Investing.com — stock is up 2.3% in morning trading, reaching $317.21, after the company unveiled a major restructuring of its App Store terms for European developers that investors are interpreting as a meaningful de-escalation of its long-running regulatory battle on the continent.
Apple announced it would scrap the controversial per-install Core Technology Fee for developers who distribute apps outside its App Store, replacing it with a flat 5% commission on digital transactions — a far simpler and less punitive structure set to take effect on October 1, 2026. The move came following collaboration with the European Commission and is seen as bringing Apple into closer compliance with the Digital Markets Act, removing a cloud of legal and financial uncertainty that had weighed on the stock.
Adding to the positive tone, Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Apple to a Buy rating from Neutral on August 17, setting a price target of $400 and pointing to a bullish artificial intelligence scenario and potential upside from a foldable iPhone as key longer-term drivers. That upgrade, still fresh in the market’s memory, is providing an additional tailwind as investors reassess Apple’s growth outlook heading into its next earnings report, estimated for late October.
On the broader market front, the S&P 500 is modestly higher today at +0.2%, while the Dow Jones is up +0.5%, but the Nasdaq is slightly negative at -0.3% — making Apple’s 2.3% gain a notable outperformance of its own index. Apple had already distinguished itself among large-cap technology peers in the prior session, when it was the only Magnificent 7 stock to finish in positive territory while rivals faced pressure from concerns over AI infrastructure spending commitments.
The combination of a concrete regulatory resolution in Europe, fresh analyst conviction, and Apple’s relative resilience against a volatile tech backdrop has converged to fuel today’s advance, pushing shares well above their opening price of $310.15 and toward the session high of $317.50, though still comfortably below the 52-week peak of $344.57.
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