Apple shares have recently been at record levels. But despite the strong price development, the decisive impulse could not come until June.
• Apple hits new record high despite ongoing AI concerns
• Crucial litmus test for AI strategy is imminent
• Investors await concrete progress on Apple Intelligence and Siri
Apple shares are currently chasing one record high after another – and investors’ expectations continue to rise. The new all-time high is now $300.45. This exceeded the $300 mark (as of closing prices on May 14, 2026). But despite the price rally, June could be the crucial month of the year for the iPhone company.
Apple shares in rally mode despite AI concerns
After a bumpy start to the year, Apple shares have recovered significantly in the past few weeks. A key stressor recently has been the concern of many investors that Apple is lagging behind competitors such as Microsoft or Alphabet in the race for artificial intelligence. In particular, the delay in the introduction of an AI-powered Siri chatbot caused skepticism on Wall Street.
Apple itself announced that a more personalized Siri will be available to users “this year”. But according to Barron’s, investors and consumers are still waiting for the company’s new AI strategy to be really convincing.
Strong numbers and changes in bosses are driving the shares
However, positive company news has recently provided new momentum. Apple presented better-than-expected quarterly figures and at the same time reported strong sales forecast for the current June quarter. Especially in view of ongoing inflation and rising gasoline prices, investors viewed this as an important signal of customer consumption.
The announced change in leadership also brought additional tailwind. CEO Tim Cook will step down in September. According to the company, his successor will be John Ternus, currently senior vice president for hardware development at Apple. According to market observers, the positive price reaction shows that investors trust the future management to successfully lead the group into the next technology era.
Why the WWDC in June will be an acid test – and what that means for investors
The focus now is on the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which begins on June 8th. The developer conference is traditionally considered the most important stage for the group’s new software and technology announcements. Apple had already presented “Apple Intelligence” – the company’s AI platform – for the first time at WWDC 2024.
But two years later, many investors are still waiting for the big breakthrough. The expectations for this year’s event are correspondingly high. “Apple is preparing very well for a major event that should help change the market narrative,” Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes wrote in early May, according to Barron’s.
For investors, Apple remains a clearly event-driven stock in the short term. The coming weeks surrounding WWDC will likely determine whether the stock can justify its record levels or whether profit-taking will begin. What will be particularly important is whether Apple presents concrete progress in the area of artificial intelligence that will strengthen confidence in its long-term growth story. Without such impulses, the share price could remain vulnerable to setbacks – despite the recent strong operating figures.
Bettina Schneider, editorial team at finanzen.net
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