Dow and S&P 500: Musings on Apple

The major indexes are starting the week in the red. As of 10:25 a.m. EDT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI) is down 51.5 points, or 0.38%, while the S&P 500 (INDEX: ^GSPC) is down 6.3 points, or 0.43%.

This morning, The New York Times is speculating whether Apple (NAS: AAPL) will be the first company to reach a trillion-dollar market capitalization. I can't think of a company that is presently better-positioned to achieve that milestone, but theTimesarticle and CNBC's report that iPhone 5 opening-weekend sales topped 5 million aren't getting it any closer this morning. Apple shares -- which represent 5% of the S&P 500 Index -- are down by 0.75% as I write this.

At roughly 14 times the next 12 months' earnings, the stock certainly doesn't look overpriced; however, when you see that analysts' median long-term earnings growth estimate is 25%, you begin to get some idea of the expectations weighing on the company. One of the Motley Fool's top technology analysts breaks down the key opportunities and risks the company faces today in our premium report. Our in-depth research report comes with a year of updates, so click here to claim your investing edge.

The article Dow and S&P 500: Musings on Apple originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Alex Dumortier holds no position in any company mentioned. Click here to see his holdings and a short bio you can follow him @longrunreturns. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a bull call spread position in Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.

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