• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
CommentaryApple

Why Apple is smarter than the stock market

By
S. Kumar
S. Kumar
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
S. Kumar
S. Kumar
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 10, 2015, 4:47 PM ET
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new iPad Pro during an Apple media event in San Francisco, California
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new iPad Pro during an Apple media event in San Francisco, California, September 9, 2015. Reuters/Beck Diefenbach - RTSCOYPhotograph by Beck Diefenbach — Reuters

Apple’s shares continued to underperform on Thursday, despite analysts’ reasonably relatively positive reviews for products that the tech giant unveiled on Wednesday. Apple’s stock is hovering around the $112 per share mark even during upticks – a far cry from the $130 per share range it traded at for most of the first half of 2015 or its 52-Week High of $134.54. Nothing seems to get the stock back up anymore, even a new iPhone.

This isn’t unusual, however, if you look at Apple’s history. On past product launches, Apple (AAPL) saw modest run-ups in its stock right before the events, followed by a decline right after as analysts inevitably felt disappointed due to inflated expectations and took time to absorb the new offerings. This week’s event seemed to follow the same pattern, more or less.

This should actually help Apple, whose stock has skyrocketed recently due to extreme hype, to keep its price, and Wall Street expectations for the future, in rational territory. That in turn will make it easier for the company to beat market estimates at the end of this year if its latest devices do well, as happened with the iPhone 6 during the last quarter of 2014. In that instance, even though expectations were still high, Apple’s performance was significantly higher. Managing expectations will also help Apple circumvent the trap it fell into for the iPhone 5s, when sales couldn’t match Wall Street euphoria and hurt its shares.

As proof that there is currently a mismatch between Apple’s likely performance and its market value, many leading analysts have already weighed in with aggressive price targets for the company ranging as high as $175 per share.

Think of it as a spring being pulled back. The less investors expect from Apple, the more likely they are to be positively surprised when the company delivers strong sales on its latest products, particularly the iPhone, and to buy more stock. By contrast, a bull market for Apple now would have nowhere to go but down, as we have seen in the last few months. Hype has long been one of Apple’s best friends but can also be its worst enemy when it veers too far from reality.

Apple’s brilliance is in focusing on its products, as it did on Wednesday, and letting the market recognize the value in its own sweet time. Other than a brief statement that Apple CEO Tim Cook gave last month to allay fears about declining sales in China, Apple has done little to artificially prop up its stock. That’s the hallmark of a mature corporation that is confident about the usefulness and appeal of its products and doesn’t have to kowtow to market whims in order to succeed.

As I pointed out in an earlier article, Apple has good reason to be confident since its global market share of smartphones is actually increasing and the evolution of wireless plans in the U.S. could encourage more users to upgrade to new phones every year. Everything else aside, that forms the bedrock of Apple’s business model and its earnings prospects; and at a relatively modest 12 times price-to-2015-earnings ratio (especially in tech), it could be argued that the stock is a bargain.

[fortune-brightcove videoid=4474295792001]

The other reason that a low stock price actually helps Apple is because of its $200 billion share buyback program. A cheaper stock enables the company to buy back more of its shares and can provide an even bigger boost to earnings per share than normal. That would propel Apple’s stock up eventually but not before the company reaps the benefit of having made its investors very happy, and reaffirms its reputation as a valuable addition to portfolios.

To be sure, the company is facing challenges with Apple Music and Apple Pay, which have failed to gain traction the way the company hoped they would, but those things don’t form the core of Apple or its valuation. Not to mention that vast improvements to the iPhone, Apple TV, the Apple Watch, and the iPad could more than make up for any underperforming business lines.

So even as some market watchers continue to express pessimism about Apple, it’s more likely that the company that has delivered so many pioneering products over the years, whose hits have outnumbered its misses, and which has outsmarted most of its tech rivals, may also be smarter than the market.

S. Kumar is a tech and business commentator. He has worked in technology, media, and telecom investment banking. He does not own shares of Apple.

About the Author
By S. Kumar
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

liberman
Commentarystart-ups
We watched social media concentrate. The same thing is happening in AI, only at a deeper layer
By David Liberman and Daniil LibermanMay 16, 2026
18 hours ago
olivier
CommentaryAnthropic
I’ve been studying Big Tech for a long time. What just happened with Anthropic and the Pentagon terrifies me
By Olivier SylvainMay 16, 2026
19 hours ago
lawyer
CommentaryLaw
Would you hire the lawyer who just got sanctioned for using AI?
By Alexandra SmythMay 16, 2026
21 hours ago
greg
Personal FinanceAviation
Mamdani’s New York is coming to tax your private jet. Here’s how to prepare
By Greg RaiffMay 16, 2026
22 hours ago
chase
CommentaryCities
San Francisco has $2 trillion in AI wealth and can’t fix its own city. That’s every city’s problem
By Chase GarbarinoMay 15, 2026
2 days ago
lori
Commentarymental health
I run Valvoline Instant Oil Change and work with young people every day. They’re in crisis—and we all have to try to help
By Lori FleesMay 15, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
19 hours ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
9 hours ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
22 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
4 days ago
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
4 days ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
19 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.