New York, Feb 13, 2026, 07:49 ET — Premarket
- Apple shares last closed down 5% at $261.73.
- A Bloomberg report pointed to testing snags for a revamped Siri rollout.
- Traders are braced for U.S. CPI inflation data due before the opening bell.
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) shares were set to open near $261.73 on Friday, after a 5% slide in the prior session as fresh questions swirled around the company’s Siri revamp and regulators’ focus on Apple News.
The move matters now because Apple is a heavyweight in the Nasdaq and the Dow, and the market has turned touchy on big tech’s artificial intelligence push. Investors want proof the spending pays off, not just new demos.
That mood hardened on Thursday as tech led a broad retreat from risk, with traders also positioning for inflation data that could swing interest-rate bets.
Bloomberg reported Apple’s latest attempt to launch a revamped Siri hit snags in internal testing, potentially pushing some features planned for iOS 26.4 in March into later releases, including iOS 26.5 in May or iOS 27 in September. Bloomberg
Apple has not publicly addressed the timing details, but it confirmed to CNBC it still expects to launch the long-promised Siri update sometime in 2026, according to a report on Thursday. 9To5Mac
Regulatory risk is also back in play. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said Apple News could come under scrutiny if its practices are inconsistent with its terms or consumer expectations, pointing to claims the app favors liberal outlets; Section 5 of the FTC Act bars unfair or misleading conduct. Reuters
The Apple headlines landed into a wider tech rout on Thursday that dragged the Nasdaq down about 2% and pulled other megacaps lower. “We see this as a ‘prove it’ year for AI,” Jack Herr, a primary investment analyst at GuideStone Funds, said, as investors push for returns from swelling capex budgets. Reuters
Even in Apple’s corner of the tape, the focus has shifted from what companies can build to what they can sell. Delays — and any sign of heavier oversight — tend to land harder in that kind of market.
In company-specific news late Thursday, Apple won a defense verdict in a third trial against Optis Wireless, which accused the iPhone maker of infringing patents tied to 4G LTE. “We’re pleased they rejected Optis’ false claims,” an Apple spokesperson said. Reuters
Analysts are also watching cost pressure tied to the AI buildout. Bank of America’s Wamsi Mohan wrote that memory prices could rise sharply in 2026 but said “the implied downside to EPS is modest for AAPL,” using EPS as shorthand for earnings per share. Investing
But there is a clear downside path. Another slip in Siri’s timeline, a tougher turn from the FTC, or a hotter inflation print could keep investors leaning away from tech and squeeze Apple’s valuation.
The next hard timestamp is the U.S. January Consumer Price Index report, due at 8:30 a.m. ET. Investors will use it to reset rate-cut bets and risk appetite — and Apple will be watched for any follow-through on the Siri schedule and the FTC letter. Reuters
