So, you're looking at your screen and wondering exactly how much is an apple share today? If you checked the tickers on Friday, January 16, 2026, you saw Apple Inc. (AAPL) close out the week at $255.52.
It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride lately. Just a few weeks ago, at the start of the year, things looked a lot sunnier with prices hovering around $271. Now, we’re seeing a bit of a pullback. But honestly, if you’ve followed this stock for more than a week, you know that "cheap" is a relative term when you’re talking about a company worth over $3.7 trillion.
The Current Price of an Apple Share (January 2026)
Right now, the market is playing a game of tug-of-war. After hitting an all-time high of $286.19 back in early December 2025, the price has cooled off.
Why the dip?
Mostly, it's just the usual post-holiday hangover. Investors are looking at the huge gains from 2025 and decided to pocket some cash. Plus, there’s always that nervous chatter about iPhone sales in China and whether the latest AI features—what everyone is calling Apple Intelligence—are actually moving the needle for regular users.
To give you some perspective on where we are, here is how the last few days have shaken out:
- Jan 16, 2026: $255.52 (The most recent close)
- Jan 15, 2026: $258.21
- Jan 12, 2026: $260.25
- Jan 2, 2026: $271.01
It’s a downward slope for the month, sure. But compare that to where we were a year ago. In early 2025, Apple was trading closer to $180 or $190. If you bought then, you’re still sitting on a massive win.
Why the Price Shifts So Much
The "sticker price" of a share isn't just about how many phones they sold yesterday. It's about vibes, interest rates, and big-money institutional moves.
When the Federal Reserve hints at interest rate changes, tech stocks like Apple feel it first. If rates go up, the stock often takes a hit. If they stay steady or drop, the bulls come out to play. Also, keep an eye on the 100-day moving average. Technical traders are currently obsessing over the $258.60 level. Since we just slipped below that, some people are getting twitchy, thinking it might drop further toward the $230s.
Is AAPL a Good Deal at $255?
Ask three different analysts and you’ll get four different answers.
Wall Street is currently split. You’ve got the folks at Wedbush who are shouting from the rooftops with a price target of $350, banking on a massive "AI-driven" upgrade cycle for the iPhone 17. They think the current price is a steal.
Then you have the more cautious crowd. UBS has been keeping a "Neutral" stance, with a target closer to $280. They’re worried that the App Store isn't growing as fast as it used to and that people are holding onto their old phones longer.
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The Bulls vs. The Bears
- The Bull Case: Services revenue (think iCloud, Music, and the App Store) is a goldmine. It hit a record $28.8 billion in the last reported quarter of 2025. That’s high-margin money that doesn't depend on shipping physical boxes.
- The Bear Case: Regulation is a headache. Between the EU's Digital Markets Act and new laws in Japan affecting how the App Store operates, Apple’s "walled garden" is getting a few holes poked in it.
Real Numbers You Should Know
If you’re thinking about buying in, you aren't just buying a share; you’re buying into a massive financial engine. Apple’s fiscal year 2025 was actually record-breaking. They pulled in $416 billion in total revenue. That is a hard number to even wrap your head around.
They also pay a dividend. It’s not huge—usually around $0.26 per share quarterly—but it’s consistent. It’s like a little "thank you" for holding the stock. More importantly, they spend billions on share buybacks. In late 2025, they spent $20 billion just buying back their own stock. This reduces the total number of shares out there, which basically makes your individual share more "valuable" over time.
What to Do Next
Buying Apple isn't like buying a speculative crypto coin. It's a "set it and forget it" move for most people.
If you're looking to jump in, don't try to time the absolute bottom. You'll probably miss it. Instead, many people use dollar-cost averaging. You buy a little bit now at $255, and if it drops to $245 next month, you buy a little more.
Keep an eye on the next earnings report. That’s when the "real" price discovery happens. Until then, the price will likely wiggle around based on whatever the latest rumor is coming out of the supply chain in Taiwan.
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Actionable Steps for Investors
- Check your brokerage: Ensure you can buy fractional shares if you don't want to drop a full $255 at once.
- Watch the $250 floor: If the price breaks below $250, it could signal a longer slide toward $233, which is the 200-day moving average.
- Set a price alert: Use an app to ping you if it hits your "dream buy" price.
Apple remains the "safety" stock for many, but as the recent drop from $286 shows, even the biggest giants can trip. Whether you think $255 is a bargain or a trap depends entirely on if you believe the iPhone's best days are behind it or if the AI revolution is just getting started.
The most important thing to remember is that stock prices are snapshots in time. By the time you read this, the number on the screen might have shifted again, but the underlying company—with its $132 billion in cash—isn't going anywhere.