Apple shares opened lower on Monday, falling 1.6% to $273.63 during early New York trading. The decline comes as the technology giant's stock began trading ex-dividend, with a quarterly payout of $0.26 per share scheduled for February 12.
The company's market capitalization remains near $4.05 trillion, with shares trading at approximately 34 times earnings. As a heavyweight component of major U.S. stock indexes, Apple's movements significantly impact index funds and large investment portfolios.
Market attention has turned to potential new product developments. According to industry reports, Apple may be preparing an "iPhone 17e" model featuring an A19 chip and MagSafe charging capability, alongside refreshed iPad and Mac offerings that could arrive by early March. These developments would represent Apple's renewed focus on the budget-conscious segment of the smartphone market, though the company has not officially confirmed these plans.
Technology stocks showed mixed performance during the session. The Invesco QQQ Trust, which tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index, slipped approximately 0.3%, while the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund remained largely unchanged. The broader SPDR S&P 500 ETF declined about 0.2%.
Apple recently reported strong quarterly results in late January, with revenue reaching $143.8 billion—a 16% increase from the previous year—and earnings per share of $2.84. CEO Tim Cook noted it was the iPhone's best quarter ever. However, this strong performance raises the bar for future results, leaving less room for error if consumer demand weakens or services growth slows.
Looking ahead, investors are monitoring several key events. The company's annual shareholder meeting is scheduled for February 24, where proposals including a "China Entanglement Audit" will be considered. Meanwhile, broader market focus this week centers on economic data releases, including the U.S. jobs report on February 11 and January's Consumer Price Index figures on February 13.
