This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Apple (AAPL, Financials) has finally shaken off its 2025 slump. Shares rose 4% Monday, lifting the stock back into positive territory for the year after strong demand emerged for its new iPhone 17 lineup.

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The biggest draw so far is the $999 iPhone Air Apple’s first major redesign in years. Bank of America analysts pointed to longer shipping times, with new orders now taking about 18 days versus 10 days for last year’s iPhone 16. Preorder data also shows solid traction in China, a critical market for Apple.

Apple rounded out its fall launch with new AirPods Pro 3 and the latest Apple Watch, both adding AI-driven health features like alerts for high blood pressure risk. But a major Siri update won’t arrive until 2026, leaving Apple behind rivals Microsoft and Google in AI-heavy investments.

For now, investors are focused on the near-term sales boost from iPhone 17. The holiday season will test whether Apple can keep momentum while it works to catch up in the AI race.