Stock Market Today, Feb. 17: Apple Rebounds as AI Strategy Heads Into High-Profile March Event
The company’s trading volume reached 57.9 million shares, which is nearly 19% above compared with its three-month average of 48.8 million shares. Apple went public in 1980 and has grown 205494% since its IPO.
How the markets moved today
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) added 0.10% to finish at 6,843, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) also rose 0.14% to close at 22,578. Among technology hardware and consumer electronics peers, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) closed at $396.86, down 0.60%, while Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) finished at $302.82, down 1.05%.
What this means for investors
Apple shares rose Tuesday after Wedbush reiterated its Outperform rating and $350 price target, calling the recent decline as excessive and reaffirming its 2026 AI monetization outlook. The rebound followed an 8% drop, as investors weighed short-term execution risks against long-term AI potential. Recent scrutiny has focused on delays in Siri upgrades and broader AI feature rollouts, which have affected sentiment and prompted comparisons with its faster-moving competitors.
Attention now shifts to Apple’s March 4 product event, where updates to Siri, wearables, and on-device AI may clarify the company’s competitive position. Apple’s recent partnership with Gemini also aims to strengthen its efforts to embed AI more deeply across its hardware and services ecosystem. Investors will now watch the upcoming product event for clearer indications of how quickly these investments lead to unique features and sustained demand.
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Eric Trie has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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