With a market capitalization of roughly $2 trillion, Apple (AAPL) is too big for most investors to ignore. Even with its up and down performance so far in 2021, as market preference has shifted to more economically sensitive sectors poised to benefit from recovery, Apple remains a major driver of both equity returns and whether the market is seen as cheap or expensive. Any investor holding a broad equity market index fund owns a generous helping of Apple. It consumes nearly 5% of the Morningstar U.S. Market Index--which counts 1,439 stocks--its share price having appreciated by more than 80% in both 2019 and 2020. For other broad indexes reflecting the higher end of the U.S. equity market, Apple’s weight can reach 6%. Thanks to strong iPhone demand and a sticky customer base, Apple flourished both before and during the pandemic. Investors are slated to get the latest read on Apple’s earnings on Wednesday, April 28.