New York, February 16, 2026, 15:25 EST — Market closed.
- Apple shares last closed at $255.78 on Friday, down about 2.3%, after a roughly 8% weekly drop.
- Apple has invited media to a March 4 “special Apple Experience” event.
- Traders also face a shortened, data-heavy week led by Walmart results and key U.S. GDP and inflation readings.
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) heads into Tuesday’s restart on Wall Street with a new date on the calendar: a March 4 “special Apple Experience” the company is staging in New York. The stock last closed at $255.78 on Friday, down about 2.3% on the day and nearly 8% over the week. (MacRumors)
The timing matters because investors have started to demand cleaner, near-term payoff from mega-cap tech after years of premium pricing. Apple’s market value is down about $256 billion since the start of 2026, according to Reuters calculations, leaving it valued around $3.76 trillion as of Friday. (Reuters)
That backdrop has made the tape jumpy. “It’s all this whack-a-mole game of trying to figure out what AI is going to destroy next,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth, describing a market that has rotated quickly between winners and losers. (Reuters)
Apple’s invite offered few clues beyond the phrase “special Apple Experience,” with gatherings also slated for London and Shanghai. The event is set for 9 a.m. ET, a departure from the company’s usual launch stage at its Cupertino headquarters. (The Verge)
The company, meanwhile, announced a spring update to Apple Podcasts that will support video podcasts using HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), a format for delivering video over the internet. “Today marks a defining milestone in that journey,” Services chief Eddy Cue said in Apple’s release. (Apple)
Macro may do more of the driving before any Apple hardware reveal. Walmart is due to report quarterly results on Feb. 19, while the Bureau of Economic Analysis is scheduled to publish a GDP update and the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index — the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — on Feb. 20. The University of Michigan’s final February consumer sentiment report is also due Feb. 20. (Walmart Corporate News)
Markets are already leaning into that math. “Our economists expect real GDP growth to slow to 2.5% for Q4,” Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid wrote, as investors weigh whether softer growth would pull rates lower — a key variable for big tech valuations. (Reuters)
Apple also has its annual shareholder meeting on Feb. 24, according to its proxy filing. The ballot includes director elections, auditor ratification, a “say-on-pay” vote — a nonbinding shareholder check on executive compensation — and a shareholder proposal titled “China Entanglement Audit,” which the board recommends voting against. (SEC)
The risk for Apple bulls is that none of these near-term dates shifts earnings expectations. A hotter inflation print could push yields up again and squeeze rate-sensitive tech, while a low-key product showcase might not change the market’s current demand for faster, visible payoff.
For now, traders will look at Tuesday’s reopen for signs dip buyers return, with the next hard catalysts packed into a narrow window — culminating in Apple’s March 4 event.
