According to the Smart Finance app, Apple (AAPL.US) stock price fell 2.78% on Monday due to concerns over lower than expected pre-order sales of the iPhone 16 series on the first weekend. It is reported that Guo Mingji, an analyst at TF International Securities, estimated that the pre-order sales of the iPhone 16 series in the first weekend was about 37 million units, a decrease of about 12.7% compared to the first weekend sales of the iPhone 15 series last year. The key factor is the lower than expected sales of the iPhone 16 Pro series. Guo Mingji pointed out that the shipment time of the iPhone 16 Pro series is significantly lower than that of the 15 Pro series. In addition to the increased pre-order inventory, the key issue is that the demand is lower than expected.

Analysts believe that while this weak demand may have a short-term impact on Apple, it is unlikely to be a bigger issue for this tech giant. Julian Lin, Head of the Seeking Alpha Investment Group, said, 'While many investors may think that Apple's aggressive valuation demands more attention to the numbers, this is only half the story.' 'On the basis of adjusted earnings growth, Apple's stock price has a significant premium compared to its large tech peers, but this premium is largely driven by the stickiness of its business. Due to the deviation from expectations, there may still be fluctuations in the stock in the near future, but I don't think this will drag down the stock in the long term.'

Seeking Alpha analyst Leo Nelissen pointed out that Apple's P/E ratio is 33 times, so its margin for error is 'very small,' but in the long run, this tech giant will continue to innovate and generate revenue from its user base. He said, 'Considering the bigger picture, I don't think Apple is in trouble.' However, he also warned that Apple is now fighting a harder battle than ever before.

Daniel Sereda, Head of the Seeking Alpha Investing Group, also believes that Apple's short-term weakness in stock price may continue, but as Apple Intelligence is launched on a larger scale, the company may achieve stronger performance. Daniel Sereda said, 'I expect (Apple's) earnings to see a downward revision, which may cause the stock to further soften in the near term. I believe Apple will be able to achieve stable sales in the medium term regardless, making it easier to once again break market consensus, as the company usually does.'