The Dow Jones industrial average is up 21.98% this year to a near-record level of 28,455.09. It could not be that high if one of its 30 components, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), was not up by 77.15% to $279.44. No stock in the Dow has gained nearly as much. Microsoft is in second place with a 54.98% gain to $157.41. The two tech giants were founded a year apart in 1975 and 1976.

The company’s most recent earnings statement left a lasting, positive impression with investors. Apple posted earnings of $3.05 per share, up from $2.94 last year. Forecasts for the upcoming holiday quarter were strong. The iPhone 11 was only available for part of last quarter, so its sales results should improve in the current one. Sales also have improved in China, which is the world’s largest wireless market. Some experts believe that Apple TV+ will do well in the streaming wars as it adds new, original content. The new U.S. trade deal with China means that Apple will not have to pay more for certain components in its products. The levies could have added $150 to some of its computers and smartphones. There are rumors that Apple will release as many as six models of the iPhone 12, some of which will work with new, superfast 5G networks.

Apple’s stock increase has ridden the back of two developments for most of the year. The new iPhone 11 has done better than expected, although the numbers are speculation by experts and not data provided by Apple. The other is that Apple’s bet on services as an alternative to flagging hardware sales has produced unexpected robust results. Its services business numbers crushed expectations for the latest quarter. Its revenue set a record at $12.5 billion, against Apple’s total company revenue of $63 billion. Services as a percentage of total revenue are expected to continue to rise.

The release of the iPhone 11 in September was the tonic that the stock needed. Shares sold down sharply in mid-summer after Apple announced its earnings. The mainstay of revenue had continued to weaken as the iPhone X series did poorly, particularly in China. The trade war also dragged on the stock, as anxiety about Apple supply chain interruptions grew. Apple sources many parts of the iPhone from companies in China. iPhone 11 sales were enough to alleviate any worry along these lines.

The launch of Apple TV+ is critical to the new strategy. Apple already has a huge music store. Its app store is by far the largest in the industry. By some estimates, more than 130 billion apps have been downloaded since the store began. Many experts believe that app sales cannot continue to grow at rates they have over the past decade. So video streaming becomes an essential part of the expansion of this multimedia business.

All this means that Apple’s bet on TV is absolutely critical. At $4.99 for the first month, after a seven-day free trial, the service is aggressively priced compared to industry leaders Amazon and Netflix, which have price points of $12.99 a month. Apple’s management has gambled that, although its library of content is limited compared to the leaders, the low price, the Apple brand and the hundreds of millions of iPhones, iPads and Macs in the world are a huge base to which it can market its streaming service. A JPMorgan analyst recently predicted that Apple TV+ and Apple’s ad business would add $25 billion in revenue in 2025.

Confidence has grown that Apple’s new iPhone 11 and services strategy is the right formula. Its market cap is back above a trillion, up to nearly $1.2 trillion, and it recently was named the most valuable brand in the world again.

Get Our Free Investment Newsletter

I have read, and agree to the Terms of Use

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.