Apple Pulse methodology
Apple Pulse measures the intensity of the Apple news stream on a 0–100 scale. Lean separately shows whether the direction is positive, negative, or mixed for Apple. It is not a price target, an analyst consensus, or a stock tip.
Excitement, not just mood
The primary axis is Pulse: how much Apple is moving through the wire. A quiet firmware week sits low. A regulatory ruling, a supply-chain shock, or a product scramble pushes the score up — even when the news is bad for Cupertino.
Valence is the lean
Alongside Pulse we track lean: whether the direction is bullish, bearish, or mixed for Apple. Pulse colour runs from red at Low to green at Peak and shows activity only; the separate arrow, word, and colour show direction.
How we calculate it
Every newsdesk report and analysis we publish is scored for excitement (0–1) and lean (−5 to +5) against a published rubric, with a one-line reason shown on the article. Opinion is not scored and does not count towards Apple Pulse. We blend the last seven days, weight recent articles more heavily (36-hour half-life), and map the result onto 0–100. No single article can carry more than a quarter of the weight.
What it is not
It is not AAPL. It does not predict launches. It will not tell you whether to buy. It is an editorial activity gauge — a way to see, at a glance, whether the Apple news stream is Low, Building, Strong, or at Peak.
Per-article scores
- Excitement (0 to 1): how loud the story is in the Apple news cycle.
- Lean (−5 to +5): how good or bad the story is for Apple. Each score comes with a one-line reason shown on the article.
- Opinion is not scored. The editor can review and override any article's score.
From articles to one number
- Window: the last seven days of newsdesk reports and analysis.
- Weighting: recent articles count more, with a 36-hour half-life.
- Cap: no single article can carry more than a quarter of the weight.
- Scale: the blend is mapped onto 0–100. The lean is the weighted average direction, shown as Bullish (+0.15 or more), Bearish (−0.15 or less) or Mixed.
- History: one closing value is stored per day.
Levels
| Score | Level | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| 0–39 | Low | A quiet Apple news stream: minor updates, little coverage. |
| 40–54 | Building | More Apple news than usual, or one story gaining attention. |
| 55–69 | Strong | Several significant stories at once, or one big one. |
| 70–100 | Peak | Launch weeks, major rulings or shocks that dominate the Apple news cycle. |
Using the data
The daily history is open data under CC BY 4.0: Apple Pulse data(CSV and JSON). Credit “Apple Pulse, Mac to Reality” with a link. Apple Pulse is an editorial indicator, not investment advice, and does not predict Apple's share price.