Apple Inc. (AAPL) Monthly Performance Report — April 2026
Trailing returns, drawdown, relative strength and statistical review of AAPL stock for April 2026.
Last Close
$271.06
1-Month Return
+7.30%
YTD Return
−0.20%
12-Month Return
+33.06%
3-Year Return
+64.04%
Drawdown from 52W High
−5.20%
01April 2026 in Review
Apple Inc. ended April 2026 at $271.06, posting a monthly gain of 7.30% after a softer start to the year. The S&P 500 returned approximately 8.70% over the same period, meaning Apple lagged its primary benchmark by roughly 1.4 percentage points despite an absolute gain.
The month's recovery follows a tougher first quarter, where AAPL dropped 6.6% in Q1 2026 against a backdrop of broader market volatility. The April rebound has lifted the stock back into a constructive technical position, with the share price now sitting 6.87% above its 200-day moving average of $253.64 — a configuration that historically signals continued momentum.
On a year-to-date basis, however, the picture is less flattering. AAPL is down 0.20% YTD while the S&P 500 has gained 4.70%, leaving the stock with a YTD performance gap of nearly five percentage points relative to the index.
02Trailing Returns
The table below summarizes AAPL's price performance across standard time horizons, alongside the S&P 500 (SPY) benchmark and the implied excess return.
| Period | AAPL | S&P 500 (SPY) | Excess Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day | −0.87% | +0.77% | −1.64% |
| 1 Week | +0.31% | +0.54% | −0.23% |
| 1 Month | +7.30% | +8.70% | −1.40% |
| 3 Months | +9.38% | +3.59% | +5.79% |
| 6 Months | +5.08% | +7.23% | −2.15% |
| YTD | −0.20% | +4.70% | −4.90% |
| 12 Months | +33.06% | +34.50% | −1.44% |
| 3 Years | +64.04% | +78.65% | −14.61% |
Across the trailing horizons shown, AAPL has generally lagged the S&P 500, with the most pronounced underperformance over the 3-year period. The lone bright spot is the trailing 3-month window, where Apple's recovery from Q1 weakness produced a 5.79 percentage point lead over the benchmark.
03Monthly Return Statistics (Last 3 Years)
The following statistics are derived from 39 monthly observations covering the trailing three years.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Monthly Return | +1.84% |
| Median Monthly Return | +1.91% |
| Standard Deviation | 5.89% |
| Annualized Volatility | 20.41% |
| CAGR (3-Year) | +27.12% |
| Sharpe Ratio (rf=0) | 1.33 |
| Win Rate | Count |
|---|---|
| Positive Months | 24 |
| Negative Months | 15 |
| Total Months | 39 |
| Win Rate | 61.5% |
| Best Month | +13.02% |
| Worst Month | −8.86% |
Apple has produced positive monthly returns in 24 of the past 39 months (61.5%), with an average gain of 1.84% per month. Realized annualized volatility of 20.4% is roughly in line with the broader large-cap technology sector. The implied 3-year CAGR of 27.12% reflects both the favorable starting point of January 2023 and the strength of the 2023–2024 rally; trailing returns from more recent reference dates are materially lower.
04Best and Worst Months
| Rank | Best Month | Return |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | May 2024 | +13.02% |
| #2 | Aug 2025 | +11.96% |
| #3 | Mar 2023 | +11.87% |
| #4 | Nov 2023 | +11.38% |
| #5 | Sep 2025 | +9.69% |
| Rank | Worst Month | Return |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Sep 2023 | −8.86% |
| #2 | Mar 2025 | −8.15% |
| #3 | Jan 2025 | −5.76% |
| #4 | May 2025 | −5.36% |
| #5 | Mar 2024 | −5.13% |
The strongest monthly performance came in May 2024 (+13.02%), driven by post-earnings optimism around Apple's AI roadmap. The worst month was September 2023 (−8.86%), during a broad-market selloff in growth and technology names. Three of the five worst months occurred in 2025, reflecting the difficult environment for mega-cap technology earlier in that year.
05Quarterly and Annual Performance
Last Six Quarters
| Quarter | Return |
|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | −11.20% |
| Q2 2025 | −7.51% |
| Q3 2025 | +24.25% |
| Q4 2025 | +6.87% |
| Q1 2026 | −6.56% |
| Q2 2026 (QTD) | +6.80% |
Calendar Year Returns
| Year | Return |
|---|---|
| 2023 | +54.79% |
| 2024 | +30.71% |
| 2025 | +9.05% |
| 2026 YTD | −0.20% |
The pattern of declining annual returns from 2023 (+54.8%) through the 2026 YTD reading (−0.2%) reflects a broader cooling in mega-cap technology performance. Quarterly volatility has increased — the spread between Q3 2025's +24.25% and Q2 2025's −7.51% is the widest two-quarter swing in the observation window.
