History Says Odds Are Apple Shares Will Be Higher In 30 Days Than They Will Be Today

Shares of Apple Inc. AAPL were trading higher by more than 7 percent early Wednesday morning after the company reported a better-than-expected fiscal third quarter results.

Based on a historical perspective, Apple's stock typically trades lower on the day after an earnings report, regardless of the results. However, Tuesday's top and bottom-line beat and encouraging outlook could have tamed the bears, at least for the time being, and restored confidence in the company's near term.

Related Link: Apple Surprises Street, Posts Top And Bottom Line Beat

On the other hand, in three of the last five quarters, Apple's stock was higher by an average of 2.6 percent 30 days later. This holds true even for the confidence-rocking miss last quarter and an outlook which Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster described as being "disappointing" when he was a guest on Benzinga's Pre-Market Prep show.

The Last 4

Here is a look at the four most recent earnings print (note: Apple reports its earnings after the market close) and the stock's immediate reaction the day following the earnings release.

1. Second Quarter 2016 Results: Top and bottom line miss. Apple's stock closed for trading at $104.35 on April 26. The company reported its second quarter results after the market close and the stock opened at $96.00 the following day and closed at $97.82.

2. First Quarter 2016 Results: EPS beat, revenue miss. Shares of Apple closed for trading at $99.99 on January 26. The stock opened the next day at $96.04 and closed at $93.42.

3. Fourth Quarter 2015 Results: EPS beat, in-line revenue. Apple's stock closed for trading at $114.55 on October 27, 2015, and opened for trading the next day at $117.58 and ended the day at $119.27.

4. Third Quarter 2015 Results: EPS beat, in-line revenue. Apple's stock closed for trading at $130.75 on July 21, 2015. The stock opened for trading the next day at $121.99 and finished the trading day at $125.22.

At time of writing, Apple was trading up 7.94 percent in Wednesday's pre-market session, seen at $104.34.

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