Apple Mac Event Could Be Surprise Catalyst For Stock Value

Later today, Apple Inc AAPL has its first October special event in two years. The theme of the event will be “Hello Again,” and the event will focus solely on the company’s Mac lineup.

It’s been more than a year since products like the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro have been updated.

Apple shareholders are hoping that the event will provide some relief from the stock’s post-earnings selloff.

If the past is any indication, Thursday’s event could be a surprise catalyst for the stock. In October 2014, Apple used its October event to unveil its Yosemite OS X operating system, the iPad Air 2, the iPad Mini 3 and an Apple Watch app development kit. In the week following the event, Apple shares surged higher by more than 5 percent. Within a month, Apple shares were up 17 percent.

Of course, these numbers come with the standard disclaimer that correlation does not equal causation, and you can’t get a sample size any smaller than one.

As Apple’s Q4 earnings report shows, the iPhone continues to trump everything else Apple has going in the eyes of the market. Despite a beat on earnings in Q4, Apple’s stock is down 2.8 percent as iPhone unit numbers fell 5 percent year-over-year.

It’s unlikely that Apple will have anything meaningful to say about the iPhone at Thursday’s event, and the stock may won't move much on any other news.