Tim Cook to Retire as Apple CEO in 2026, Successor Named
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 6 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy AAPL?
Source: Fool
- Retirement Announcement: Apple announced on April 20 that CEO Tim Cook will retire on September 1, 2026, transitioning to executive chairman, with John Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran and current Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, set to succeed him, which is expected to maintain Apple's competitive edge in hardware innovation.
- Share Buyback Program: Since initiating its buyback program in 2013, Apple has repurchased over $841 billion in stock, reducing its outstanding shares by more than 44%, a move that has not only boosted earnings per share (EPS) but also enhanced the company's attractiveness to value investors, likely contributing to stock price appreciation.
- Shift to Services: Under Cook's leadership, Apple has transitioned from a hardware-centric model to a services-driven approach, with steady growth in subscription services helping to smooth revenue fluctuations and improve overall profit margins, demonstrating the company's adaptability and strategic foresight in a changing market.
- Tax Law Impact: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, has allowed Apple to retain more earnings, significantly increasing share buyback activity since 2018, and it is anticipated that Apple will continue this aggressive repurchase strategy to enhance shareholder value in the coming years.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy AAPL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on AAPL
Wall Street analysts forecast AAPL stock price to rise
27 Analyst Rating
17 Buy
9 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 270.170
Low
239.00
Averages
306.89
High
350.00
Current: 270.170
Low
239.00
Averages
306.89
High
350.00
About AAPL
Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. Its product categories include iPhone, Mac, iPad, Wearables, Home and Accessories. Its services include advertising, AppleCare, cloud services, digital content, and payment services. The Company 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. It also offers digital content through subscription-based services, including Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+. Its wearables include smartwatches, wireless headphones, and spatial computers. Its products include iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone SE, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, iPad Pro, iPad Air, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Apple Inc. to Release Q2 Earnings on April 30
- Earnings Release Announcement: Apple Inc. is set to release its Q2 2023 earnings after market close on April 30, with analysts anticipating an EPS of $1.94 and revenue of $109.73 billion, indicating sustained strong demand in global markets.
- Analyst Expectations: The projected EPS of $1.94 and revenue of $109.73 billion will provide critical financial health indicators for investors, potentially influencing stock price movements as the earnings date approaches.
- Market Reaction: As the earnings report date nears, investor anticipation for Apple's performance is high, and changes in analyst ratings could significantly impact market sentiment, particularly in the current economic climate where Apple's results will serve as a bellwether for the industry.
- Industry Impact: Apple's earnings report is expected to not only affect its own stock price but also create ripples across the technology sector, influencing investor confidence amid increasing competition and market uncertainties.
See More
Apple Options Pricing Indicates 4% Move Ahead of Earnings
- Options Market Expectations: Apple's (AAPL) May 1 weekly options pricing indicates a roughly 4% post-earnings move, suggesting a price fluctuation of about $10.50 to $10.70, reflecting investor expectations for the stock to trade between $260 and $281.
- Call Option Activity: The trading volume for the 270 call option reached 16,846 contracts, while the 275 and 280 calls traded 11,013 and 7,251 contracts respectively, indicating a bullish sentiment as the market anticipates a breakout above the 275 to 280 range.
- Put Option Dynamics: On the put side, the 255 put option traded 8,345 contracts, and notable open interest at the 250 put reached 17,644 contracts, highlighting concerns regarding potential downside risks for the stock.
- Leadership Transition Impact: With Tim Cook set to step down as CEO in September, the focus during Apple's earnings report will likely center on the leadership transition and the AI strategy under incoming CEO John Ternus, with Wall Street expecting EPS of $1.94 and revenue of $109.58 billion.
See More
Major Earnings Reports Expected After Thursday's Close
- Apple Earnings Anticipation: Apple Inc. (AAPL) is set to release its earnings report after Thursday's close, with market participants keenly awaiting insights into sales and profit performance, which could directly impact its stock price.
- Biotech Giant Reports: Amgen (AMGN) will also report earnings on Thursday, with investors looking for data on new drug sales that may influence the overall performance of the biotech sector.
- Streaming Industry Updates: Roku (ROKU) and Twilio (TWLO) are scheduled to release their earnings, and the market will closely monitor user growth and revenue figures to assess their standing in a highly competitive landscape.
- Multiple Earnings Releases: In addition to the aforementioned companies, Sandisk Corporation (SNDK) and several others will also report earnings on Thursday, expected to provide broader market insights for investors.
