New Delhi, April 30 -- Apple Inc. shares advanced on Thursday as the tech giant prepared to release its fiscal second-quarter earnings following the market close. These results mark a pivotal moment for the company, coming just a week after the landmark announcement that Tim Cook will step down as CEO after a 15-year tenure.

Wall Street analysts anticipate earnings per share of $1.95 on revenue of $109.7 billion. This would represent a 15% year-over-year increase from the $95.4 billion reported in the same period last year. The primary catalyst for this growth is the iPhone, with investors projecting a 20% surge in annual sales driven by the strong market reception of the iPhone 17 series.

Specific segment expectations include $56.7 bil...