Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has surged 2,848% in the 15 years since co-founder Steve Jobs died, vastly outperforming the broader stock market, as noted by the Carson Group Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick.
Apple’s Fifteen-Year Market Outperformance
Speaking on episode 208 of the Facts Versus Feelings podcast, Detrick detailed the equity returns registered between Oct. 5, 2011—the date Jobs passed away—and Oct. 5, 2026. Over that timeframe, the benchmark S&P 500 advanced 775% including dividends, while Apple stock posted a 2,848% total return.
“Apple is up not 2x that, not 3x that, it’s up 2,848%,” Detrick said, characterizing the multi-decade rally as “incredible.”
Price Action Versus Total Return Calculation
Independent market price data tracks Apple’s nominal share price rising from $13.51 on Oct. 5, 2011, to $332.89 on Oct. 5, 2026. That nominal move represents an unadjusted price return of 2,364.02%.
However, factoring in corporate actions and historical adjustments, Apple’s split- and dividend-adjusted closing price stood at $11.31 on Oct. 5, 2011. Measuring the move from the adjusted $11.31 base to $332.89 yields an adjusted increase of 2,843.33%.
Detrick noted during the broadcast that his cited performance figures account for these cumulative reinvestments, stating that the 15-year tally was calculated “including dividends and all that.”
Broader Tech Sector Leadership
Detrick and co-host Sonu Varghese highlighted the outsized role mega-cap technology continues to play within broader market indexes. With technology and communication services representing roughly half of the S&P 500, Detrick emphasized that heavyweight stability has kept major indexes near record territory despite uneven breadth across other sectors.
“When you have technology, which makes up what is this only 40% of the S&P 500… half the darn thing is technology and tech adjacent stuff, and that’s all doing pretty well,” Detrick said, reiterating an overweight stance on the sector heading into the fourth quarter.
How Has AAPL Performed in 2026?
The stock was 2.00% lower in premarket trading on Friday. It was higher by 31.92% over the last year, 25.22% year-to-date, and higher by 7.65% over the last month. The stock closed up 1.11% at $340.42 on Thursday.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that AAPL maintains a strong price trend in the short, medium, and long terms, with a bad value score.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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