See More
Intel's Data Center Surge Rewrites Business Narrative
- Earnings Beat: Intel reported an adjusted EPS of $0.29, significantly surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $0.01, with revenue reaching $13.6 billion, a 7% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by over $1 billion, indicating a remarkable financial turnaround amidst challenges.
- Data Center Growth: The Data Center and AI segment saw a 22% revenue surge to $5.1 billion, reflecting strong demand from hyperscalers for server CPUs, which positions Intel favorably in the rapidly growing AI market.
- Margin Improvement: Non-GAAP gross margin expanded to 41%, driven by better pricing strategies and improvements in manufacturing processes, showcasing the company's success in cost control and product pricing.
- Restored Market Confidence: Intel's robust performance not only enhances investor confidence in its future prospects but may also enable the company to capture more market share in the highly competitive semiconductor industry, particularly against the backdrop of ongoing investments in AI and data centers.
See More
Strong Earnings Reports from Top Tech Giants
- Alphabet's Strong Performance: Alphabet's earnings report exceeded expectations with strong performance in search, subscriptions, and cloud services, leading to an 8% stock increase and reflecting significant returns on AI investments, boosting market confidence.
- Amazon's AWS Growth: AWS growth accelerated to 28%, with strong performance in advertising and e-commerce, resulting in a stock increase of over 3.5%, while maintaining a full-year capital expenditure of $200 billion, indicating confidence in future growth.
- Microsoft's Cloud Stability: Microsoft reported a 40% growth in cloud services, and despite a stock drop of over 1%, analysts raised price targets, suggesting optimism about its long-term prospects, alongside an increase in capital expenditures.
- Meta's Stock Decline: Meta Platforms saw its stock drop over 8.5% due to an increased capital expenditure forecast, despite solid quarterly results; however, a 5% decline in daily active users raised concerns about its growth outlook.
See More
Stock Index Futures Rise as Investors Digest Economic Data
- ConocoPhillips Production Cut: ConocoPhillips (COP) saw a 1.7% decline in premarket trading despite beating Q1 adjusted earnings expectations, as disruptions in the Middle East led to a lowered annual production forecast, raising concerns about future operational capabilities.
- Eli Lilly's Positive Outlook: Eli Lilly (LLY) rose approximately 6% in premarket trading after raising its full-year outlook, reporting Q1 revenue of $19.8 billion, which represents a 56% year-over-year increase and exceeds consensus by $2 billion, driven by strong performance in its GLP-1 product line.
- Apple's Leadership Transition: Apple (AAPL) is set to report FQ2 results after Thursday's close, with analysts expecting around 18% year-over-year EPS growth and 15% revenue expansion, while Tim Cook transitions to executive chairman and John Ternus becomes CEO, indicating a stronger focus on product and engineering.
- Amazon's Strong Earnings: Amazon (AMZN) gained 3.8% in premarket trading after reporting Q1 total revenue of $181.5 billion, a 16.6% year-over-year increase that surpassed the $177.2 billion consensus estimate, with North American revenue up 12% and international revenue up 19%, reflecting a robust recovery in its e-commerce business.
See More
Apple Inc. to Release Q2 Earnings on April 30
- Earnings Release Announcement: Apple Inc. is set to release its Q2 2023 earnings after market close on April 30, with analysts anticipating an EPS of $1.94 and revenue of $109.73 billion, indicating sustained strong demand in global markets.
- Analyst Expectations: The projected EPS of $1.94 and revenue of $109.73 billion will provide critical financial health indicators for investors, potentially influencing stock price movements as the earnings date approaches.
- Market Reaction: As the earnings report date nears, investor anticipation for Apple's performance is high, and changes in analyst ratings could significantly impact market sentiment, particularly in the current economic climate where Apple's results will serve as a bellwether for the industry.
- Industry Impact: Apple's earnings report is expected to not only affect its own stock price but also create ripples across the technology sector, influencing investor confidence amid increasing competition and market uncertainties.
See More
Apple Options Pricing Indicates 4% Move Ahead of Earnings
- Options Market Expectations: Apple's (AAPL) May 1 weekly options pricing indicates a roughly 4% post-earnings move, suggesting a price fluctuation of about $10.50 to $10.70, reflecting investor expectations for the stock to trade between $260 and $281.
- Call Option Activity: The trading volume for the 270 call option reached 16,846 contracts, while the 275 and 280 calls traded 11,013 and 7,251 contracts respectively, indicating a bullish sentiment as the market anticipates a breakout above the 275 to 280 range.
