Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is emerging as the clear laggard among the Magnificent 7 as retail investors rotate aggressively into other mega-cap technology names.
While individual investors have been steadily increasing exposure to artificial intelligence and growth-driven stocks, Apple has experienced a sustained and notable capital exit that sets it apart from its peers, according to data from J.P. Morgan Equity Strategy and Quantitative Research.
Since July 2025, retail investors have sold a net $4 billion of Apple shares, making it the only Magnificent 7 stock with cumulative outflows over the period.
Overall, retail selling in Apple has trended steadily lower from mid-2025 through January 2026, intensifying as market volatility increased, in sharp contrast to accumulation across the rest of the group.
On the other hand, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) sits at the opposite extreme, attracting more than $15 billion in retail inflows since July 2025, exceeding inflows into any other Magnificent 7 stock and even the combined total of the remaining six.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) followed with about $6 billion in net purchases, while Meta (NASDAQ: META) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) each saw roughly $3 billion. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) recorded around $2 billion apiece, all with gradual upward trends.
The divergence reflects a shift in retail preferences toward AI-linked and higher-beta growth stories, while Apple has fallen out of favor amid concerns over slower revenue growth, product maturity, and limited near-term AI monetization.
Whether this sustained retail selling signals further underperformance or a potential contrarian setup remains uncertain, as similar episodes have historically preceded both outcomes.
Apple share price analysis
Amid this exit, Apple shares hovered near $248 this week, edging lower as investors positioned ahead of the company’s fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings report due after market close on January 29. The stock traded in a narrow $244–$249 range as markets balanced mixed corporate guidance against broader macro pressures.
However, there remains general optimism around the stock, centered on expectations for strong iPhone demand, particularly the iPhone 17 lineup, and continued growth in high-margin Services revenue. Some forecasts point to roughly 82 million iPhones sold in the quarter, raising the odds of a revenue and EPS beat.
That said, analysts have flagged rising memory chip costs as a margin headwind, while trade tensions in China and India remain potential drags on growth.
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