Apple is gearing up for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference next week, with a keynote scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. ET. The tech giant is poised to unveil new features and software updates, and markets anticipate a modest stock movement following the event.
Market Expectations for Apple Stock
Current options pricing indicates that markets expect Apple’s stock to fluctuate by approximately 3.5% in either direction by the week’s end. Based on Friday’s closing price of $203.92, this suggests Apple shares could reach around $210.99 at the high end or $196.85 at the low end.
Recent Performance and Historical Context
Apple shares are currently about 19% below their starting point for the year, having partially rebounded from significant losses after President Trump’s tariff announcement on April 2. The stock has been trading sideways recently, amid uncertainties regarding the impact of tariffs on iPhone production and pricing.
Historical Performance During WWDC
Apple’s stock performance during WWDC week has been mixed over the past three years. Last year, shares rose nearly 8% following the unveiling of the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features. In the previous year, when the Vision Pro headset was introduced, shares remained flat. In 2022, the stock fell by about 5.6% as Apple announced new MacBook laptops and the iOS 16 operating system.
Potential Announcements and Analyst Outlook
Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple might announce a major change to its software naming convention during WWDC. The new system would standardize operating system numbers to 26 for 2026, instead of using different version numbers like iOS 18 and macOS 15. Additionally, Apple is expected to open its internal AI models to external developers to foster the development of AI-powered applications.
Analysts remain optimistic about Apple, with nine brokers tracked by Visible Alpha rating the stock as a “buy,” compared to two each rating it as a “hold” or “sell.” The average price target of approximately $228 suggests nearly a 12% upside from Friday’s closing price.
