Recently in Apple stock Category

According to a report by Marketwatch, Rogers Communications, Inc. has announced a deal to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. Rogers Communications is a wireless communications firm, but is also Canada's largest magazine publisher and cable television provider. Rogers Communications (ticker: RCI) doubled its first quarter net income on strength in its pre-paid wireless division.

A combination of 3G iPhone speculation and exciting earnings reports from Intel (ticker: INTL) and Google (GOOG) spurred Apple stock (ticker: AAPL) to a great week, posting a gain of $14.77 for the week and closing out at $161.04. This solid week comes in advance of Apple's scheduled second quarter earnings report, next Wednesday, April 23, after the market closes.

AT&T has begun prepping its stores for a mysterious June iPhone "event," with plans for rearranged displays and exterior signage all for the purpose of "emphasizing the iPhone." The company and franchise stores are set to have these changes in place by mid-June. Is it just me, or does it seem like, with the daily news links, Apple and AT&T are collectively winking at us? I can't help but read the tea leaves on these news bits and feel that the June second gen 3G iPhone is all but a certainty.

Apple stock (ticker: AAPL) closed the day up over $5 a share, at $153.70, upon refreshing earnings reports from industry bellwether Intel (ticker: INTL) and even more news hinting at the impending June release of the second generation iPhone with 3G capability. The stock continued its surge after hours, gaining an additional $1.07, to $154.77, at the time of this writing. While there is no doubt that the impending 3G iPhone release, and the continued near-embarrassing crushing of Apple's personal computer market share compared to the rest of the market, will do excellent things for Apple's stock, there is near term discomfort at Apple's upcoming second quarter earnings report, scheduled after the market closes next Wednesday, April 23.