Nasdaq AAPL Apple

Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ) has enjoyed profound success with its push into the realm of fintech, and its move into the space may be far from over. Despite the potential, Goldman Sachs ( NYSE:GS ) is ready to step back from its consumer ambitions, perhaps moving responsibilities (which include the Apple Card) over to American Express ( NYSE:AXP ), at least according to a Wall Street Journal report. Indeed, any Apple Card shift from Goldman Sachs is not an Apple problem; it's more to do with Goldman, which has had mixed results with its consumer push. Undoubtedly, Goldman Sachs is an investment banking behemoth, so moving into the consumer business was a step outside of its circle of competence. Regardless, if American Express picks up where Goldman Sachs left off, I do think the Amex-Apple partnership is one that could yield a lot of fruit for investors of both companies. Deal or not, though, I stand bullish on AXP and AAPL at this juncture. American Express Would be Wise to Take Over for Goldman American Express and Apple seem like a match made in heaven. First, both companies tend to cater to the very high end of their industries. Apple has its best-in-class smartphones that tend to lean towards the luxury side of the smartphone market. Meanwhile, American Express caters to affluent clientele with its pricy but perk-rich credit cards. Though Goldman Sachs caters to the very wealthy, as well, it's not exactly a consumer-facing brand. In any case, an Amex-Apple deal is uncertain at this juncture. However, if I were at Amex, it'd be a deal too sweet to pass up. Of course, there will be challenges, as Amex will also be stepping slightly outside of its circle of competence. Regardless, Apple brings a massive customer base that could help Amex gain some meaningful ground over its peers in the credit card scene. Who knows? The Apple Card may be the first of many offerings to come. I certainly would not be surprised if Amex lays the groundwork for Apple to offer the Apple Card Pro or something of the sort! For now, I wouldn't get my hopes up for an Amex-Apple deal, as a Wall Street Journal report isn't to be taken as gospel. However, the move does certainly make sense for Goldman and Amex. Goldman can return to its roots by stepping back from the consumer end, while Amex looks to double down on its ambitions and bring its robust brand with it. Where Will Apple's Financial Services Push Take It Next? Apple's services push has been a remarkable driver of value for shareholders over the past several years. Indeed, financial services is an area where Apple could expand further. Apple's savings account and its competitive interest rate is a deal too good to pass up for most. Looking farther ahead, Apple may be ready to go up toe-to-toe against the banks. With Amex aboard potentially, the firm may be able to expand Apple Pay Later to new countries and ramp up its disruption against other financial institutions. Is AXP Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? According to TipRanks’ analyst rating consensus, AXP stock comes in as a Hold. Out of 15 analyst ratings, there are six Buys, six Holds, and three Sell recommendations. The  average American Express stock price target is $176.00, implying upside potential of just 1%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $125.00 per share to a high of $205.00 per share. Is AAPL Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Moving onto AAPL, it has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 24 Buys and seven Hold recommendations. The  average Apple stock price target is $193.57, implying upside potential of 2%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $149.00 per share to a high of $240.00 per share. The Bottom Line on Apple and Amex An Apple-Amex deal would be a big win for both companies. Regardless, even if no dotted line gets inked anytime soon, I'd look for both companies to keep moving forward with their ambitions. Disclosure 

