iPad Air 3

After another lackluster week, Apple stock (NASDAQ:AAPL) opened the Tuesday after President's Day at $94.65. Share prices made a steady climb Tuesday into Wednesday, peaking at $98.25. Thursday brought a slide until AAPL leveled off on Friday, closing the week at $96.04. Overall, in four days of trading Apple stock gained modestly at +$1.39 (+1.47%). As usual, there are several storylines that could affect AAPL in the near term. Let's take a closer look.

March 15th is the new rumored launch date for the iPhone 5se, iPad Air 3 and new Apple Watch accessories, according to 9to5Mac. Rumors have been swirling that Apple plans to replace the iPhone 5s with a 4-inch device named the "iPhone 5se". The new iPhone is expected to ship with an A9 processor, improved cameras, Live Photos support and Apple Pay. The 4-inch handset will be available in 16GB and 64GB models starting at $450.