50% and continues to grow its dividend, it could still easily surpass Apple in buybacks.
Nvidia began shipping products under its latest Vera Rubin platform in August -- which falls under Q3 fiscal 2027. Nvidia expects Rubin to make up a staggering 20% of Q3 data center revenue. The run-up for Rubin is so massive that Nvidia is guiding for a 70% year-over-year increase in fiscal 2028 revenue. And if Nvidia converts a similar amount of that revenue to FCF, meaning its FCF also increases by 70%, it will likely surpass Apple in buybacks next year, even if Apple keeps its buybacks steady.
Nvidia's No. 1 priority is its organic growth. However, it's raking in so much FCF that it can hit that goal while leaving plenty of cash left over to return to shareholders.
Nvidia is a better value than Apple
Over the last few years, Apple has resembled a bit more of a consumer staples stock than a tech stock, while Nvidia has been a hypergrowth stock. Under Ternus, I could see Apple becoming more growth-oriented. Whereas Nvidia is evolving into a dividend growth stock at a great value -- as Nvidia trades at just 24.3 times earnings compared to 35.8 for Apple.
Apple's premium valuation has been built around its reliability -- not its growth rate, similar to how Walmart and Costco Wholesale trade at elevated multiples due to their loyal customer bases and resilience in recessions. But if Apple shifts to a more growth-oriented capital allocation strategy, that will put pressure on the company to justify its higher multiple with accelerated earnings growth.
Apple isn't cheap, but it remains a decent stock to buy and hold for investors who believe it can live up to expectations. However, Nvidia could ultimately prove to be the better long-term value, especially for investors seeking a company with a capital return program likely to grow.
Should you buy stock in Apple right now?
Before you buy stock in Apple, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Apple wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $409,917!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,341,724!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 942% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 211% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 12, 2026.
Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, Costco Wholesale, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Visa, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Prediction: Nvidia Will Overtake Apple in Stock Buybacks and Dividends Under New Apple CEO John Ternus

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced a new foldable iPhone that could be the catalyst that causes sales to surge.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Sept. 8, 2026. The video was published on Sept. 10, 2026.
Should you buy stock in Apple right now?
Before you buy stock in Apple, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Apple wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $409,917!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,341,724!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 942% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 211% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 11, 2026.
Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off.

Fantastic News for Apple Stock Investors!

Key Points
Nvidia's massive growth rate will widen the gap between it and other companies.
Apple stock looks overvalued.
At the time of this writing, the three largest companies in the world are Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) at a $5.4 trillion market cap, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) at $4.6 trillion, and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) at $4 trillion. There's still a decent gap between Alphabet and fourth-place Microsoft at $3.65 trillion, and an even larger gap to fifth-place Amazon at $2.7 trillion. But of the three largest companies in the world, which one makes the most sense to buy now?
I think there's a pretty clear-cut answer, as one stands out above the rest as a buy. But there's also an obvious stock in the top three that I think investors should avoid.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Two of these stocks have clear upside in the near future
Nvidia has risen to the position of the world's largest company thanks to huge demand for its GPU computing units. Artificial Intelligence (AI) demand appears insatiable, with little chance of a letdown. The AI hyperscalers are spending hundreds of billions right now, and Nvidia estimates that the big five will spend nearly $800 billion on data center capital expenditures this year alone. Next year, that figure is projected to rise to $1.3 trillion. That's enough demand for Nvidia to guide for 70% revenue growth next year, easily making it one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, let alone among the top three.
Alphabet is one of those big spenders, and estimates it will spend around $200 billion on data center capital expenditures this year. However, all of that spending is paying off. Alphabet is seeing huge success from its AI platform and is also seamlessly integrating AI overviews into Google Search to maintain its place as the top internet search tool in the world. Alphabet is also running a thriving cloud computing business in Google Cloud. This division is a direct beneficiary of increased computing capacity, and its revenue skyrocketed 82% last quarter. Alphabet has a lot of growth ahead (Wall Street projects 23% growth in 2027), and it's investing to ensure it can capture market share during this critical period.
