AAPL Stock’s Decline Leads It Toward 200-DMA For First Time In Over 7 Months – Retail Concerned Over Lack Of Catalysts

• On Thursday, Apple reported a 23% increase in China smartphone sales in the first nine weeks of 2026.
• Earlier this month, Apple unveiled a lower-priced iPhone 17 variant.
• According to Koyfin data, 25 of the 48 analysts covering the stock rate it a “Buy,” while six have assigned a “Strong Buy” rating.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is flashing a key technical warning signal, with its stock hovering around the 200-day moving average for the first time since Aug. 8, 2025, as a prolonged selloff pushes it toward a fourth straight weekly decline amid broader market weakness tied to the conflict in the Middle East.

Source: TradingView

The “Magnificent 7” cohort has weakened this year, with all constituents trading in negative territory, though only Tesla (TSLA) and Microsoft (MSFT) have underperformed Apple over the same period. AAPL shares have shed around 9% so far in 2026.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

Retail sentiment around Apple Inc. (AAPL) on Stocktwits Inc. has turned “extremely bearish” over the past week, with users increasingly questioning what could pull the stock out of its current slump.

One user asked if there were any catalysts for the stock to “rise even 10% this year?”

Another user asked if it was worth waiting on the sidelines as the stock approached its January lows. 

One user questioned why Apple’s stock was declining despite a sharp surge in iPhone sales in China.

According to a Counterpoint Research report released on Thursday, Apple reported a 23% jump in China smartphone sales in the first nine weeks of 2026, even as overall smartphone sales in the country fell 4%.

Earlier this month, Apple unveiled the iPhone 17e priced at $599 with two storage options. Bernstein Research said the move reflects a deliberate strategy to broaden price tiers and opportunistically capture share at the lower end of the market, according to The Fly.

Analysts Remain Bullish

According to Koyfin data, 25 of the 48 analysts covering the stock rate it a “Buy,” while six have assigned a “Strong Buy” rating. Only two analysts have a ‘Sell’ rating. The stock also has a 12-month price target of around $295, nearly 20% upside from current levels.

Apple had reported a 16% increase in first-quarter (Q1) revenue at $143.8 billion, beating estimates of $138.22 billion, while earnings per share also came above expectations at $2.84.

Earlier, Goldman Sachs warned that potential supply constraints in 3nm chips could push the launch of the iPhone 18 base model and iPhone Air 2 to spring 2027, while ongoing cost inflation continues to weigh on the outlook.

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