Apple shares climbed 0.29% to $333.24 on Monday, leaving the stock about 3.3% below its 52-week high of $344.57. Bank of America Securities’ tracking of Apple’s website and carrier pages found global average shipping times of 14 days for the iPhone 18 Pro, down from 18 days for the iPhone 17 Pro at the same point last year. The iPhone 18 Pro Max showed a larger decline, with waits falling to 18 days from 25 days. China had the shortest waits, at 11 days for the Pro and 15 days for the Pro Max. Shorter delivery times can indicate strong demand, but this cycle is difficult to compare because Apple launched only the Pro lineup, delaying the base iPhone 18 and Air models until next year and the Duo until later in 2026. Higher prices, a shift in preorders from Friday to Saturday, and elevated production and channel inventory may also be affecting delivery times. Bank of America described the measure as "directional rather than directly comparable" with previous years. The firm reiterated its Buy rating, set a $370 price objective and forecast earnings per share of $8.85 in 2026, $9.46 in 2027 and $10.91 in 2028. Its investment case includes Apple’s positioning in AI at the edge and expectations for solid iPhone revenue growth in fiscal 2027. Apple’s market capitalization was near $4.89 trillion, with more than 10 million shares traded early in the session. At publication, Benzinga Pro data showed the stock up 0.61% at $334.20, compared with Friday’s close of $332.27. Investors are expected to continue monitoring shipping and in-store availability data to assess whether the launch produces a stronger December quarter than last year.