Shares of Apple Inc. have risen steadily over the past 12 months, outperforming the broader market, after the tech giant once again proved the resilience of its business in the face of regulatory scrutiny, tariff restrictions, and an antitrust lawsuit in the US.

Apple shares gained approximately 51% over the past year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index, which rose by 25% over the same period.

An impressive free cash flow of $129.17 billion over the trailing 12 months allowed Apple to allocate massive funds toward shareholder returns, raising its dividend payouts by nearly 90% over the past decade. Furthermore, management approved an additional share buyback program of up to $100 billion, offsetting a modest current forward dividend yield of 0.4%.

Apple successfully overcame market doubts regarding its participation in the AI race through the systematic integration of Apple Intelligence into its products. High demand for the iPhone 17 lineup, which features the advanced Siri AI virtual assistant, strengthened the brand’s ecosystem of more than 2 billion active devices, while rumors of an upcoming foldable iPhone Fold release create a powerful medium-term driver for further revenue growth.