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Apple (AAPL) has officially announced that Tim Cook will step down as CEO and transition into executive chairman, with John Ternus taking over the reins on Sept. 1, 2026. Despite strong financials, Apple's stock has barely moved in 2026, down 2% year-to-date (YTD), underperforming the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ($NASX) gain of 6.8%, as concerns grow over its slow pace in artificial intelligence (AI) and product innovation.
Adding to the uncertainty, leadership changes are rarely welcomed by markets, raising the stakes even further for what comes next.