The stock was up 2.1 percent to US$188.85, and had been up as much as 2.3 percent at a record high of $189.12 earlier in the session. At the high, the stock had gained 23 percent since the end of September and 39% over the past two months.

Analyst Robert Semple told Thomson Financial he expects revenue contribution from Leopard to be around $200 million, compared with his prior forecast of $120 million to $150 million before the weekend sales were announced.

UBS Analyst Ben Reitzes said the Leopard sales announcement and his recent checks indicate "a surge in business activity at Apple stores" in conjunction with the release of Leopard. As a result, Reitzes thinks his fiscal first-quarter revenue estimate of $559 million "could be conservative."