Apple Leads AI Stocks as Anthropic Prepares IPO

Apple Inc. is the top-performing stock among the Magnificent Seven AI-related companies this year, recording a 29% gain. This growth follows record September quarter revenue and the introduction of a foldable smartphone and a touchscreen Mac under the leadership of CEO John Ternus.

In contrast, Alphabet Inc. is the worst performer of the group, with its stock declining more than 8%. Despite the share price drop, Alphabet continues to invest heavily in AI infrastructure and its Google Cloud division, which reported a 103% revenue increase to over $30 billion.

Separately, AI lab Anthropic is preparing for an initial public offering expected to begin around November 19, 2026. The company aims to sell 825 million shares priced between $70 and $78. Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc. serve as both investors and infrastructure suppliers for the lab, with both companies expecting to maintain more than 5% ownership following the IPO. Nvidia Inc. is also involved via a $26 billion private placement to provide GPUs to the company.