“Apple’s fall iPhone launch event has always been the ‘worst kept secret,’ with investors aware of most of the product lineup to be announced heading into the event,” Samik Chatterjee, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co., wrote in a note. “Investors will be keenly watching iPhone prices in the backdrop of an increasingly challenging macro with concerns around consumer spending.”
Investors hoping that the introduction of a new line of iPhones will help Apple Inc. shares rebound to their January record may be in for a disappointment if history is any guide.
The stock has fallen seven times on the day the company has launched a model in the past decade. When it announces the new iPhone Wednesday, Apple is likely to take shareholder-friendly steps such as higher prices to cushion its margins from inflationary pressures, analysts say. Such moves, though, come during a weakening economy that may make buyers reluctant to pay more for a handset.
