Apple Stock Surges to $281 on Earnings Beat, Strong Guidance, $100B Buyback

Apple shares popped 3.6% to $281.09 after-hours on April 30 after Q2 revenue hit $111.18B (+17% YoY), EPS of $2.01 beat estimates, and June-quarter guidance crushed consensus at 14%-17% revenue growth with 47.5%-48.5% margins. This followed pre-earnings optimism on April 28, when shares traded at $267.61 amid a 24/7 Wall St. buy rating, $323 price target (21% upside), and robust Q1 results including $143.76B revenue (+15.7%) and record iPhone sales. Management sweetened the deal with a 4% dividend hike and $100B buyback authorization, fueling bullish momentum near the 52-week high of $288.61.