A giant in the tech and the business world, few companies come close to Apple in terms of size, power and reach. As a result, there is no shortage of investors seeking to buy Apple stock. But before you buy shares in Apple, take a take at this extensive guide, covering everything you need to know before you put your money where your mouth is and invest in Apple (APPL).
Buy Apple Stock
Before you look to buy Apple stock, it’s important to know the company’s history. After all, only by looking into the past can you hope to predict the future.
The stock market is 90% speculation and 10% research — BuySharesIn.com
Apple, which is represented by the stick ticker “AAPL”, has been listed on the stock exchange for some time, and it has experienced a number of highs and lows in that time. In the 80s, its success was entirely dependent on the release of its next gadget or computer. The same could be said for the modern day, but the difference is that Apple have a larger portfolio and a stronger presence in the market. These days their price still fluctuates with each successive release, but they are certainly not at risk of losing it all due to a single failed product.
The thing that has affected them the most since their meteoric rise was the death of their visionary leader, Steve Jobs. Jobs was the man who took this computer to the top, the one who helped to create their very first computers and the one responsible for many of their greatest creations. When you have such a revered figurehead leading your company, it just takes one appearance, one strong speech or one statement to give your shares a boost. But on the flip side, if there is an illness, an absence or, in this case, a death, then things can go wrong pretty quickly.
Such was the case when Steve Jobs died in October 2011. He had been suffering from an long-term illness at the time, so it wasn’t completely unexpected. However, it was enough to send the Apple share price into a free-fall.
How to Buy Shares in Apple
If you want to buy shares in Apple, you need to access the stock markets in the United States. The Apple stock ticker (a symbol given to all publicly listed companies) is “AAPL” and it is listed on the NASDAQ under the name “Apple Inc.”.
If you want to buy shares in Apple, then you’ll need to cough up around $100 per share, depending on the AAPL share price at the time. That’s a lot of money for some, and it pretty much rules small-time investors out of the equation.
How Much to Buy Apple Stock?
If you’re having doubts that buying shares in Apple is a good idea, then consider this. If you were to buy Apple shares in 2002, spending just $100, then you would now have around $5,000 to $6,000. The minimum investment tends to be closer to $5,000. And if you use the same hypothetical purchase, (buying Apple shares in 2002 and selling today) that return would be $250,000! And that’s before we even factor in the profits made from dividends.
What is Apple? (AAPL News / AAPL History)
Let’s be honest, this is a fairly redundant question in this day and age. If you’re genuinely wondering what Apple is, then congratulations on successfully crawling out from under your rock and welcome to 2017.
But we have to follow a format here, and if that means answering this question earnestly, then God damn that’s what we’re going to do.
Apple is a multinational technology company that was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne (also known as “the other one” and “you know, the third one”). They created cutting-edge computer systems and other tech, but as innovative as the early years were for Apple, they weren’t very profitable. They struggled to find room for their products in the commercial marketplace, and they neared bankruptcy and complete annihilation on more than one occasion.
Jobs was always seen as a visionary and that remains to be the case even years after his death. But he wasn’t the best businessman, certainly not in those early days. That changed though. A rediscovered business nous combined with the launch of the iPod, the iPhone and then the iPad, catapulted Apple in the tech stratosphere.
These days Apple are one of the biggest companies in the world, with a turnover that many developed nations are envious of. A lot of that is down to their mobile devices, but tech and gadgets lovers all over the world queue to buy whatever products they release. As a result, Apple are in the enviable position of essentially guaranteeing success with each successive release. At least for the time being.
How Much is Apple Worth?
When we said that Apple’s wealth is higher than many developed nations, we weren’t kidding. We might have exaggerated a teeny tiny bit, but still, these are some impressive figures, and ones that are deserved of a little exaggeration.
A couple of year’s ago, in 2015, Apple’s revenue was over $215 billion. An astonishing figure, I’m sure you’ll agree. But this was actually down on the previous year and that year was far from their best. In other words, they have an unfathomable amount of money, which gives them buying power that is just unprecedented in this industry.
So, before you head off you buy shares in Apple, take into consideration that your money is a drop in a vast ocean. In fact, Apple’s revenue is higher than the GDP of countries like Vietnam, Portugal, Greece and New Zealand. And if that sounds impressive, then the fact that it is twice the size of oil-rich Kuwait and four times the size of banking-rich Luxembourg will blow your mind.
To bring it down a peg though, it’s roughly a quarter of the GDP of Mexico and nearly 100 times less than the United States. So, contrary to what your aunt’s shared Facebook posts may tell you, Apple is not richer than the USA (although when you factor in the debt of the former and the absence of debt for the latter, who knows).
Current Apple Stock Price Per Share
As bluechip stock, Apple remains relatively stable day to day. As discussed already, there have been some big changes in its price over the years and there may be more in the future. However, if you’re looking for an instant profit and a volatile stock, this is not it.
What Does Apple Own?
Apple’s revenue may not have experienced a year-on-year increase, but its assets do. That’s because Apple are always investing, they are always acquiring, and as a result, their brand just gets bigger. That’s a great incentive if you’re looking to buy shares in Apple, although it’s a little concerning for anyone worried about the rise of multinationals and private armies. But don’t dig out your tin-foil hat just yet, because unlike Google’s alarming investments, most of Apple’s money ends up in consumer tech.
Apple Stock Price History
It will come as no surprise to learn that Apple stock has increased with each new innovation and that it decreased after the death of Steve Jobs (as mentioned above). But what are the best and worst weeks for Apple shares?
Well, their biggest drop to date occurred not after the death of Steve Jobs, but a good 11 years prior in September, 2000. This was when the stock market crashed (or when the dot-com bubble burst, to be more specific), and when companies like Amazon, eBay, Cisco and other tech giants also suffered immensely. In fact, just the fact that they survived was a miracle in itself, because they weren’t as big back then as they are now. And this was a crash that killed off many larger tech firms.
AAPL shares had one of their best weeks ever in 1997, when they rose by a third in a single 5-day period. This is long-before the iPad and the iPhone. In fact, back then Apple’s stock price was very low, which means it didn’t take much for them to get such a big percentage increase. In 1997, Apple were on their knees, but they received a cash injection (from rival company Microsoft no less) that saved the company. This year they actually received a substantial boost, gaining, fifths, quarters and thirds on their total price over several 1 week periods.
Best Stock Price for Apple
The AAPL stock price is quoted above. This is the best price and the price you should get when buying AAPL shares. However, you also have to factor in commissions. Simply put, you can’t buy shares for the exact price listed as someone needs to earn a cut somewhere along the line.
But if you make sure you use a reputable dealer then you will be okay in this department and won’t pay over the odds when buying shares in Apple.
Latest Apple Stock Price News
Checkout our page on the Latest Apple Stock Price News to learn about the latest developments. Staying on top of this news can help you when it comes to determining the best time to buy Apple stock, and may also help you to decide if it’s with buying Apple stock at all.