During the market’s recent volatile phase, tech stocks have lagged. Since July 26, the S&P; 500 Index is down 3.8% and the Nasdaq Composite is down 4.2%.
Top tickers for end of day: GE, AAPL, S, SNAP, MSFT.
Rumors are surfacing now that Apple TV+'s launch is just months away.
The U.S. Justice Department is working with a group of more than a dozen state attorneys general as it moves forward with a broad investigation into major technology companies, the department's antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, said on Tuesday.
Aug.20 -- Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman discuss Apple Inc.'s plans to roll out the Apple TV+ movie and television subscription service and the tech giant's new credit card. They speak with Bloomberg's Emily Chang on "Bloomberg technology."
Let's take a look at which stock, Amazon (AZMN) vs. Walmart (WMT), looks like a better buy amid market volatility...
(Bloomberg) -- To satisfy regulators, YouTube officials are finalizing plans to end “targeted” advertisements on videos kids are likely to watch, according to three people familiar with the discussion. The move could immediately dent ad sales for the video giant -- though not nearly as much as other proposals on the table.The Federal Trade Commission is looking into whether YouTube breached the Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPPA). The agency reached a settlement with YouTube, but has not released the terms. It is not clear if YouTube’s changes to ad targeting are a result of the settlement. The plans could still change, said the people, who asked not to be identified citing an open investigation.A spokeswoman for YouTube declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the FTC declined to comment. The agency is expected to levy a multimillion-dollar fine.Since targeted, or “behavioral” ads, rely on collecting information about the viewer, COPPA effectively bars companies from serving them to children under 13 without parental permission. These commercial messages that rely on mountains of digital data, such as web-browsing cookies, are integral to the business of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, YouTube’s owner.YouTube has long maintained that its primary site is not for children. (The company says kids should use YouTube Kids app, which does not use targeted ads.) But nursery rhymes and cartoon videos on the main site have billions of views. The platform’s many issues with children’s content-- horrific imagery, problems that led to disabling comments-- have troubled its video creators, worried parents and empowered rivals.Getting rid of targeted ads on children’s content could hit Google’s bottom line -- but this solution would be far less expensive than other potential remedies that aim to placate regulators.In April 2018, a slew of consumer groups complained to the FTC that YouTube regularly collected information about minors to use in targeted advertising. Once the FTC picked up the case, these groups suggested that the agency force YouTube to move all kids’ videos to its designated app for children, YouTube Kids. Joseph Simons, the FTC chairman, has floated another idea. He asked the complainants in a July 1 call whether they would be content with YouTube disabling ads on these videos, Bloomberg News reported earlier.YouTube’s new proposal is even less drastic.Right now, YouTube sells two different types of video ads, broadly speaking. One simply pairs the context of a video with a commercial message. So, a YouTube clip about basketball might have an ad from Adidas. The other type uses an array of digital signals. With these ads, marketers can reach viewers in a demographic group, such as homeowners or new parents, based on Google’s vast data troves -- websites people visit, searches they make and so on.YouTube doesn’t disclose ad sales or prices, but most digital ads are more lucrative when paired with targeting data. Other tech giants, such as Apple Inc., have tried to cull back data-collecting tools in services that kids use.Loup Ventures, a research firm, estimates YouTube’s revenue from children’s media between $500 million and $750 million a year. Paring back targeted ads would dent that revenue, although Google has the ability to make its contextual ads more compelling to mitigate the damage, said Doug Clinton, a Loup Ventures analyst. He pegged the potential impact of YouTube curbing targeted ads at 10% of its overall intake from kids’ videos-- so about $50 million. “That would be the worse case, in my mind,” he said.It’s not clear how YouTube would deliver this targeting ban with the thousands of video channels with whom it splits ad sales. It’s also unclear how YouTube would define which videos are “directed at children” and which aren’t.One certainty: This proposal is unlikely to please complainants. In a July letter to the FTC, the groups argued that bans on YouTube ad targeting would be difficult to enforce. Removing the feature from select kids’ videos doesn’t guarantee that YouTube stops tracking web habits if children watch other clips, said Josh Golin from Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, a complainant. “Is Google still going to be collecting all the data and creating marketing profiles?” he said. “That wouldn’t be satisfactory either.”Jeff Chester, executive director of Center for Digital Democracy, another complainant, said that if the FTC settlement only forced YouTube to curb targeting, his group would likely challenge the decision.(Updates with other companies in 10th paragraph.)\--With assistance from Ben Brody and Lucas Shaw.To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Bergen in San Francisco at mbergen10@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Emily Biuso, Andrew PollackFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Key indexes closed at or near session lows in the stock market today, after three days of solid gains on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Fortnite is the most popular battle royale game worldwide, and generates huge revenues even though it is offered for free by developer, Epic Games.
With as important as the segment is becoming, the Mac maker should be more up front with disclosures.
Consumers expressed surprise and disappointment online that Apple is weighing a $9.99 monthly subscription price for its upcoming Apple TV+ service. Apple stock rose a fraction Tuesday.
Stocks with excellent earnings growth and strong balance sheets deliver better risk adjusted returns over the long term
Facebook has been scrambling to get its global cryptocurrency payment network called Libra off the ground, but challengers abound.
Top tickers for midday: AAPL, GE, BIDU, AMD, FB, HD, BYND, NVDA, NFLX, MSFT, TEVA, BAC, TGT, TSLA, BABA, AMZN, TWTR, T, SNAP, DIS.
