Risk Intelligence
Core Model
B−
73 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Above average on this measure.
Suggestions
AAPL · Nasdaq
Apple Inc.
Private betaInformation Technology · Technology Hardware
$332.27
+1.75%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
Apple Inc.
Information Technology · Technology Hardware · Data confidence good
71 / 100
Rank #87 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 13% · Worth a Closer Look
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
B
77 / 100
Elite Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Above average on this measure.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
B−
74 / 100
Accelerating
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Above average on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
D
42 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
F
39 / 100
Elevated
Is today's price reasonable?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
B−
72 / 100
Strong Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Above average on this measure — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- The IA Compounder research model identifies strong compounding characteristics.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
- Price Risk is currently in the higher-risk category.
- Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 39 out of 100, Elevated).
Long-term view
Apple Inc. scores 77 on Long-Term Potential (B), described by the research model as elite compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 42 (D): Positive disclosed activity. 30 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
Apple Inc. reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
Apple Inc. reads 72 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 7.3% a year and a share count falling about 2.6% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare AAPL with other companiesAppears in
Rule-based membership
- Effective Buyback Leaderssince 2026-09-12
- Dividend Growth Leaderssince 2026-09-12
- Newly Suggestedsince 2026-09-12
Membership means the company satisfied a published rule on the latest research build. It is not a recommendation.
About a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
Apple Inc. (AAPL) scores 71 out of 100 and ranks #87 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 13% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is worth a closer look.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 73 out of 100 (B−), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Above average on this measure.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 77 out of 100 (B), recorded as elite compounder. Above average on this measure.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 74 out of 100 (B−), recorded as accelerating. Above average on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 42 out of 100 (D), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation is currently the main point of caution: Valuation Intelligence reads 39 out of 100 (F), recorded as Elevated. Apple Inc. reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 72 out of 100 (B−), recorded as Strong Capital Returns. Apple Inc. reads 72 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 7.3% a year and a share count falling about 2.6% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
Price Risk is currently in the higher-risk category. Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 39 out of 100, Elevated). Data confidence for this company is good.
Bottom line
No individual layer reaches the strongest band today. Ownership Intelligence remains the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads elevated at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Suggested Investment Score
Suggested Investment Score
71 / 100
Worth a Closer Look
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #87 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 25%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
38Rank weakened by 38 positions. Rank weakened by 38 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 73
- Long-Term Potential
- 77
- Fundamental Momentum
- 74
- Ownership Intelligence
- 42
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
42 / 100 · Mixed · 20% of the Suggested Investment Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Good
- Elite Investor Activity
- 35 · Mixed
- Institutional Activity
- 83 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- 10 · Weak
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
Tracked professional-manager activity is mixed.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
Recent discretionary insider behaviour is weak. Grants, option exercises and tax withholding are excluded.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
Strong risk profile
Risk Intelligence ranks in the top 23% of qualified companies, with lower_risk price risk.
Exceptional long-term potential
Stored profitability, capital efficiency and reinvestment readings rank near the top of the qualified universe.
Improving fundamentals
Recent reported business trends rank among the strongest in the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Ownership evidence is not uniformly supportive
Disclosed elite investor activity, insider activity evidence is weak or neutral. Ownership evidence is supplemental and never automatically positive.
Ownership evidence disagrees
Different owner groups point in different directions, so the combined reading is best read as mixed rather than uniformly favourable.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Excellent. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 39 · Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 72 · Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 71.0 of the stored score (71.0).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 23.3 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 78 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 73 · 33% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 29.0 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 97 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 77 · 41% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 17.9 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 89 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 74 · 25% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 0.8 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 4 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 42 · 1% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Long-Term Potential — 97 percentile, adding 29.0 points.
- Risk Intelligence — 78 percentile, adding 23.3 points.
- Fundamental Momentum — 89 percentile, adding 17.9 points.
What deserves attention
- Ownership Intelligence — 4 percentile, adding only 0.8 of a possible 20 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — Apple Inc. reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — Apple Inc. reads 72 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 7.3% a year and a share count falling about 2.6% a year.
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
39/ 100
Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Partial coverage
Compared with its history
3
Expensive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
—
Not Available
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
No comparable cohort of at least eight companies with the same usable ratios.
Earnings & cash flow
43
Elevated
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
90
Very Attractive
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
Apple Inc. reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 27, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 37.6x · own median 26.2x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
72/ 100
Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
90
Exceptional Capital Returns
Dividend reliability
Buyback Effectiveness
64
Favorable Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
75
Strong Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
62
Favorable Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
59
Favorable Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
Apple Inc. reads 72 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 7.3% a year and a share count falling about 2.6% a year.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $15.64B · net repurchases $82.23B · total returned $97.87B · 72% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 27, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Suggested Investment Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #87 | Score 71 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | September 12, 2026 | |
| Highest rank | #87 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
The Company designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September.
iPhone is the Company’s line of smartphones based on its iOS operating system. The iPhone line includes iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air , iPhone 17, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e.
Mac is the Company’s line of personal computers based on its macOS operating system. The Mac line includes laptops MacBook Air and MacBook Pro , as well as desktops iMac , Mac mini , Mac Studio and Mac Pro .
iPad is the Company’s line of multipurpose tablets based on its iPadOS operating system. The iPad line includes iPad Pro , iPad Air , iPad and iPad mini .
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed October 31, 2025. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
73
Fundamentally Qualified
+13.1 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
78
Elite Compounder
+6.8 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
74
Accelerating
-2.3 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
35
Lower range
0 vs Jun 30, 2026
30 tracked managers disclosed a position for this period.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Company intelligence
AAPL score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
AAPL intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 73.3 on 2026-09-11, up 13.1 from 60.2 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 77.5 on 2026-09-11, up 6.8 from 70.7 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 74.1 on 2026-09-11, down 2.3 from 76.4 on 2026-06-30. Elite Investor Activity 35 on 2026-09-11, unchanged 0 from 35 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 73.3 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+13.1 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 77.5 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+6.8 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 74.1 as of Sep 11, 2026 (-2.3 vs prior period) · Research model
Elite Investor Activity 35 as of Sep 11, 2026 (0 vs prior period) · Supplemental
Share price
AAPL price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends, through Sep 11, 2026. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- +30.1%
- 1Y change
- +45.0%
- 3Y change
- +93.3%
- 5Y change
- +128.9%
- Max change
- +359.7%
Last stored close $332.27 · +45.0% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- The IA Compounder research model identifies strong compounding characteristics.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- Price Risk is currently in the higher-risk category.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
98
New holders
67
Increasing
14
Reducing
16
Exiting
2
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2023-09-30 · Public 12/27/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
Price Risk category changed
Price Risk moved from Higher risk to Lower risk.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive improved
Business Quality qualification score moved from 58.6 to 60.2.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 50 to 35 for the reporting period ending 2026-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Tracked managers initiated positions
3 tracked managers first disclosed a position for the reporting period ending 2026-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 44 to 35 for the reporting period ending 2025-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 54 to 44 for the reporting period ending 2025-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 92 to 54 for the reporting period ending 2024-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Tracked managers initiated positions
3 tracked managers first disclosed a position for the reporting period ending 2024-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Tracked managers exited positions
2 tracked managers no longer disclosed a position for the reporting period ending 2024-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 75 to 92 for the reporting period ending 2024-09-30.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.