Apple's growth case is a bit less certain. It must continue to sell tech hardware to a stretched consumer while fighting off rising component prices, specifically in the memory chip space. Apple recently announced several new products, including its latest iPhone generation, which got a $100 price hike. The consumer will need to accept this, or they may decide to stick with the already popular iPhone 17. Furthermore, there still isn't much headway on Apple's AI products, which is a glaring gap in Apple's lineup. Lastly, Wall Street analysts only forecast 10% growth for 2027, which would be significantly slower than the expected growth rates of the other two tech giants.
I think the growth case for Alphabet and Nvidia is far greater than Apple's; however, the market isn't valuing the stocks like that.
Apple's premium valuation doesn't make sense
Apple has long maintained a premium over many stocks in the market due to its excellent execution. However, it now has a new CEO and is dealing with a major issue in soaring memory chip prices. I think this should warrant Apple losing a bit of its premium, but that's not what the market has done.
Alphabet has skewed earnings per share thanks to massive gains on some of its investments, so I'm using the operating price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio to value the stocks.
Apple has a premium over these other two stocks, despite expecting to grow at a much slower rate next year. When next year's forward earnings projections are used, it also reveals a major gap in valuations.
Nvidia's massive growth rate makes it look super cheap when next year's earnings are used, as does Alphabet's. Apple is still priced at a major premium even with next year's growth rate accounted for.
This steers me in one direction: to buy Nvidia stock. I think it's by far the best stock of the three to own, and will provide investors huge returns over the next few years.
Should you buy stock in Nvidia right now?
Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $409,917!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,341,724!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 942% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 211% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 11, 2026.
Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia Top the List of Largest Companies by Market Cap. Here's the One I'm Buying Now.

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Friday rose by +0.86%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) rose by +0.98%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) rose by +0.91%. E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) rose +0.83%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) rose +0.86%.
Stock indexes closed higher, supported by Friday’s -2.4% decline in oil prices. The stock market took Friday’s CPI report largely in stride, even as the 10-year T-note yield closed slightly higher and the odds of a Fed rate hike next week rose to 85%.
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Friday’s Aug US CPI report of +0.4% m/m was in line with market expectations, but the core CPI report of +0.3% m/m was slightly stronger than market expectations of +0.2% m/m. On a year-on-year basis, the Aug CPI report of +3.4% y/y was unchanged from July and was in line with market expectations. Meanwhile, the Aug core CPI report of +2.4% y/y eased slightly from July’s +2.5% and posted a new 5.5-year low, and was in line with market expectations.
Friday’s CPI report caused the markets to raise the odds for a +25 bp FOMC rate hike at next week’s meeting on September 15-16 to 88% from 75% on Thursday.
Stocks were undercut by Friday’s weaker-than-expected US consumer sentiment report. The University of Michigan’s preliminary Sep US consumer sentiment index fell by -3.9 points to 47.8, weaker than market expectations for a -0.6 point decline to 51.3.
Also on the negative side, the University of Michigan reported that Sep US consumer 1-year inflation expectations rose to +4.6% from +4.0% in August, stronger than expectations of +4.2%. Sep consumer 5-10 year inflation expectations rose to +3.4% from +3.3% in August, and were stronger than market expectations of +3.3%.
The US-Canada trade war continues to weigh on stock market sentiment. On Tuesday, Canada imposed tariffs of 15% to 50% on hundreds of US goods in retaliation for the US action last month to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion of imports from Canada. The US responded by blocking imports of some Canadian products and slapping new tariffs on others, and by seeking to bar Canadian companies from selling to US government contractors.
Oct WTI crude oil prices (CLV26) fell -2.4% on Friday, reversing part of Thursday’s +6.7% surge to a 3.5-month high. Oil prices still rose by a net +9% on the week, but fell on Friday after the International Energy Agency warned that high oil prices and restricted oil supply will cause the biggest drop in global oil demand this year since the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were reports that two ships were struck by unidentified projectiles near Oman on Thursday, presumably by Iran. Also, Axios reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice on Thursday, asking him to launch a new military attack against the Houthis in Yemen, who are gaining control of more territory in Yemen near the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have been striking Saudi oil facilities. Saudi Arabia told OPEC on Thursday that its crude production in August fell to 6.238 million bpd, the lowest since 1990.