06Drawdown and Technical Position
The 52-week trading range for AAPL spans $194.68 to $285.92, with the current price of $271.06 sitting 5.20% below the 52-week high reached in December 2025. Position within the range is approximately 83.7% — meaning AAPL is in the upper portion of its yearly trading band.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 52-Week High | $285.92 (Dec 2, 2025) |
| 52-Week Low | $194.68 (May 23, 2025) |
| Current Price | $271.06 |
| 200-Day Moving Average | $253.64 |
| Price vs 200DMA | +6.87% |
| 3-Year Maximum Drawdown | −33.36% (Apr 8, 2025) |
| Current Drawdown from 52W High | −5.20% |
Apple's worst three-year drawdown of −33.36% on April 8, 2025 followed the broad sell-off in mega-cap technology that occurred during early 2025. Recovery has been steady, with the current drawdown of just 5.2% from the cycle high suggesting the stock has substantially repaired the 2025 damage. Position above the 200-day moving average is a constructive medium-term technical configuration.
07Relative Strength vs S&P 500
Relative Strength (RS) measures whether AAPL has outperformed or lagged the S&P 500 over time. The line is rebased to 100 at the start of the observation window — values above 100 indicate cumulative outperformance, values below indicate cumulative underperformance.
| RS Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| RS Index (3-year, rebased to 100) | 112.9 |
| 3-Year Excess Return vs S&P 500 | +12.90% |
| RS Peak | 132.6 (June 2023) |
| RS Trough | 96.1 (August 2025) |
| Status | Outperforming Benchmark |
Apple's cumulative outperformance of the S&P 500 reached its peak at 132.6 in June 2023, when the stock's AI-driven rally was at its strongest. The trough of 96.1 in August 2025 marked a period when AAPL had given back its lead and was briefly trailing the index on a 3-year basis. The recovery to 112.9 reflects renewed outperformance in late 2025, though the stock is still well below its 2023 peak relative position.
It's worth noting that against the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ), the picture is meaningfully different. AAPL has actually underperformed QQQ by approximately 13.83% over the same three-year window, reflecting the strength of other mega-cap technology names that comprise the Nasdaq-100 index.
08Monthly Seasonality
The following heatmap shows AAPL's monthly returns by calendar month and year. Green cells indicate positive months, red indicates negative months, with shading proportional to magnitude.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | -2.3% | +11.9% | +2.9% | +4.6% | +9.4% | -1.3% | -4.4% | -8.9% | -0.7% | +11.4% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | -4.9% | -2% | -5.1% | -0.7% | +13% | +9.6% | +0.7% | +2.1% | +1.5% | -1.5% | +7.6% | +5.5% |
| 2025 | -5.8% | -1% | -8.1% | -1.5% | -5.4% | +8% | +5.7% | +12% | +9.7% | +5.1% | -1.2% | +8.4% |
| 2026 | -1.6% | -2.4% | +3% | +7.3% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3Y Avg | -4.1% | -1.8% | +0.4% | +1.7% | +4.1% | +9% | +1.7% | +3.2% | +0.8% | +1% | +5.9% | +4.4% |
The strongest seasonal periods historically have been June (+9.0% average), November (+5.9%), and December (+4.4%). The weakest tend to be January (−4.1%) and February (−1.8%), suggesting Apple has historically struggled in the early weeks of each calendar year. This pattern is consistent with broader large-cap technology seasonality.
09Investment Attractiveness Scorecard
Odin500's proprietary scorecard rates each Dow component on four dimensions, on a 0–25 scale per pillar, with a maximum total of 100.
Apple ranks #8 of 30 Dow components in the April 2026 scorecard, classified as Tier 2 — Buy. Strongest pillars are Momentum (19/25) and Growth (17/25), while Valuation and Dividend are middle-of-pack relative to the Dow universe.
10Frequently Asked Questions
What was Apple's (AAPL) stock return in April 2026?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) gained 7.30% in April 2026, closing the month at $271.06. This compared with a 8.70% gain for the S&P 500 (SPY) over the same period.
Has AAPL outperformed the S&P 500 in 2026 year-to-date?
No. As of April 24, 2026, AAPL is down 0.20% year-to-date, while the S&P 500 (SPY) has gained 4.70%. Apple has underperformed the benchmark by approximately 4.90 percentage points YTD.
What is AAPL's 12-month return?
AAPL has returned 33.06% over the trailing 12 months, slightly underperforming the S&P 500 which returned 34.50% over the same period.
Is Apple stock above or below its 200-day moving average?
AAPL is trading 6.87% above its 200-day moving average of $253.64, signaling an uptrend in the stock's medium-term technical position.
What was AAPL's worst drawdown in the past 3 years?
AAPL's worst drawdown over the past three years was −33.36%, which occurred on April 8, 2025. The stock has since recovered most of those losses and is currently 5.20% below its 52-week high.
How many positive months has AAPL had in the last 3 years?
Out of 39 monthly observations in the last three years, AAPL has posted positive returns in 24 months and negative returns in 15 months — a win rate of 61.5%.