Based on historical patterns, shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) tend to trend positively in the months following the tech giant's unveiling of its high-priced, headline-grabbing new products. Analyst Wamsi Mohan from Bank of America released fresh analysis on Tuesday, noting that Apple's stock frequently experiences a "buy the rumor, sell the news" pullback immediately after the conclusion of a product launch event, but typically recovers those losses within the next 30 to 60 trading days.
Mohan's research, which tracks data since the debut of the original iPhone in 2007, reveals that Apple shares have posted gains in the 60 trading days following an iPhone release on 17 different occasions. The most significant surge occurred after the iPhone 11 launch in 2019, with the stock climbing 20% during that post-event window. Apple is set to host its upcoming product launch, themed "Surprise and Shine," on September 9 at the Steve Jobs Theater. This event marks a pivotal moment for the company, as it will be the first time new CEO John Ternus takes the stage to lead a product presentation since succeeding Tim Cook.
Analysts at Citi suggest that Apple's inaugural foldable iPhone, rumored to be named the iPhone Ultra, could carry a starting price tag exceeding $2,000. Citi projects sales of roughly 5 million units for the new device in the second half of this year, followed by an additional 2.3 million units in the first quarter of 2027. Beyond the debut foldable model, Apple is also expected to unveil the full iPhone 18 Pro lineup, the latest Apple Watch series, and new software features enhanced with artificial intelligence capabilities. Mohan wrote, "In our view, investor reaction this year will hinge on the extent of price increases, the implementation of Siri's AI features, and any official commentary on market demand for the foldable device."
The steep pricing of the foldable iPhone suggests that the standard iPhone 18 is also likely to see a price hike. Meanwhile, Apple continues to grapple with sharply rising chip costs, a challenge that has been steadily eroding the company's profit margins. At the end of July, Apple adjusted its quarterly guidance downward, primarily citing insufficient memory chip supply that could not meet market demand. Former CEO Tim Cook previously addressed this issue, noting in his final earnings call as chief executive that the company was compelled to raise product prices due to an unprecedented surge in memory chip costs. Cook remarked, "On pricing, we can say we had to raise prices reluctantly. The reason for the increase is that memory chips have experienced a once-in-a-century price wave, with memory costs rising exponentially."
The demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and premium DRAM from AI servers continues to outpace supply, leading to a significant tightening of the memory chip market. For much of 2026, the advanced AI memory production capacity of SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, and Micron has been largely sold out. Companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta are aggressively building out AI infrastructure, driving massive purchases of related chips. This supply shortage has pushed memory prices higher, granting chip manufacturers greater pricing power after years of industry downturn. Experts anticipate that the tight memory supply conditions will persist into 2027, which is expected to benefit leading chipmakers in the sector.
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