Overseas stock markets closed mixed on Friday. The Euro Stoxx 50 closed up +0.90%. China's Shanghai Composite closed down -1.18%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average closed down -1.91%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ6) fell by -7 ticks. The 10-year T-note yield rose +0.6 bp to 4.969%, following Thursday’s +11 bp surge to a 2.75-year high of 4.963%. T-note prices found support early in the session from lower oil prices but eventually succumbed to the hawkish CPI report and the higher odds of an FOMC rate hike next week. T-note prices had some underlying support as the 10-year breakeven inflation expectations rate fell -4.4 bp to 2.373%, down from Thursday’s 3.25-month high of 2.42%.
European government bond yields were mixed. The 10-year German bund yield today posted a new 24-year high of 3.532% and ended the day up +0.3 bp to 3.504%. The 10-year UK gilt yield edged to a 19-year high of 5.380% but ended the day down -3.1 bp to 5.343%.
Markets are discounting a 78% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at the ECB’s next meeting on October 29. The ECB at this week’s meeting raised its deposit facility rate by 25 bp to 2.50%, as expected, and said inflation will stay above 2% for an "extended period."
US Stock Movers
Oracle (ORCL) rallied +5% in Thursday’s overnight session on positive cloud news but then lost those gains and ended Friday down -1.7%. Oracle said late Thursday that its cloud infrastructure sales rose +121% to $7.4 billion, above the market consensus of $7.2 billion. Oracle’s co-CEO Clay Magouyrk said, “We are delivering data center and GPU capacity at a pace that would have seemed impossible only a year ago.” The company also said it sold more than $30 billion in AI cloud contracts during the latest quarter, higher than expectations. Fiscal-Q1 sales rose +30% and the adjusted EPS report of $1.92 per share was higher than market expectations of $1.75.
Chipmakers rose nearly across the board on Friday, and the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rallied +1.75% on the day. ON Semiconductor (ON) rallied more than +8%. Analog Devices (ADI), NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), Arm Holdings (ARM), and Marvell (MRVL) all rallied more than +4%.
The Magnificent Seven all closed higher on Friday except for Nvidia (NVDA), which showed a small loss. Amazon.com, Alphabet (GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL) all rallied by more than +1%. Apple found continued support after releasing its new iPhone Duo earlier this week, its first foldable phone.
Microsoft (MSFT) rallied +0.65% after saying it plans a data center push to triple its computing power since a current shortage is forcing it to turn away new AI and cloud business.
Crypto stocks traded higher on Friday, supported by a +3.1% gain in Ethereum (^ETHUSD) and a +0.2% gain in Bitcoin (^BTCUSD). Mara Holdings (MARA) rallied more than +4%, Riot Platforms rallied more than +2%, and Strategy (MSTR)and Coinbase (COIN) rallied more than 1%.
Adobe (ADBE) closed up +1.4% despite slightly disappointing guidance, fueling concerns that AI will cannibalize software revenue.
Dell Technologies (DELL) rallied nearly +12% after RBC Capital Markets started research coverage with an outperform rating and $640 price target based on expectations for strong AI infrastructure demand.
Earnings Reports (9/14/2026)
Liberty Live Holdings (LLYVK).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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Stocks Shake Off CPI Report and Rally on Lower Oil Prices

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is down -2.61 to 29,365.83. The total After hours volume is currently 158,788,347 shares traded.
The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session:
The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) is +0.1383 at $24.74, with 40,545,978 shares traded. KHC's current last sale is 103.08% of the target price of $24.
iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF (ACWX) is unchanged at $77.25, with 5,214,918 shares traded. This represents a 20.95% increase from its 52 Week Low.
UiPath, Inc. (PATH) is +0.01 at $13.76, with 4,490,513 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 3 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Oct 2026. The consensus EPS forecast is $0.1. PATH's current last sale is 80.94% of the target price of $17.
Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X ETF (TSLL) is -0.021 at $9.69, with 4,489,472 shares traded. This represents a 44.72% increase from its 52 Week Low.
Grab Holdings Limited (GRAB) is -0.0005 at $3.05, with 4,023,594 shares traded. As reported in the last short interest update the days to cover for GRAB is 8.284295; this calculation is based on the average trading volume of the stock.
Ford Motor Company (F) is -0.0085 at $13.96, with 3,286,341 shares traded. F's current last sale is 93.08% of the target price of $15.
Legend Biotech Corporation (LEGN) is +0.0469 at $18.69, with 2,576,628 shares traded. As reported in the last short interest update the days to cover for LEGN is 9.032541; this calculation is based on the average trading volume of the stock.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is +0.1866 at $332.46, with 2,523,920 shares traded. AAPL's current last sale is 99.24% of the target price of $335.
XPeng Inc. (XPEV) is +0.0071 at $10.55, with 2,270,861 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for XPEV is in the "buy range".
Kenvue Inc. (KVUE) is -0.02 at $17.76, with 2,229,975 shares traded. KVUE's current last sale is 93.47% of the target price of $19.
AT&T Inc. (T) is unchanged at $26.06, with 1,870,329 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for T is in the "buy range".
BitMine Immersion Technologies, Inc. (BMNR) is +0.0969 at $25.13, with 1,491,969 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for BMNR is in the "buy range".

After Hours Most Active for Sep 11, 2026 : KHC, ACWX, PATH, TSLL, GRAB, F, LEGN, AAPL, XPEV, KVUE, T, BMNR

Value stocks are significantly outperforming their growth counterparts this year. The Russell 1000 Value Index has returned roughly 23% year to date, compared with just about 4% for the Russell 1000 Growth Index. Meanwhile, the iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) has surged more than 47% year to date.
Some investors have favored attractively valued stocks to reduce their exposure to mega-cap concentration amid heightened market volatility. However, value stocks have also benefited significantly from the AI trade.
While investors traditionally look to growth and tech-focused funds for AI exposure, value ETFs have increasingly become direct and indirect beneficiaries of the AI investment cycle.
Multiples for some tech giants at the forefront of AI deployment have compressed as earnings have accelerated, allowing these legacy tech leaders to be picked up by value screens.
Traditionally value-oriented sectors such as industrials, utilities, and materials have also benefited from rising AI spending.
VLUE tracks the MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index, which scores each security for value characteristics relative to peers within the same GICS sector. Micron (MU) is the fund’s largest position, with about a 22% weight, while information technology accounts for roughly 41% of the portfolio.
The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) tracks the Russell 1000 Value Index. At its rebalance in late June, the index added Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), and Microsoft (MSFT) as its top holdings. The information technology sector currently accounts for about 20% of the index.
The Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF (VTV) holds large-cap US stocks that display strong value characteristics. JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Micron, and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) are its top holdings.
To learn more, please watch the short video above.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Are Value ETFs the New AI Trade?

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) is up +0.89%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.81%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.95%. E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) are up +0.82%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) are up +0.85%.
Stock indexes are trading higher today, supported by today’s decline of more than -2% in oil prices. The stock and bond markets took today’s CPI report largely in stride. Aug core CPI came in at +0.3% m/m, slightly above market expectations of +0.2%, while nominal CPI was +0.4% m/m, in line with expectations. T-note prices are trading slightly higher, even though the markets raised the odds of a FOMC rate hike next week to 88% from 75% on Thursday.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
Today’s Aug US CPI report of +0.4% m/m was in line with market expectations, but the core CPI report of +0.3% m/m was slightly stronger than market expectations of +0.2% m/m. On a year-on-year basis, the Aug CPI report of +3.4% y/y was unchanged from July and was in line with market expectations. Meanwhile, the Aug core CPI report of +2.4% y/y eased slightly from July’s +2.5% and posted a new 5.5-year low, and was in line with market expectations.