Launched in 2017, the JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF ( NYSEARCA:JQUA) is one of a growing number of "quality factor" ETFs offered by asset managers in recent years that look to invest in companies with strong fundamentals such as healthy balance sheets, strong profitability, and earnings growth. Let’s take a look at JQUA and see why it's worthy of investor consideration. What Does the JQUA ETF Do? JQUA is JPMorgan’s ( NYSE:JPM ) quality factor ETF with $1.7 billion in assets under management (AUM). JQUA tracks the JP Morgan US Quality Factor Index, and JPMorgan says it “utilizes a rules-based approach that matches Russell 1000 sector weights and selects stocks based on quality and profitability characteristics.” Its goal is to give its investors exposure to higher-quality stocks while reducing single-stock risks. It invests in large-cap and mid-cap stocks, and in keeping with its theme of "quality," it looks to identify stocks that show "profitability, quality of earnings, and solvency," according to the ETF's prospectus. One aspect of JQUA that is important for investors to note is that it will invest at least 80% of its funds in this underlying index but that it can invest up to 10% of its assets in exchange-traded futures contracts. The fund is managed by a seasoned team of four portfolio managers, who collectively boast 61 years of industry experience and 50 years at JPMorgan between them.  JQUA also pays a dividend and currently yields 1.3%.  JQUA features a Neutral ETF Smart Score of 7 out of 10. The  Smart Score is a proprietary quantitative stock scoring system created by TipRanks. It gives stocks a score from 1 to 10 based on eight market key factors. The score is data-driven and does not involve any human intervention. A Smart Score of 8 or higher is equivalent to an Outperform rating, while a Smart Score of 4 to 7 is considered Neutral, placing JQUA at the higher end of the Neutral range. JQUA's Well-Balanced Portfolio JQUA is very diversified. Not only does it sports 262 holdings, but its top 10 holdings make up under 20% of the fund, meaning that investors aren’t exposed to undue risk in a handful of large holdings. Below, you’ll find an overview of JQUA’s top 10 holdings using TipRank’s holdings tool. Based on JQUA’s investment criteria, it’s unsurprising to see that its top holdings are stocks that most investors would consider to be blue-chip names, such as mega-cap tech names like Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META ), Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ), Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ), Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) and Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ). However, the fund isn't limited to just technology names. The tech sector makes up 30.9% of the fund, which is its largest weighting, but it also has double-digit percentage weightings in the consumer discretionary sector, healthcare, and industrials. Global payment networks Visa ( NYSE:V ) and Mastercard ( NYSE:MA ) also appear in JQUA's top 10 holdings, as does Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway ( NYSE:BRK.B ) conglomerate. Eight of JQUA's top 10 holdings feature Smart Scores of 8 or above (equivalent to an Outperform rating). Is JQUA Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Turning to Wall Street, JQUA has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, as 59.51% of analyst ratings are Buys, 34.91% are Holds, and 5.58% are Sells. At $48.13, the average JQUA stock price target implies 7.8% upside potential. Long-Term Performance JQUA launched in 2017, so while it hasn’t been around for long enough to measure its performance over the course of a decade or more, we can begin to ascertain its long-term track record. As of the end of June, JQUAL had a one-year return of 20.8%. Over a three-year time horizon, it posted an impressive annualized total return of 15%. Lastly, over the past five years, its total annualized return is a solid 12.7%.  JQUA vs. The Market JQUA’s returns have been solid, but you always want to track an ETF’s performance against the broader market to get a true gauge of how it is performing. Many ETFs fail to beat the market over time. Using the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ( NYSEARCA:VOO) as a proxy for the S&P 500 ( SPX ), we can measure JQUA’s performance against that of the broader market. As of the end of June, VOO had a total return of 19.5% over the past year and annualized total returns of 14.6% and 12.3% over the past three and five years, respectively. Therefore, JQUA has beaten the broader market over each of these three time frames, albeit by a relatively narrow margin.  Separately, as JQUA focuses on companies with strong balance sheets and healthy profitability, it is worth checking out how it performed during a down market, as these are defensive qualities. In 2022, which was a difficult year for the market, JQUA lost 13.5%, which may not sound great, but it was better than the S&P 500's loss of 18.2%, and it held up far better than the Nasdaq ( NDX ) -- for example, the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF ( NASDAQ:QQQ) struggled to a loss of 32.6% last year. Below, you can take a look at a comparison of JQUA versus VOO using TipRanks' ETF Comparison Tool, which enables investors to compare up to 20 ETFs at a time based on a wide array of customizable criteria. JQUA Has a Reasonable Expense Ratio This ETF features a relatively reasonable expense ratio of 0.12%. With this fee structure in place, a JQUA investor putting $10,000 into the ETF would pay $154 over the course of 10 years, assuming the fee remains constant and that the fund returns 5% per year.  Investor Takeaway There isn't really anything spectacular or novel about JQUA or its strategy of focusing on companies with strong fundamentals, but its diversified portfolio of blue-chip holdings, moderate expense ratio, and market-beating performance (albeit by a slim margin) make it a worthy option for investor consideration. This isn't the type of ETF that you are buying with the expectation of it going parabolic or soaring to any type of massive short-term gains, as indicated by its Neutral ETF Smart Score and the modest upside potential from analyst ratings. Although that being said, this usually isn't a realistic expectation to begin with. However, it does look like a steady, reliable ETF that investors can view as a solid long-term holding based on the reasons discussed above. Disclosure

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is up 8.27 to 15,315.5. The total After hours volume is currently 88,696,037 shares traded.The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session: Apple Inc. (AAPL) is -0.05 at $189.72, with 4,244,610 shares traded. As reported

Shareholders of Apple Inc (Symbol: AAPL) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 0.5% annualized dividend yield can sell the December 2025 covered call at the $250 strike and collect the premium based on the $13.55 bid, which annualizes to an additional 2.9% rate of re

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The Speculative Juices are Flowing

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares sold off earlier this year on fear that AI was going to threaten the company's search business. But that threat seems to have subsided and Travis Hoium thinks this will be a great long-term buy for investors.

