Apple stock approaches October 29 earnings as margins tighten

Published on 10/06/2026 at 17:18 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Apple stock traded at USD 332.72 on October 6, 2026, while consensus targets average USD 328.09. Q3 revenue reached USD 109.4 billion, up 16 percent year over year.

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Apple stock was trading at USD 332.72 on NASDAQ on October 6, 2026, at 11:17 a.m. EDT, down 0.05 percent from the previous close. The next earnings report is scheduled for October 29, 2026, making the coming margin update the key checkpoint for the shares.

Q3 revenue beat expectations

Apple's fiscal Q3 2026 revenue reached USD 109.4 billion, up 16 percent year over year, while diluted earnings per share came to USD 2.02 against a USD 1.89 consensus estimate, according to Investing.com. Net income was USD 29.789 billion for the quarter ended June 27, 2026, and the net profit margin was 27 percent.

The quarterly result combined strong top-line growth with a more complicated cost picture. Apple guided for September-quarter revenue growth of 9 percent to 11 percent and gross margin of 47 percent to 48 percent, below the 50.1 percent margin reported for Q3, as higher memory costs pressure profitability, Investing.com reported.

Target sits above the quote

Morgan Stanley lowered its Apple price target from USD 360 to USD 355 on October 1, 2026, while maintaining an Overweight rating, according to Investing.com. The revised target lies 6.70 percent above the USD 332.72 quote, so the bank's positive view still leaves valuation and execution as central variables.

Investing.com lists a Buy consensus from 44 analysts with an average 12-month target of USD 328.09, which is USD 4.63 below the October 6 quote. The spread between the average target and the live market price makes the October earnings release especially important for justifying further upside in the consensus view.

Apple stock stays near yearly high

Apple's market capitalization stood at USD 4.9 trillion on October 6, 2026, while the NASDAQ quote remained within a 52-week range of USD 243.42 to USD 345.34. Trading volume was 8,187,605 shares at 11:17 a.m. EDT, against an average volume of 45,709,392 shares.

The price was 3.66 percent below the 52-week high, leaving the next earnings report to test whether the Q3 growth rate can offset the expected margin step-down. For investors, the relevant comparison is now clear: USD 109.4 billion of recent quarterly revenue growth against guidance for a slower 9 percent to 11 percent expansion.