Today’s CPI report caused the markets to raise the odds for a +25 bp FOMC rate hike at next week’s meeting on September 15-16 to 88% from 75% on Thursday.
Stocks were undercut by today’s weaker-than-expected US consumer sentiment report. The University of Michigan’s preliminary Sep US consumer sentiment index fell by -3.9 points to 47.8, weaker than market expectations for a -0.6 point decline to 51.3.
Also on the negative side, the University of Michigan reported that Sep US consumer 1-year inflation expectations rose to +4.6% from +4.0% in August, stronger than expectations of +4.2%. Sep consumer 5-10 year inflation expectations rose to +3.4% from +3.3% in August, and were stronger than market expectations of +3.3%.
The US-Canada trade war continues to weigh on stock market sentiment. On Tuesday, Canada imposed tariffs of 15% to 50% on hundreds of US goods in retaliation for the US action last month to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion of imports from Canada. The US responded by blocking imports of some Canadian products and slapping new tariffs on others, and by seeking to bar Canadian companies from selling to US government contractors.
Oct WTI crude oil prices (CLV26) are down more than -2% today, giving back part of Thursday’s +6.7% surge to a 3.5-month high. Oil prices are still sharply higher on the week, but fell back today after the International Energy Agency today warned that high oil prices and restricted oil supply will cause the biggest drop in global oil demand this year since the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were reports that two ships were struck by unidentified projectiles near Oman on Thursday, presumably by Iran. Also, Axios reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice on Thursday, asking him to launch a new military attack against the Houthis in Yemen, who are gaining control of more territory in Yemen near the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have been striking Saudi oil facilities. Saudi Arabia told OPEC on Thursday that its crude production in August fell to 6.238 million bpd, the lowest since 1990.
Overseas stock markets are mixed. The Euro Stoxx 50 is up +0.66%. China's Shanghai Composite closed down -1.18%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average closed down -1.91%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ6) are up +1 tick. The 10-year T-note yield is down -3.1 bp to 4.932%, following Thursday’s +11 bp surge to a 2.75-year high of 4.963%. T-note prices shook off the CPI report and the higher odds of an FOMC rate hike next week and are trading higher on today’s decline in oil prices. The 10-year break-even inflation expectations rate is down -3.9 bp to 2.378%, falling back from Thursday’s 3.25-month high of 2.42%.
European government bond yields are mixed. The 10-year German bund yield today posted a new 24-year high of 3.532% and is up +1.1 bp to 3.512%. The 10-year UK gilt yield edged to a 19-year high of 5.380% but then backed off and is down -3.2 bp to 5.342%.
Markets are discounting a 78% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at the ECB’s next meeting on October 29. The ECB at this week’s meeting raised its deposit facility rate by 25 bp to 2.50%, as expected, and said inflation will stay above 2% for an "extended period."
US Stock Movers
Oracle (ORCL) is up +0.6% after reporting late Thursday that its cloud infrastructure sales rose +121% to $7.4 billion, above the market consensus of $7.2 billion. Oracle’s co-CEO Clay Magouyrk said, “We are delivering data center and GPU capacity at a pace that would have seemed impossible only a year ago.” The company also said it sold more than $30 billion in AI cloud contracts during the latest quarter, higher than expectations. Fiscal-Q1 sales rose +30% and the adjusted EPS report of $1.92 per share was higher than market expectations of $1.75.
The positive Oracle news boosted other cloud infrastructure stocks, with Applied Digital (APLD) up more than +2% and Coreweave (CRWV) up more than +1%.
Chipmakers are higher nearly across the board on the positive Oracle news, with TI (TXN), ON Semiconductor (ON), and Analog Devices (ADI) up more than +4%.
The Magnificent Seven are all trading higher today, led by gains of more than +2% in Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL). Apple is seeing continued support after releasing its new iPhone Duo earlier this week, its first foldable phone.
Microsoft (MSFT) is trading slightly higher after saying it plans a data center push to triple its computing power since a current shortage is forcing it to turn away new AI and cloud business.