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Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) seems to be continuing its car efforts, recently moving them to Arizona. But the data on Apple's autonomous vehicle efforts aren't promising, which Travis Hoium highlights in this video.

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The Schwab Fundamental U.S. Broad Market Index ETF (FNDB) made its debut on 08/13/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Value category of the market.

If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 11/03/2009.

A "special rebalance" of the Nasdaq 100 index will take place later this month as exchange operator Nasdaq looks to reduce the concentration of heavyweight companies that account for nearly half of the index's weight.

Apple’s ( NASDAQ:AAPL ) revenue has declined for two consecutive quarters, as macro pressures continue to weigh on consumer spending on discretionary items. Nonetheless, AAPL shares have rallied about 55% so far this year amid optimism around generative artificial intelligence (AI) and confidence in the tech giant’s ability to continue to grow in the long term. While most Wall Street analysts remain bullish on Apple, the upside in the stock could be limited in the near term due to ongoing macro pressures.   Analysts Stay Bullish on AAPL Stock Apple’s overall revenue declined 3% year-over-year to about $95 billion in the fiscal second quarter (ended April 1, 2023), following a 5% fall in the prior quarter. High inflation and macro pressures have impacted consumers’ wallets, with discretionary spending taking a backseat. Apple expects its June quarter revenue decline rate to be similar to the March quarter. Despite the ongoing challenges, Apple’s iPhone business and its Services segment remain resilient. It is worth noting that iPhone revenue increased 1.5% during Q2 FY23, even as the broader smartphone industry sales plunged as per IDC estimates. Revenue from the company’s higher-margin Services business increased 5.5% in Q2 FY23. On Tuesday, KeyBanc analyst Brandon Nispel increased his price target for Apple stock to $200 from $180 and reiterated a Buy rating on the stock. While the analyst’s long-term view is bullish, he told investors that he is neutral on the stock in the near term due to his below-consensus hardware revenue estimates for Q3 FY23. The analyst explained that the excitement around Apple’s new product launches and investors' preference for safer bets “is resulting in an elevated multiple” for the stock.   Last week, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan noted that as per SensorTower data, App Store revenues in Q3 FY23 increased 5.9% year-over-year to $6.6 billion, with total downloads on iPhone and iPad increasing 4.3%. Also, App Store dollars per download grew 1.5% in the fiscal third quarter. Overall Mohan highlighted that App Store trends improved marginally in the June quarter from the March quarter. However, Mohan continues to have a Hold rating on the stock with a price target of $190 based on risk-reward balance, as positive catalysts related to new product launches ( AR/VR headset) and stable iPhone sales are offset by a potentially weaker consumer spending backdrop in the second half of the year. Is Apple a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Wall Street’s Strong Buy consensus rating on AAPL is based on 24 Buys and seven Holds. The average price target of $193.57 implies only 3% upside potential.   Investors looking for AAPL’s most accurate and profitable analyst could follow  TD Cowen analyst Krish Sankar. Copying the analyst’s trades on this stock and holding each position for one year could result in 96% of your transactions generating a profit, with an average return of 52.4% per trade. Conclusion While most Wall Street analysts remain bullish on Apple due to its long-term growth potential backed by production innovation, brand value, and high-margin Services business, the average price target indicates limited upside due to the impact of macro pressures on the tech giant’s business.   Disclosure

China's Huawei Technologies is plotting a return to the 5G smartphone industry by the end of this year, according to research firms, signalling a comeback after a U.S. ban on equipment sales decimated its consumer electronics business.

