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NewsDeals · AAPL

Apple's PlasmaSolve Pickup Surfaces in EU Filing as AAPL Eyes Oct. 29 Print

A European Commission filing disclosed that Apple (AAPL) acquired PlasmaSolve s.r.o., a Czech plasma-simulation software firm founded in 2016, in a deal that closed in April but only became public in August. The pickup is Apple's third disclosed acquisition of 2026 and adds in-house simulation tools for the thin-film coating processes already used on iPhone camera modules and titanium frames. Fiscal Q4 2026 earnings, due Oct. 29, are the next date on the calendar.

By Desmond ChoiNewsroomAugust 7, 20262 min readAAPL

Apple acquired Czech plasma-simulation software firm PlasmaSolve s.r.o. in a deal that closed in April 2026 but only became public in August via a European Commission filing.
PlasmaSolve's core product, MatSight, models physical vapor deposition and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition used to apply thin, scratch-resistant coatings to metal surfaces like iPhone camera modules and titanium frames.
The purchase is Apple's third disclosed acquisition of 2026, following Play (February) and SigScalr (March).
Apple's fiscal Q3 2026 revenue rose 16% year-over-year to $109.42 billion with diluted EPS up 29% to $2.02, and the stock closed at $340.08 on July 28 when it briefly touched a $5 trillion market cap.
Apple's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings are due Oct. 29, with Wall Street consensus calling for EPS of $1.99, up 7.57% from a year earlier.

What PlasmaSolve brings to the hardware stack

PlasmaSolve's core product is MatSight, software that models physical vapor deposition and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Both processes apply very thin, scratch-resistant coatings to metal surfaces. Apple acquired the company through a subsidiary and plans to absorb some of PlasmaSolve's employees. Owning the simulation tools gives Apple tighter control over how coatings are designed and tested before production, a step that could support thinner, lighter device builds without trading off durability.

The deal follows two earlier 2026 acquisitions, both also surfaced through EU filings months after closing. In February, Apple bought the team behind Play, an Apple Design Award-winning SwiftUI prototyping app. In March, it acquired SigScalr, the startup behind the open-source SigLens observability platform.

The Q3 print and where the setup sits

Apple's fiscal Q3 2026 results gave the stock a firm base. Revenue rose 16% year-over-year to $109.42 billion, and diluted EPS jumped 29% to $2.02, though that figure included a $0.11 per share benefit from tariff refunds that also lifted gross margin roughly two percentage points to a June-quarter record of 50.1%. iPhone revenue rose 22% to $54.3 billion. Mac sales climbed 29% to $10.4 billion. Services grew 12% to $30.7 billion. iPad slipped 6% to $6.2 billion.

Operating cash flow hit a record $34.4 billion for the quarter. Apple returned $33 billion to shareholders, including $25.8 billion in buybacks and about $4 billion in dividends.

The stock closed at $340.08 on July 28, the session it briefly touched a $5 trillion market cap. AAPL trades at 35.09 times forward earnings against a technology sector average of 23.53 times, a spread that prices in sustained execution.

What to watch

For fiscal Q4 2026, Wall Street consensus calls for EPS of $1.99, up 7.57% from $1.85 a year ago. The full 2026 fiscal year estimate sits at $8.76, implying 17.43% growth from $7.46 in 2025.

Citi analyst Asiya Merchant lifted her price target to $365 from $315 on July 13 and kept a Buy rating, citing fundamentals that support more upside after a roughly 30% rally since March. Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan set a $380 target, arguing Apple is building a full AI platform that could add $15 billion to $30 billion in revenue by fiscal 2030. GF Securities moved to Hold on July 31, pointing to a global memory-chip shortage that could push iPhone 18 Pro pricing higher and weigh on demand.

All 42 analysts surveyed carry a consensus Moderate Buy, with an average price target of $325.13, roughly 5.1% above where shares currently trade.

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Frequently asked

What is PlasmaSolve and why did Apple buy it?

PlasmaSolve is a Czech plasma-simulation software firm founded in 2016 whose MatSight product models thin-film coating processes; Apple bought it to gain tighter in-house control over how scratch-resistant coatings are designed and tested, potentially enabling thinner, lighter devices without sacrificing durability.

When did the PlasmaSolve deal close and how was it revealed?

The deal closed in April 2026 but only became public in August through a European Commission filing, and Apple acquired the company through a subsidiary while planning to absorb some of its employees.

When are Apple's next earnings and what do analysts expect?

Apple's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings are due Oct. 29, with consensus EPS of $1.99 (up 7.57% year-over-year) and a full-year 2026 estimate of $8.76, implying 17.43% growth from 2025.

What are analysts' price targets for AAPL?

Citi set a $365 target with a Buy rating, Bank of America set $380, and GF Securities moved to Hold; across all 42 analysts surveyed the consensus is Moderate Buy with an average target of $325.13.

What were Apple's fiscal Q3 2026 segment results?

iPhone revenue rose 22% to $54.3 billion, Mac climbed 29% to $10.4 billion, Services grew 12% to $30.7 billion, and iPad slipped 6% to $6.2 billion, with operating cash flow hitting a record $34.4 billion.