Crypto stocks are trading higher due to today’s rally of about +2% in bitcoin. Mara Holdings (MARA) is up more than +7%. Strategy (MSTR)and Coinbase (COIN) are up more than +5%.
Adobe (ADBE) is little changed after providing slightly disappointing guidance, which fueled concerns that AI will cannibalize software revenue.
Dell Technologies (DELL) is up more than +10% after RBC Capital Markets started research coverage with an outperform rating and $640 price target based on expectations for strong AI infrastructure demand.
Earnings Reports (9/11/2026)
Kroger Co (KR) and Rent the Runway Inc (RENT).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

Key Points
The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.3%, the S&P 500 1.1%, and the Dow 1.0% by late Friday morning.
Consumer prices rose 0.4% in August and 3.4% from a year ago, with core inflation a tenth hotter than expected.
Brent crude fell 2.7% but is still on pace for a weekly gain near 8%.
Friday marked 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks, which closed U.S. markets for four days and remain the longest shutdown since the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Inflation came in firm on Friday morning, rate-hike odds shot past 85%, and stocks went up. That sounds backward until you check the oil trade.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) rose 1.3% as of 11:42 a.m. ET, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) added 1.1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) climbed 1%. Twenty-seven of the Dow's 30 components traded higher. That's a pretty solid uptick despite a bitter dose of economic data.
Falling oil prices outweighed a heavy inflation report
The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a tough report on August's consumer prices. The CPI index rose 0.4% last month and 3.4% over the last year, right in line with economists' estimates. The core reading, which strips out food and energy, came in at 0.3% for the month, slightly above expectations. Gasoline alone accounted for more than a third of the headline increase, which tells you where the pricing pressure is coming from.
With these figures settled, traders are almost certain that the Fed will raise federal funds rates next week. CME Group's FedWatch tool put the odds of a quarter-point hike at the Sept. 15-16 meeting at 86.7%, up from 72.4% yesterday and 59.4% a week ago.
Stocks rose anyway, because oil finally reversed course. Brent Crude slid 2.7% to $104.68, though it's still on pace for a weekly increase of roughly 8%. The United States Oil Fund (NYSEMKT: USO) dropped 3.2%, the only significant decliner among the many exchange-traded funds I use for tracking daily market trends.
Almost everything else went up, as it tends to do when energy is getting cheaper. Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) rose 2.1% and added 99 Dow points by itself. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) climbed 2.5% and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) gained 2.7%, which between them explained about half the Nasdaq Composite's move. The tech titans didn't have much news of their own today, so their gains are another reaction to the inflation and energy data.
Consumers are bracing, even if the market isn't
The Fed meets Tuesday and Wednesday next week. By now, a quarter-point hike seems like a formality, but there's still a voting process and chairman Kevin Warsh must make the announcement. Expectations don't count.
The more interesting question, as Principal Asset Management strategist Seema Shah put it on Friday, is whether one hike is enough after years of inflation running above target. Her answer is no. The market indexes seem to disagree, judging by today's gains.
A second data point deserves attention. The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index fell 7.5% in September to 47.8, the second-lowest reading in the survey's history dating back to 1952. People expect inflation to continue rising, and the constrained oil shipping system isn't helping.
Friday was a good day. The week was not, and the Fed vote is coming on Wednesday. Stay tuned.
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A Rate Hike Is Basically Locked In, and Stock Market Indexes Rose Anyway

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) is up +0.87%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.97%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.77%. E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) are up +1.01%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) are up +0.89%.
Stock indexes are trading higher today, supported by today’s decline of more than -3% in oil prices. The stock and bond markets took today’s CPI report largely in stride. The Aug core CPI of +0.3% m/m was slightly stronger than market expectations of +0.2%, but the nominal CPI of +0.4% m/m was in line with market expectations. T-note prices are trading mildly higher, even though the markets raised the odds of a FOMC rate hike next week to 88% from 75% on Thursday.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
Today’s Aug US CPI report of +0.4% m/m was in line with market expectations, but the core CPI report of +0.3% m/m was slightly stronger than market expectations of +0.2% m/m. On a year-on-year basis, the Aug CPI report of +3.4% y/y was unchanged from July and was in line with market expectations. Meanwhile, the Aug core CPI report of +2.4% y/y eased slightly from July’s +2.5% and posted a new 5.5-year low, and was in line with market expectations.