- Put Option Dynamics: On the put side, the 255 put option traded 8,345 contracts, and notable open interest at the 250 put reached 17,644 contracts, highlighting concerns regarding potential downside risks for the stock.
- Leadership Transition Impact: With Tim Cook set to step down as CEO in September, the focus during Apple's earnings report will likely center on the leadership transition and the AI strategy under incoming CEO John Ternus, with Wall Street expecting EPS of $1.94 and revenue of $109.58 billion.
See More
Major Earnings Reports Expected After Thursday's Close
- Apple Earnings Anticipation: Apple Inc. (AAPL) is set to release its earnings report after Thursday's close, with market participants keenly awaiting insights into sales and profit performance, which could directly impact its stock price.
- Biotech Giant Reports: Amgen (AMGN) will also report earnings on Thursday, with investors looking for data on new drug sales that may influence the overall performance of the biotech sector.
- Streaming Industry Updates: Roku (ROKU) and Twilio (TWLO) are scheduled to release their earnings, and the market will closely monitor user growth and revenue figures to assess their standing in a highly competitive landscape.
- Multiple Earnings Releases: In addition to the aforementioned companies, Sandisk Corporation (SNDK) and several others will also report earnings on Thursday, expected to provide broader market insights for investors.
See More
Intel's Data Center Surge Rewrites Business Narrative
- Earnings Beat: Intel reported an adjusted EPS of $0.29, significantly surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $0.01, with revenue reaching $13.6 billion, a 7% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by over $1 billion, indicating a remarkable financial turnaround amidst challenges.
- Data Center Growth: The Data Center and AI segment saw a 22% revenue surge to $5.1 billion, reflecting strong demand from hyperscalers for server CPUs, which positions Intel favorably in the rapidly growing AI market.
- Margin Improvement: Non-GAAP gross margin expanded to 41%, driven by better pricing strategies and improvements in manufacturing processes, showcasing the company's success in cost control and product pricing.
- Restored Market Confidence: Intel's robust performance not only enhances investor confidence in its future prospects but may also enable the company to capture more market share in the highly competitive semiconductor industry, particularly against the backdrop of ongoing investments in AI and data centers.
See More
Strong Earnings Reports from Top Tech Giants
- Alphabet's Strong Performance: Alphabet's earnings report exceeded expectations with strong performance in search, subscriptions, and cloud services, leading to an 8% stock increase and reflecting significant returns on AI investments, boosting market confidence.
- Amazon's AWS Growth: AWS growth accelerated to 28%, with strong performance in advertising and e-commerce, resulting in a stock increase of over 3.5%, while maintaining a full-year capital expenditure of $200 billion, indicating confidence in future growth.
- Microsoft's Cloud Stability: Microsoft reported a 40% growth in cloud services, and despite a stock drop of over 1%, analysts raised price targets, suggesting optimism about its long-term prospects, alongside an increase in capital expenditures.
- Meta's Stock Decline: Meta Platforms saw its stock drop over 8.5% due to an increased capital expenditure forecast, despite solid quarterly results; however, a 5% decline in daily active users raised concerns about its growth outlook.
See More
Stock Index Futures Rise as Investors Digest Economic Data
- ConocoPhillips Production Cut: ConocoPhillips (COP) saw a 1.7% decline in premarket trading despite beating Q1 adjusted earnings expectations, as disruptions in the Middle East led to a lowered annual production forecast, raising concerns about future operational capabilities.
- Eli Lilly's Positive Outlook: Eli Lilly (LLY) rose approximately 6% in premarket trading after raising its full-year outlook, reporting Q1 revenue of $19.8 billion, which represents a 56% year-over-year increase and exceeds consensus by $2 billion, driven by strong performance in its GLP-1 product line.
- Apple's Leadership Transition: Apple (AAPL) is set to report FQ2 results after Thursday's close, with analysts expecting around 18% year-over-year EPS growth and 15% revenue expansion, while Tim Cook transitions to executive chairman and John Ternus becomes CEO, indicating a stronger focus on product and engineering.
- Amazon's Strong Earnings: Amazon (AMZN) gained 3.8% in premarket trading after reporting Q1 total revenue of $181.5 billion, a 16.6% year-over-year increase that surpassed the $177.2 billion consensus estimate, with North American revenue up 12% and international revenue up 19%, reflecting a robust recovery in its e-commerce business.
See More
