Today marks the presentation of Apple’s new foldable iPhone, an event attracting the attention of customers and investors worldwide. On Wall Street, AAPL is trading just below July’s all-time high of $344 and is up 16% since the beginning of 2026. However, September has historically been a difficult month for the Cupertino company’s stock.
Double debut today with the foldable iPhone and new CEO Ternus
The presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Italian time and marks a double debut for Apple. John Ternus will take the stage for the first time as CEO, having replaced Tim Cook on September 1. The most eagerly awaited product is the company’s first foldable iPhone, with reports indicating a price above $2,000. Alongside the foldable device, the iPhone 18 Pro, new Apple Watches and the fifth generation of AirPods are also expected.
September, the bitter month for Apple events
Seasonal statistics explain investors’ caution ahead of tonight’s presentation. Apple is currently trading at $316.30, while September is showing a decline of 1.17%. Over the past nine years, September has closed lower six times, with declines of more than 10% in 2020 and 2022. The session on the day of the event also tends to close in negative territory, in line with the logic of “buy the story and sell the event.”
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | -6% | -1% | +7% | -10% | -7% | -12% | -9% | +2% | +9% |
| Positive | Negative | Average positive | Average negative | Overall average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 of 9 | 6 of 9 | +6% | -7.5% | -3% |
The table shows September returns over the past nine years, including the number of months that ended with gains or losses. It shows how the past two years broke the pattern, with September 2024 and September 2025 both closing in positive territory.
Apple’s chart scenario
The weekly chart provides an overview of Apple’s price performance since the last significant low, recorded in April 2025 following the launch of Trump’s tariff war. A bullish phase then began, characterized by a series of swings with higher highs and higher lows, taking Apple to a new series of ATHs, the latest being $344.57 in July. This was followed by a contraction phase, during which AAPL broke below the short-term support at $310 before moving back above it. The first significant medium-term support is at $278.
Apple dominates alongside Nvidia among the Magnificent 7
Apple’s 16.15% gain since the beginning of 2026 places Apple in second place among the Magnificent 7, the group of major US technology stocks. Only Nvidia is ahead, with a gain of 18.91%, while Amazon is up 11.08% and Tesla is down 19.58%.
Apple’s performance has outpaced the S&P 500, which is up 11.88%, and remains in line with the Nasdaq, up 17.07%. The widest gap concerns the Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Index, which has gained just 5.21% since the beginning of the year, held back by declines in Tesla and Meta.
Apple’s stock has risen 33,000% this century
Apple’s growth story is among the most impressive in the equity markets. In 2000, the stock opened the year at $0.9364, adjusted for the five stock splits carried out in subsequent years—that is, transactions that divide each share into multiple shares. At its current value, the gain exceeds 33,000%, equivalent to approximately 337 times the initial value. A $1,000 investment at the beginning of 2000 would now be worth approximately $337,000, excluding dividends. Not even the 71.06% collapse in 2000 or the 56.91% decline in 2008 managed to halt the advance.
