<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div><p>Demand for the iPhone 17 could help boost the stock price of<strong> Apple Inc </strong>(NASDAQ:AAPL) going forward. The big question is whether investors will be patient enough to wait for results from the September and December quarters to get a true picture of sales demand.</p><p><strong>   • AAPL is trading at elevated levels. Check the fundamentals here.</strong></p><h2><strong>iPhone 17 Lead Time Remains Strong</strong></h2><p>Apple analysts and investors are continuing to track lead times on the new iPhone 17, which could point to how demand there is for the company's latest smartphone.</p><p><strong>Deepwater Asset Management </strong>Managing Partner<strong> Gene Munster </strong>has been following lead times for the iPhone 17 for weeks and in a blog post over the weekend, shared the latest finding.</p><p>&#34;Since launch, the global lead time data reinforces this optimism: wait times suggest demand is running modestly ahead of last year,&#34; Munster said.</p><p>Three weeks after the iPhone 17 was released, lead times tracked in eight countries stood at 2.29 weeks, higher than the 2.02 weeks for the iPhone 16, comparatively.</p><p>&#34;The bottom line is that three weeks in, lead times this year are about 13% longer than last year.&#34;</p><p><strong>Read Also: Apple Q3 Earnings: Revenue, EPS Smash Estimates As iPhone Sales Jump, Active Installed Base Reaches New Highs</strong></p><h2><strong>Apple's Fourth Quarter Report Nears</strong></h2><p>Munster's latest blog post comes weeks ahead of Apple's fourth-quarter earnings, set for Oct. 30.</p><p>That quarter will include minimal results from the iPhone 17, with more of the upside from demand coming in the next fiscal year.</p><p>&#34;Latest datapoints still point to upside in FY26,&#34; Munster said.</p><p>Munster said he expects Apple to have a small miss on fourth-quarter iPhone estimates. The investor said the company will make up for this with first-quarter numbers that &#34;more than offset&#34; the fourth-quarter numbers.</p><p>Munster's estimate is for 9% iPhone growth in the fourth quarter, slightly below the 10% estimate &#34;whisper number.&#34;</p><p>&#34;Overall, I would consider that outcome good enough, since attention will likely shift to December guidance, which I expect to come in ahead of both the published estimates and the whisper number.&#34;</p><p>Munster expects first-quarter iPhone revenue to be over 10%, higher than a whisper number of 9%.</p><p>For fiscal 2026, Munster sees Apple having iPhone revenue growth of more than 8%, coming in ahead of current expectations of 5%.</p><h2><strong>Apple Stock Price Action</strong></h2><p>Apple stock closed Monday up 0.97% to $247.66 versus a 52-week trading range of $169.21 to $260.09. Apple stock is down 1.10% year-to-date in 2025.</p><ul> <li><strong>Gene Munster Says Vision Pro Looks Like iPhone-Maker’s Biggest Miss Since Newton: ‘Apple’s Push Will Deliver Glasses That Likely Outshine Meta’s’</strong>Photo: iPhone 17s, courtesy Apple</li> </ul></div></div></div>

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<p>Demand for the iPhone 17 is strong, with lead times at 2.29 weeks, up from 2.02 weeks for the iPhone 16, indicating a 13% increase in demand. Gene Munster anticipates a small miss in Apple's fourth-quarter iPhone estimates but expects first-quarter growth to exceed 10%. Overall, he predicts iPhone revenue growth of over 8% for fiscal 2026, surpassing current expectations. Apple stock closed at $247.66, up 0.97% on Monday, despite being down 1.10% year-to-date.</p>

- Demand for the iPhone 17 is expected to positively influence Apple Inc's stock price, although investors may need to wait for quarterly results to assess sales.  
- Lead times for the iPhone 17 are currently 2.29 weeks, indicating a 13% increase in demand compared to the iPhone 16.  
- Analyst Gene Munster anticipates a slight miss in fourth-quarter iPhone estimates but expects strong growth in the first quarter and fiscal 2026, surpassing current expectations.

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Apple's iPhone 17 Lead Times Remain High: Gene Munster Says 'Data Reinforces The Optimism'