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Apple Stock Gains. What Preorders Say About iPhone 17 Demand.

Sep 15, 2025 07:55:00 -0400 by Adam Clark | #Technology

Apple launched its iPhone 17 range on Sept. 9. (Courtesy Apple)

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Apple stock was gaining Monday, bolstered by early indicators of strong demand for its new iPhone range.

Shares rose 1.1% to $236.57, while the benchmark S&P 500 index was up 0.5%. Fellow tech behemoth Alphabet, which crossed a $3 trillion market capitalization for the first time on Monday, was up 3.1%.

Apple stock has bounced back from its lows below $230, which it hit amid apparent disappointment at the iPhone 17 launch event last week. The stock remains short of its level before the announcement.

The latest move puts Apple shares in line for a golden cross—a technical term for when an asset or index’s 50-day moving average moves above its 200-day moving average.

On average, Apple stock gains 9.1% in the six months following a golden cross and 18.5% for the 12 months following the moment of crossover, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

“While it is still very early days, lead-times for delivery are indicating that demand for all the new variants launched on Sep 9th is tracking modestly ahead of [the] iPhone 16 series,” wrote J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee in a research note on Sunday. Chatterjee tracked lead-times across key markets, including the U.S., China, Germany, and the U.K.

He added that the higher demand was particularly notable for the base iPhone 17 version as well as the thinner Air model. He has an Overweight rating on Apple stock.

BofA Securities analysts conducted their own analysis and found the ship times for iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models were extended compared to last year.

Additionally, “the ship dates for the iPhone 17 are the highest since the iPhone 11, which indicates healthy demand,” the BofA team wrote. “Among regions, ship dates in China and Japan are, on average, one week higher than other regions.”

The standout feature of Apple’s iPhone line up this year is the ultra-thin Air version, which is set to cost $999 and replaces the midrange Plus model from previous years. Its launch has been delayed in China, pending regulatory approval.

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for TF International Securities known for his insights on Apple’s supply chain, noted the iPhone Air is still available in stock at launch.

While that could indicate weaker demand than equivalent orders for the iPhone 16 Plus last year, Apple appears to be producing more of the Air model, and more time is needed before judging comparative sales, Kuo said.

“The iPhone 17’s stronger preorders should support Apple’s [third quarter] results, but the boost to supplier share prices may be limited, as investors remain focused on the step-change product cycle expected to begin next year and the potential benefits for the supply chain,” Kuo wrote in a post on social-media network X.

Apple is expected to launch a foldable device and introduce more significant artificial-intelligence capabilities to the iPhone next year.

Write to Adam Clark at adam.clark@barrons.com and Mackenzie Tatananni at mackenzie.tatananni@barrons.com