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AI NewsStock Market NewsStocks
Jul 29, 2026
2min read
byDarryn Pollock
forBeInCrypto
Apple briefly hit a $5 trillion market cap on July 28 as shares reached an intraday high of $342.89, lifting the stock about 25% YTD driven by strong iPhone sales ahead of its third-quarter earnings call two days later, which will be Tim Cook’s final call as CEO. The company’s disciplined capex—relying on Google Cloud for a revamped Siri instead of building an in-house LLM, launching an iPhone leasing program with Klarna, and recent MacBook and iPad price hikes—underscores revenue-driven valuation gains and could influence broader market impact and adoption discussions among tech and crypto investors.
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In Brief
- Apple’s market cap briefly touched $5 trillion on Tuesday.
- Apple reports third-quarter earnings Thursday, Tim Cook’s final call as CEO.
- The stock is up 25% this year as Apple avoids heavy AI spending.
Apple (AAPL) briefly touched a $5 trillion market capitalization on Tuesday, July 28, becoming only the second public company after Nvidia (NVDA) to reach that level. Shares climbed to an intraday high of $342.89 before retreating.
The rally lands two days before Apple reports third-quarter earnings on Thursday, marking Tim Cook’s final call as CEO. John Ternus takes over as chief executive on September 1.
Apple’s Restraint Sets It Apart From Big Tech
Apple’s stock has climbed roughly 25% this year, a sharp contrast with Nvidia’s 6% gain. The two companies have swapped the title of world’s most valuable firm several times in recent weeks.
Apple’s stock has performed well YTD despite not being a leader in the AI Arms race. Image
Much of Apple’s advantage traces to spending discipline. While rivals pour billions into AI infrastructure spending, Apple has kept its own budget comparatively low.
The company still lacks an in-house large language model. It leans on Google’s cloud technology to power a revamped Siri instead. Apple expects to launch the redesigned assistant this fall alongside new iPhone hardware. Analysts have flagged this gap when reviewing Apple’s AI strategy.
Traditional Products Still Lead
Demand for AI training chips first powered Nvidia past $5 trillion in October 2025. Strong iPhone sales, not AI spending, have instead driven Apple’s climb toward the threshold.
On Tuesday, Apple also launched Upgrade, a new leasing program with Klarna, the buy-now-pay-later fintech firm. The program lets US customers pay $17.99 a month for an iPhone instead of buying it outright.
Apple raised prices on MacBooks and iPads last month, citing rising memory and storage costs.
Thursday’s report will show whether iPhone-led growth can justify a valuation now within reach of Nvidia’s.
