Apple’s stock hit a new record on Monday, underscoring the company’s continued dominance in the global tech market. The shares climbed to an intraday peak of $264.38 before closing at $262.24, marking an impressive 3.94% rise, or $9.95 higher than the previous session. This surge came right after Counterpoint Research released fresh data showing that the newly launched iPhone 17 lineup has outpaced last year’s iPhone 16 models by 14% during the first ten days of availability. 
The clear leader in the U.S. market has been the iPhone 17 Pro Max, while in China, the base iPhone 17 has doubled the sales of its predecessor, signaling a robust rebound in Apple’s performance across key regions.
Interestingly, Apple’s growth story continues even as the company makes strategic production adjustments. Reports indicate that Apple has decided to scale back manufacturing of the iPhone Air. Yet despite this, the model has exceeded internal expectations by outperforming the iPhone 16 Plus, the phone it replaced. Apple’s internal strategy for the Air appears pragmatic – set achievable targets and surpass them. This approach has been aided by meaningful upgrades: the latest iPhone Air now sports the ProMotion display with a variable refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz, allowing for both power efficiency and a smoother user experience.
The latest milestone in Apple’s stock value is a remarkable moment in the company’s history, which began with its IPO on December 12, 1980. On that day, Apple transformed from a promising Silicon Valley startup into a public juggernaut, instantly minting hundreds of millionaires. Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak saw their stakes valued at $217 million and $116 million respectively. Early investors like Mike Markkula ($203 million), Mike Scott ($95.5 million), and venture capitalist Arthur Rock also walked away with fortunes. Apple’s shares debuted at $22 and closed at $29 on day one – a 32% gain – and since then, the stock has undergone five splits, the most recent being a 4-for-1 division in 2020. Adjusted for these splits, early investors effectively paid only ten cents per share. Today, those same shares would represent an astronomical return on investment, emblematic of Apple’s unmatched long-term growth trajectory.
With Monday’s rally, Apple’s market capitalization soared to an unprecedented $3.89 trillion, reinforcing its position as the most valuable company in the world. Current CEO Tim Cook holds approximately 3.28 million shares – around 0.021% of Apple’s total – which translates to a personal fortune estimated between $860 million and $900 million. The largest institutional shareholder remains Vanguard Group, which owns about 9.5% of the company, followed by BlackRock with 7.7%. Meanwhile, the biggest individual stakeholder is Arthur D. Levinson, Apple’s chairman, who holds around 4.4 million shares valued at over $1.15 billion. These figures not only highlight the wealth Apple has generated for its key leaders but also underscore investor confidence in its ability to sustain innovation and profitability in an increasingly competitive market.
Ultimately, Apple’s latest stock performance reaffirms what many have long suspected: the company’s combination of brand loyalty, product refinement, and strategic pricing continues to set the benchmark for the entire tech industry. From the first iPhone to the latest iPhone 17, Apple’s formula for success – design excellence, incremental innovation, and ecosystem strength – remains as potent as ever.
3 comments
iphone 17 is great but those prices omg 💸
vanguard must be swimming in cash rn lmao
i remember ppl said apple was done after jobs died. guess not 😂