Checking the AAPL share price today, you’ll see things are looking a bit red. As of the close on Friday, January 16, 2026, Apple Inc. (AAPL) ended the session at $255.52. That’s a drop of about 1.04% for the day. Honestly, it's been a rough stretch. This marks the tenth consecutive day of declines for the tech giant, a streak we haven't seen in years.
Wait. Ten days?
Yeah. It’s a bit of a bloodbath on the charts, but let’s look at the actual numbers. The stock hit an intraday low of $254.93, while the high barely scratched $258.90. We are sitting quite a bit below the 52-week high of $288.61, and for a lot of retail investors, this feels like the sky is falling. But if you’ve been around the block with Apple before, you know this story usually has a twist.
What’s Dragging the AAPL Share Price Today?
So, why is everyone selling? It’s not just one thing. It’s a messy cocktail of macro fears and specific "Apple problems."
First off, there’s this nagging anxiety about iPhone sales in China. We’ve been hearing it for months, but the recent data suggests the "iPhone 17" cycle—while strong in the West—is hitting a wall in Asia. Then you have the "Magnificent Seven" reshuffle. Just last week, Alphabet officially leapfrogged Apple to become the second-most valuable company in the world. That stung. It shifted the sentiment from "Apple is the safe haven" to "Is Apple falling behind in AI?"
Amit Daryanani over at Evercore ISI thinks people are overreacting. He actually raised his price target to $330 recently, even while the stock was sliding. His logic? The market is obsessed with "Apple Intelligence" delays and forgetting that the Services division is basically a money-printing machine. Apple Services just had a record-breaking 2025, and engagement on Apple TV+ is reportedly at all-time highs.
The Earnings Shadow
The real reason for the jitters is January 29. That’s when Tim Cook and company will report Q1 2026 earnings. The expectations are massive. We are talking about a projected revenue of $138.35 billion.
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People are scared.
They’re scared that if Apple doesn't just beat those numbers but crushes them, the stock will continue to slide. There’s also the tariff situation. Even with some presidential exemptions, Apple is expected to shell out $1.4 billion in tariff costs this quarter alone. That eats into margins, and Wall Street hates a shrinking margin more than almost anything else.
Is the AI Narrative Actually Broken?
Kinda. But also, not really.
The bears are screaming that Apple is "late" to the AI party. They point to the fact that the major Siri overhaul—the one that was supposed to change everything—got pushed further into 2026. Meanwhile, Google and Microsoft are shipping new features every other Tuesday.
But look at the hardware. The M5 chips that just landed in the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro are specifically designed for heavy-duty on-device AI. Apple isn't building a chatbot; they're building the foundation to run everyone else’s chatbots locally and privately. That’s a long-game play. It doesn't help the AAPL share price today, but it matters for where the stock sits in 2027.
Real-World Catalysts on the Horizon
If you're looking for reasons to be cheerful, 2026 has some wildcards:
- The iPhone Fold: Rumors are getting louder about a September debut. A book-style foldable with a 7.8-inch screen could reignite the upgrade cycle for people bored with the standard slab.
- Smart Home Hub: We're expecting a new "HomeOS" device—basically an iPad-like smart display—within the next few months.
- Apple Glass: Still the "Holy Grail." While we might only see a teaser, any concrete news on smart glasses would pivot the narrative away from "slowing iPhones" toward "the next big platform."
The Expert Take: Nuance Over Noise
Raymond James recently resumed coverage with a "market perform" rating. They’re basically saying, "Hey, the stock is expensive, and we don't see a reason for it to pop right now." They're worried about supply chain concentration in China and the lack of a "near-term" catalyst.
On the flip side, you have the bulls who see this $255 level as a massive discount. Apple’s P/E ratio is sitting around 34. Historically, that’s high for Apple, but when you consider they have $35.9 billion in cash and equivalents, the "safety" premium is always going to be there.
Actionable Insights for Investors
If you’re staring at your portfolio today, here’s the reality:
- The 10-day losing streak is psychological. Stocks don't go down forever. We are approaching "oversold" territory on the RSI (Relative Strength Index).
- Watch the $250 floor. If Apple breaks below $250, the next support level is way down near $244. If it holds $255 through Monday, we might be seeing the bottom of this mini-correction.
- Focus on the 29th. Everything before the earnings call is just noise. If you're a long-term holder, the daily fluctuations are a distraction from the fact that Apple's ecosystem has never been stickier.
The AAPL share price today reflects a market that is impatient for the "Next Big Thing" while ignoring the massive cash flow generated by the "Current Big Things." Don't get caught up in the panic-selling unless you genuinely believe people are going to stop using iPhones and paying for iCloud tomorrow.
Next Steps for You: - Review your position size before the January 29 earnings call to ensure you can handle a potential 5% swing in either direction.
- Check the 10-year Treasury yield; often, when yields spike, tech stocks like AAPL take a hit regardless of their actual business performance.
- Set a price alert for $250. If it hits that mark, it may represent one of the best entry points we've seen since last autumn.