Should you buy Apple for a run back to $3T?
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Early this year, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) became the first U.S. company to reach $3T in market cap. It only held this distinction briefly, however, as panic over rising interest rates sparked a broad sell-off that took the iPhone maker off its all-time highs. Following a blockbuster earnings report last week, is AAPL a buy again, with the stock on its way back above the $3T mark permanently?
Flirting with $3T
Apple momentarily moved above the $3T mark on Jan. 3, reaching an all-time peak of $182.94. (The stock crossed into $3T territory when it hit $182.86.) 
Despite the fanfare that accompanied this milestone, AAPL has never closed a session with a market cap over $3T. On Jan. 3, it reached the level in intraday trading but moderated by the close, ending the session with a mark of 2.973T -- its closing peak so far.
From there, AAPL got caught in the same whirlpool that sucked in most of the stock market. While the computer and smartphone maker held up better than many names in the tech space, shares retreated nearly 13% from their peak to reach a two-month closing low of $159.22 last week.
The stock bounced off these levels thanks to a standout earnings report. The company beat expectations with its top and bottom lines, with revenue that rose 11% to nearly $124B, led by strength in iPhone sales.
Analysts cheered the results. Influential company watcher Gene Munster, the founder of Loup Ventures, called it a quarter to remember, with Apple overcoming supply chain challenges to deliver better-than-expected results. He estimated that the company's revenue growth could have reached 18% if it wasn't for supply restraints.
The financial figures prompted a 7% rally the day after they were released. (Munster estimated that in more favorable market conditions, the earnings beat would have inspired a double-digit percentage advance.) AAPL followed this up with another nearly 3% rally the following day.
Still, even with this bounce back, the stock sat at around $176 in Thursday's intraday action, with a market cap of around $2.85T. Can it get back to $3T in the near term?
Is Apple a Buy?
The Wall Street community remains enamored with Apple (AAPL). Of the 43 analysts surveyed by Seeking Alpha, 27 have a Strong Buy rating on the stock. Another seven regard the stock as a Buy. Taken together, that means 79% of analysts have a bullish stance on the iPhone maker.
Among the holdouts, AAPL has garnered one Sell recommendation. The other eight give the stock a Hold rating.
Seeking Alpha's Quant Ratings show more skepticism. These grades, based on quantifiable measures, present an extremely constructive picture of profitability and momentum, with an A+ and an A, respectively, for those categories. However, AAPL receives an F for valuation and a paltry D+ for growth.
SA contributor Julian Lin remains cautious on the stock, even after its earnings beat, saying that the Street-topping results offer an "incredible time to sell."


On the other side of the spectrum, fellow contributor Steven Fiorillo sees $250 in AAPL's future, arguing the stock provides "the best defensive stock while still playing offense."