In 2023, growth stocks, primarily led by a revitalized tech sector excited by the promise of AI advancements, have been the market frontrunners. This surge is, in part, due to easing inflation concerns that previously plagued growth stocks last year. Against this bullish backdrop, two of the market’s top growth ETFs have raced out to impressive year-to-date gains just over halfway through 2023 -- the Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF ( NYSEARCA:SCHG) has returned 35.1% so far in 2023, while the Vanguard Growth ETF ( NYSEARCA:VUG) has returned a slightly lower 32.8%. So, which of these two popular blue chip growth ETFs is the better buy now?  Which Stocks Do These ETFs Hold? SCHG is an ETF from Charles Schwab with $19.2 billion in assets under management (AUM) that invests in the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index. VUG is a much larger ETF from Vanguard with $92.1 billion in AUM that invests in an index that tracks the returns of large-cap growth stocks. Both ETFs feature strong collections of top growth stocks. VUG owns 240 stocks, and its top 10 holdings make up about half of the fund. Below, you’ll find an overview of VUG’s top 10 holdings using TipRanks’ holdings tool. Meanwhile, SCHG has a similar portfolio construction, holding 242 stocks, and its top 10 holdings make up a slightly higher 55.6% of the fund. Check out SCHG’s top 10 holdings below. As you can see, there is plenty of overlap between the top holdings of the two funds. Both heavily feature the mega-cap technology stocks that have done much of the heavy lifting to propel the market higher all year. Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ), Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ), Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ), and Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ) are the top four holdings for both funds, and they share eight of the same top 10 holdings.  The top holdings of both funds also feature strong Smart Scores. Nine of VUG’s top 10 holdings feature Smart Scores of 8 or better, while eight of SCHG’s do. The Smart Score is a proprietary quantitative stock scoring system created by TipRanks. It gives stocks a score from 1 to 10 based on eight market key factors. A Smart Score of 8 or higher is equivalent to an Outperform rating. VUG and SCHG both feature ETF Smart Scores of 8 out of 10. Both VUG and SCHG are dividend payers, although they don't sport the types of yields that will draw in income investors. VUG currently yields 0.6%, while SCHG yields a slightly lower 0.45%. Is VUG Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Turning to Wall Street, VUG has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, as 66.84% of analyst ratings are Buys, 29.84% are Holds, and 3.32% are Sells. At $302.69, the average VUG stock price target implies 7.5% upside potential. Is SCHG Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Looking at SCHG, it has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, as 68.05% of analyst ratings are Buys, 28.38% are Holds, and 3.57% are Sells. At $80.35, the average SCHG stock price target implies 7.75% upside potential. Investor-Friendly Fees One area where these two ETFs really stand out is in terms of their fees. Both SCHG and VUG feature very attractive expense ratios. In fact, they both charge just 0.04% in fees. This is among the most advantageous fees you will find in the market today. An investor allocating $10,000 towards SCHG or VUG would pay just a barely-noticeable $4 in fees in year one. Assuming a return of 5% a year over the next decade and that the current expense ratios remain constant, this same investor would pay only $51 in fees over 10 years. Long-Term Performance Comparison In addition to their low costs, these ETFs also stand out because of the impressive performances that they have put up over the long term.  As of June’s close, VUG had an impressive one-year total return of 28% and a three-year annualized total return of 12.6%. Over the past five years, it posted an excellent 14.5% annualized total return, and over the past decade, it posted an even better 14.9% annualized total return. Moving onto SCHG, as of the end of June as well, it had a one-year total return of 30%. Further, it posted a three-year annualized total return of 14.4%, a five-year annualized total return of 15.4%, and a stellar 10-year annualized return of 15.7%. So, as good as VUG has been, as you can see, SCHG managed to outperform it over each of these time frames.   Long-time investors know that it’s very difficult to beat the market over the long run. Using the popular Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ( NYSEARCA:VOO) as a proxy for the S&P 500 ( SPX ), both SCHG and VUG have beaten VOO's one-year total return of 19.5%. Meanwhile, its three-year annualized return of 14.6% is better than VUG’s but trails that of SCHG. Further, both VUG and SCHG beat VOO’s five-year annualized total return of 12.3%, and both trump its 10-year annualized total return of 12.8% as well. Therefore, while SCHG has outperformed VUG over time, both of these ETFs are pretty good investment vehicles in that they have been beating the broader market over the long run.  Below, you’ll find a comparison of VUG and SCHG based on performance, fees, and a variety of other criteria, with VOO added in for good measure, using TipRanks’ ETF Comparison Tool, which enables investors to compare up to 20 ETFs at once.  Investor Takeaway These are both low-fee, investor-friendly ETFs with great portfolios and great long-term performances to match. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, SCHG has beaten VUG over each of the time frames discussed above, making it the top choice between the two, but both look like great ETFs as they have both beaten the broader market over the course of the past decade. I believe these are ETFs that investors can view as core long-term holdings that they can build their portfolios around. With growth stocks surging so far in 2023, investors can consider starting positions in these ETFs and then dollar-cost averaging into them over time during periods of market weakness. Disclosure  

On July 11, 2023 at 15:24:24 ET an unusually large $1,763.28K block of Call contracts in Apple (AAPL) was bought, with a strike price of $190.00 / share, expiring in 556 day(s) (on January 17, 2025). Fintel tracks all large options trades, and the premium spent on this trade was