Today’s CPI report caused the markets to raise the odds for a +25 bp FOMC rate hike at next week’s meeting on September 15-16 to 88% from 75% on Thursday.
The US-Canada trade war continues to weigh on stock market sentiment. On Tuesday, Canada imposed tariffs of 15% to 50% on hundreds of US goods in retaliation for the US action last month to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion of imports from Canada. The US responded by blocking imports of some Canadian products and slapping new tariffs on others, as well as seeking to bar Canadian companies from selling to US government contractors.
Oct WTI crude oil prices (CLV26) are down more than -3% today, giving back part of Thursday’s +6.7% surge to a 3.5-month high. Oil prices are still sharply higher on the week, but fell back today after the International Energy Agency today warned that high oil prices and restricted oil supply will cause the biggest drop in global oil demand this year since the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were reports that two ships were struck by unidentified projectiles near Oman on Thursday, presumably by Iran. Also, Axios reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice on Thursday, asking him to launch a new military attack against the Houthis in Yemen, who are gaining control of more territory in Yemen near the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have been striking Saudi oil facilities. Saudi Arabia told OPEC on Thursday that its crude production in August fell to 6.238 million bpd, the lowest since 1990.
Overseas stock markets are mixed. The Euro Stoxx 50 is up +0.81%. China's Shanghai Composite closed down -1.18%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average closed down -1.91%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ6) are up +4 ticks. The 10-year T-note yield is down -4.1 bp to 4.922%, following Thursday’s +11 bp surge to a 2.75-year high of 4.963%. T-note prices shook off the CPI report and the higher odds of an FOMC rate hike next week and are trading higher on today’s decline in oil prices. The 10-year break-even inflation expectations rate is down -2.6 bp to 2.390%, falling back from Thursday’s 3.25-month high of 2.42%.
European government bond yields are steady to lower. The 10-year German bund yield today posted a new 24-year high of 3.532% but then backed off and is little changed at 3.502%. The 10-year UK gilt yield edged to a 19-year high of 5.380% but then backed off and is down -4.4 bp at 5.329%.
Markets are discounting a 78% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at the ECB’s next meeting on October 29. The ECB at this week’s meeting raised its deposit facility rate by 25 bp to 2.50%, as expected, and said inflation will stay above 2% for an "extended period."
US Stock Movers
Oracle (ORCL) is up more than +2% after reporting late Thursday that its cloud infrastructure sales rose +121% to $7.4 billion, above the market consensus of $7.2 billion. Oracle’s co-CEO Clay Magouyrk said, “We are delivering data center and GPU capacity at a pace that would have seemed impossible only a year ago.” The company also said it sold more than $30 billion in AI cloud contracts during the latest quarter, higher than expectations. Fiscal-Q1 sales rose +30% and the adjusted EPS report of $1.92 per share was higher than market expectations of $1.75.
The positive Oracle news boosted other cloud infrastructure stocks, with Applied Digital (APLD) up +2%, and Coreweave (CRWV) up +1%.
Chipmakers are higher across the board on the positive Oracle news, with Qualcomm (QCOM) and Intel (INTC) up more than +3%.
The Magnificent Seven are all trading higher today, led by gains of more than +1% in Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL), and Meta (META). Apple is seeing continued support after releasing its new iPhone Duo earlier this week, its first foldable phone.
Adobe (ADBE) is down 0.4% after providing slightly disappointing guidance, which fueled concerns that AI will cannibalize software revenue.
Dell Technologies (DELL) is up more than +8% after RBC Capital Markets started research coverage with an outperform rating and $640 price target based on expectations for strong AI infrastructure demand.
Earnings Reports (9/11/2026)
Kroger Co (KR) and Rent the Runway Inc (RENT).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

Apple Inc.

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