Cupertino, California-based Apple Inc. (AAPL) designs, manufactures, sells and provides smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and other related services. With a market cap of $3.5 trillion, Apple’s operations span various countries across the Americas, Indo-Pacific, and EMEA.

The tech sector giant is expected to announce its first-quarter results after the market closes on Thursday, Jan. 30. Ahead of the event, analysts expect Apple to report a non-GAAP profit of $2.36 per share, up 8.3% from $2.18 per share reported in the year-ago quarter. The company has surpassed Wall Street’s bottom-line projections in each of the past four quarters. Its adjusted EPS for the last reported quarter increased 12.3% year-over-year to $1.64, exceeding analysts’ estimates by 10.1%.

For fiscal 2025, Apple is expected to deliver an adjusted EPS of $7.43, up 10.1% from $6.75 in fiscal 2024. While in fiscal 2026, its earnings are expected to surge 12.8% year-over-year to $8.38 per share.

AAPL stock has soared 25.5% over the past 52 weeks, outpacing the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 22.1% gains and the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLK) 18.5% surge during the same time frame.

Apple’s stock prices dropped 1.3% in the trading session after the release of its mixed Q4 results on Oct. 31. While the company reported a 6.1% year-over-year growth in overall net sales to $94.9 billion which surpassed analysts’ topline estimates, its service revenues of $24.9 billion fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. Meanwhile, iPhone sales surpassed estimates, but Mac, iPad, and other product sales fell short of Street expectations.

On a more positive note, Apple’s operating margin for the quarter expanded 105 basis points compared to the year-ago quarter to 46.2%, translating into a 6.8% growth in gross profit to $180.7 billion. Furthermore, the company’s operating cash flows for fiscal 2024 increased nearly 7% year-over-year to $118.3 billion, which helped Apple return over $94.9 billion to shareholders through share buybacks during the year.

The consensus opinion on AAPL stock is moderately bullish, with an overall “Moderate Buy” rating. Out of the 35 analysts covering the stock, 18 recommend “Strong Buy,” four advise “Moderate Buy,” 10 suggest “Hold,” and three advocate a “Strong Sell” rating. Its mean price target of $243.22 indicates a modest 4.3% upside potential from current price levels.