New York, February 17, 2026, 07:18 EST — Premarket
- Apple shares trade slightly lower before the U.S. open after last week’s slide
- A March 4 product launch is the next near-term catalyst for AAPL
- Investors are also bracing for fresh U.S. inflation data later this week
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) shares slipped 0.1% to $255.49 in premarket trading on Tuesday, after closing down 2.3% at $255.78 in the prior session. Premarket trading takes place before the 9:30 a.m. ET regular market open. (Investing)
The setup matters because big technology stocks have started 2026 on the back foot, with investors questioning whether heavy spending on artificial intelligence will translate into near-term returns. Apple’s market value has fallen about $256 billion since the start of the year, Reuters calculations showed, pulling it into the same valuation reset hitting other megacaps. (Reuters)
Apple has now given traders a clear date to watch: March 4. The company is holding a product launch on that day and invited media to gatherings in New York, Shanghai and London for an in-person “experience,” Bloomberg News reported. (Bloomberg)
The other clock is macro. The personal consumption expenditures price index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge — is due on February 20, and it has become the week’s main risk event for rate-sensitive growth stocks. (Bea)
Broader sentiment stayed fragile early Tuesday. U.S. stock index futures ticked lower as last week’s AI-driven “disruption” trade continued to unsettle investors, with Apple and Microsoft down 0.4% each at 5:46 a.m. ET, Reuters reported. Mohit Kumar, an economist at Jefferies, said AI adoption is “overall positive” but can reshape business models, driving rotation rather than a blanket dash for safety. (Reuters)
Apple’s last earnings update was more upbeat than the stock has been. On January 29, the company forecast March-quarter revenue growth of up to 16%, and Chief Executive Tim Cook told Reuters demand for the latest iPhones was “staggering.” (Reuters)
Still, the tape is doing what it does. Apple has been trading less on its own headlines and more as a proxy for big-cap tech risk, moving alongside names like Nvidia and Alphabet when investors reprice the AI theme.
A risk for bulls is that the March 4 event is described as an “experience,” not a typical headline keynote, and it may not deliver the kind of clear AI narrative the market is demanding right now. If inflation data surprises on the upside, or yields jump, the pressure on high-valuation tech could return fast.
On the company calendar, Apple will host its 2026 annual meeting of shareholders on February 24 at 8:00 a.m. PT in a virtual format, according to its investor relations website. (Apple)
For Apple investors, the next two checkpoints are straightforward: the February 20 PCE inflation report for the macro tone, and the March 4 launch event for any read-through on demand, product mix and the company’s messaging around AI.
