Apple (AAPL) Stock Soars After Crushing Earnings Expectations With Bullish Forecast

Apple shares surge as quarterly results demolish Wall Street projections

Revenue rockets past estimates while services division hits record highs

The tech giant's guidance suggests even stronger growth ahead—though skeptics note traditional finance metrics rarely apply to Apple's reality distortion field

Another quarter, another beat—proving once again that while analysts scramble with spreadsheets, Apple just keeps printing money

TLDR:

• Apple $AAPL beat Q4 expectations on EPS and revenue.

• EPS was $1.85 vs $1.77 expected, revenue hit $102.5B.

• iPhone 17 demand “off the chart,” but China sales slipped.

• Strong outlook: revenue to grow 10–12% in December quarter.

• Stock rose up to 4% after CEO Tim Cook’s bullish forecast.

Apple reported fourth-quarter results that topped Wall Street’s expectations. Shares ROSE 4% in extended trading as investors focused on the upbeat forecast from CEO Tim Cook.

Apple Inc., AAPL

Earnings per share came in at $1.85, above the $1.77 consensus estimate. Revenue hit $102.5 billion, slightly ahead of expectations at $102.2 billion.

This is insane:

4:30 PM ET, Apple, $AAPL, reported stronger than expected earnings and a cash pile of over $132 BILLION.

4:31 PM ET: Apple stock falls -5% despite beating earnings.

4:45 PM ET: Apple stock rises +8% from its low, adding +$320 BILLION in market cap, turns green.… pic.twitter.com/B6nt9180bu

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) October 30, 2025

iPhone 17 Drives Optimism

Apple’s iPhone business generated $49.03 billion, a bit short of estimates but up 6% year over year. Cook said demand for the iPhone 17 lineup is so strong that several models are currently supply constrained.

He called the launch “off the chart,” adding that store traffic and online orders are exceeding last year’s levels. Cook expects the December quarter to deliver Apple’s best iPhone revenue in history.

The iPhone 17 series features refreshed designs and improved cameras for the Pro and Pro Max models. Apple also introduced a new “iPhone Air” to replace the Plus line, focusing on a thinner, lighter FORM factor.

China Weakness, Global Growth

Revenue in Greater China fell to $14.49 billion, missing the $16.4 billion forecast. Cook remains confident the region will return to growth next quarter, driven by strong iPhone 17 adoption.

Despite the China softness, Apple’s total quarterly revenue grew 8% year over year. CFO Kevan Parekh highlighted record-high active device users across all categories.

The Services segment reached $28.7 billion, beating expectations and growing 15%. The division includes iCloud, Apple Music, App Store fees, and AppleCare.

Mac revenue rose 13% to $8.73 billion, boosted by strong sales of the MacBook Air after a $100 price cut. iPad and Wearables revenue came in at $6.95 billion and $9 billion, respectively.

Cook said Apple’s new AI initiatives will continue to expand next year, including updates to Siri and integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT via Apple Intelligence.

Looking Ahead

Apple expects December quarter revenue to grow 10–12% year over year, outpacing analysts’ forecasts. Cook said, “We expect the December quarter’s revenue to be the best ever for the company and the best ever for iPhone.”

Gross margin was 47.2%, above the 46.4% estimate, despite $1.1 billion in added tariff costs. Parekh said tariffs will rise to $1.4 billion next quarter but won’t affect Apple’s pricing strategy.

Apple’s market cap recently surpassed $4 trillion, joining Microsoft and Nvidia in the trillion-dollar elite. The stock is up nearly 1% year-to-date but remains a cornerstone of the tech-heavy Nasdaq.