Union-Aligned Investors Question Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet on Trump Immigration Policies 
Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy 
MetaX IPO Soars as China’s AI Chip Stocks Ignite Investor Frenzy 
TikTok U.S. Deal Advances as ByteDance Signs Binding Joint Venture Agreement 
Robinhood Expands Sports Event Contracts With Player Performance Wagers 
Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO 
Treasury Wine Estates Shares Plunge on Earnings Warning Amid U.S. and China Weakness 
Nvidia Weighs Expanding H200 AI Chip Production as China Demand Surges 
Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency 
LG Energy Solution Shares Slide After Ford Cancels EV Battery Supply Deal 
Oracle Stock Slides After Blue Owl Exit Report, Company Says Michigan Data Center Talks Remain on Track 
Apple Opens iPhone to Alternative App Stores in Japan Under New Competition Law 
Micron Technology Forecasts Surge in Revenue and Earnings on AI-Driven Memory Demand 
Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
Volaris and Viva Agree to Merge, Creating Mexico’s Largest Low-Cost Airline Group 
Nike Shares Slide as Margins Fall Again Amid China Slump and Costly Turnaround 
Elliott Management Takes $1 Billion Stake in Lululemon, Pushes for Leadership Change 
Apple shares declined by 3% on Monday after analysts reported lower-than-expected demand for the new iPhone 16 Pro models. The shorter global shipping times compared to last year's models suggest weaker pre-orders and potential consumer hesitation.
Apple Shares Drop on Weak iPhone Demand
On Monday, Apple stock dropped about 3% as some analysts speculated that the delayed release of important AI features may have contributed to slower-than-expected demand for the new iPhone 16 Pro models.
Apple finally announced the iPhone 16 series last week, and it was built around Apple Intelligence, the company's artificial intelligence software.
Pre-Order Data Shows Decline in Ship Times
According to early pre-order data from BofA Global Research, the global shipping times for the iPhone 16 Pro models are shorter than last year's 15 Pro models. This information was shared by Reuters on Monday, three days after Apple began accepting pre-orders.
Based on the data, the average ship time for the iPhone 16 Pro is presently 14 days, which is lower than last year's 15 Pro's 24 days. On the other hand, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's 19 days ship time is compared to 32 days last year.
"The key factor is the lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone 16 Pro series ... the major selling point, Apple Intelligence, is not available at launch," Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities based in Taiwan, wrote in a blog post.
Apple Intelligence could delay the 16 series upgrade for some consumers as it won't be available in beta for the US English edition until next month and for other versions until next year.
First Weekend Sales Fall for Pro and Pro Max
According to Kuo, the first-weekend pre-order sales of the iPhone 16 Pro model fell 27%, and the Pro Max variant fell 16%.
"The U.S. is much weaker than last year, unless Apple massively increased supply allocation," analysts from Jefferies explained.
Indeed, according to Yahoo Finance, some experts have speculated that reduced shipping times might have resulted from an increase in the availability of the Pro models this time around, following last year's iPhone 15 Pro Max, when supplies of the camera lens caused delays in shipments.
"We are not concerned if pre-orders don't show meaningful growth," commented Gil Luria, an analyst at D.A. Davidson.
"The (AI) features will be rolling out gradually ... which means the upgrade cycle will likely materialize over the next 12-18 months."
