Today, Jan. 8, 2026, investors are rethinking Apple’s AI roadmap and ecosystem strength as Alphabet pulls ahead in AI race.
Today’s Change
Current Price
Leading tech giant, Apple (AAPL 0.42%), closed Thursday’s session at $259.04, down 0.42%. Trading volume reached 50.2 million shares, coming in roughly 10% above its three-month average of 45.6 million shares.
Investors weighed reports that Alphabet’s (GOOGL +1.04%) stronger AI monetization has pushed its valuation ahead of Apple. Thursday’s trading also reflected a reassessment of Apple’s evolving AI roadmap. Apple IPO’d in 1980 and has grown over 200,000% since going public.
How the markets moved today
The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.01%) finished flat at 6,921, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.44%) slipped 0.44% to 23,480. Within Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals, peers Dell Technologies (DELL 1.31%) fell slightly and HP (HPQ +1.42%) gained, as investors compared Apple’s offering against new PC launches and gaming-focused products.
What this means for investors
Alphabet has overtaken Apple by market capitalization, pushing the popular brand to third place in the most-valuable companies list. Apple shares are down almost 7% in the past month, as investors question how its AI capabilities stack up against other tech leaders.
In contrast, Alphabet has taken a leading role in the AI race with positive reaction to its Gemini 3 model at the end of last year. The company has gained almost 4% in the past month and 87% in the past six months.
Investors will be watching carefully to see whether Apple Intelligence can gain traction this year and how it navigates a shake up in its management team.
Emma Newbery has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and HP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