Leading the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) rumor mill today is news about the company's payment card. Today, we'll look at that and other Apple Rumors for Tuesday.Source: View Apart / Shutterstock.com Card Launch: Apple Card is now available for all customers in the U.S. The launch for everyone in the U.S. comes after a preview period earlier this month for certain customers. This new card from AAPL differs greatly from other payment cards. That's because it has a sleek look and doesn't show much of the person's information. This includes the card number, CCV, expiration date and owner's signature not appearing on the card. The tech company claims this makes it more secure than other physical payment cards.Health Troubles: It looks like Apple is dealing with its own Health troubles, reports CNBC. A recent report claims that the tech company's Health division is seeing some of its employees leave. The report says that this is due to disagreements over how the division should act in the future. Due to these problems, some employees are allegedly jumping ship to join up with other tech and healthcare giants.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsProMotion Display: Rumor has it that Apple wants to bring its ProMotion Display to the 2019 iPhone line, reports BGR. However, it looks like these rumors may be wrong. The current rumors about this all cite unnamed sources and it looks like it may be a case of misinformation spreading. There is a previous rumor about the iPhone getting a ProMotion Display, but it claims this won't be happening until next year.Subscribe to Apple Rumors As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.The post Tuesday Apple Rumors: Apple Card Launches in the U.S. appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Investing.com - After three days that produced big gains, stocks pulled back on Tuesday.
The Invesco Russell 1000 Dynamic Multifactor ETF (OMFL) is seeing unusually high volume in afternoon trading Tuesday, with over 1.1 million shares traded versus three month average volume of about 74,000. Shares of OMFL were off about 0.2% on the day.
A breakdown in trade negotiations between the U.S. and China has Apple, Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) investors uneasy in the past few weeks. Apple ...
The U.S. Justice Department is working with a group of more than a dozen state attorneys general as it investigates the market power of major technology companies, the department's antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, said on Tuesday.
The monthly costs are starting to add up for users that subscribe to the Mac maker's growing portfolio of first-party services.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Get ready, TV fans, because the next few months are going to be wild. Apple Inc., AT&T Inc., Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. are spending billions of dollars on so much new streaming content that there will be little reason to leave your couch this winter – or to keep your cable subscription.Apple gave a taste yesterday of what it’s been working on by releasing a trailer for “The Morning Show,” an original series that looks so good it could easily be mistaken for an HBO production. With an all-star cast led by Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, Apple is said to be spending $300 million alone for the first two seasons. The company has committed a whopping $6 billion overall to produce original shows and movies, according to the Financial Times, which would match what Netflix spent in 2017 and would also be in the same ballpark as Amazon.com Inc.’s expected content investment for this year. Other outlets have disputed that Apple’s budget is quite so large. Either way, it’s clear the iPhone maker is serious about streaming. The Apple TV+ and Disney+ video-on-demand apps will both be available by mid-November, followed by AT&T’s HBO Max product. They are game-changers for the pay-TV industry, already littered with live-TV streaming products from Sling TV to YouTube TV.Disney has spent about $15 million per episode to make “The Mandalorian,” a live-action “Star Wars” series that will serve as the flagship of Disney+, according to the Wall Street Journal. That’s about $120 million for the first season, which isn’t far from what Disney shelled out for “Captain Marvel,” the third-biggest movie of the year in terms of U.S. box-office ticket sales. The company expects to invest more than $1 billion in original content for the app next year and another roughly $1 billion for licensed content. These streaming wars are risky. Studio owners generally have a sense of what a TV program could deliver in advertising revenue and how large of a theater audience a film might draw. But Disney+ will charge just $7 a month and contain no ads. The company is betting it can build a large enough customer base so that all these pricey investments that have shareholders wincing right now will pay off some day.In the Apple TV trailer above, Aniston’s character at one point says, “I just need to be able to control the narrative so that I am not written out of it.” It struck me as funny because that’s exactly what Disney and its peers are trying to do as they flood the market with content and turn a blind eye to the cost. Disney predicts it will have 60 million to 90 million Disney+ subscribers globally by the end of fiscal 2024, when the app finally begins making money. Analysts see Apple TV+ topping 100 million in the next five years, according to Bloomberg News. While both are starting from zero, they do have the advantage of strong, far-reaching customer relationships – Disney through its movies and theme parks, and Apple by physically being in most of our pockets already. Netflix is protecting its turf by lighting it on fire. It’s projected to spend about $15 billion for in-house and licensed content this year while burning $3 billion of free cash flow. The company paid $100 million just to keep “Friends” on its platform through 2019. Even though the sitcom hasn’t aired new episodes in more than 15 years, it’s the second-most-watched program on Netflix. After this year, AT&T is reclaiming the rights to the show for its HBO Max product.A little over a year ago, Casey Bloys, HBO’s programming chief, referred to such spending as “irrational exuberance.” But then earlier this year, his boss, HBO Chairman Richard Plepler, left the company in a shake-up by its new parent AT&T. HBO is now ramping up its production slate to reduce churn, or the rate at which bored subscribers are canceling, and HBO Max is reportedly paying $425 million to carry “Friends” for five years starting in 2020. Likewise, the Wall Street Journal reported that Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal has its own $500 million five-year exclusive rights deal for “The Office,” the No. 1 show on Netflix. There is a potential fallacy in the companies’ thinking around these lavish deals: What if Netflix subscribers were streaming “Friends” and “The Office” for hours on end simply for background noise, something to mindlessly tune in and out of as they scrolled Instagram or did chores? In that case, perhaps users won’t necessarily miss those specific shows and won’t switch to other services at a rate that would come close to justifying nearly $1 billion for two old sitcoms. In any case, I keep writing about the frustration of needing to pay for and toggle between numerous apps just to access all your favorite content and the confusion that comes with doing so. It’s only going to get worse once Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max launch. But at least there will be no shortage of stuff to watch, and with all this money being thrown around, you know it’ll be good. To contact the author of this story: Tara Lachapelle at tlachapelle@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Beth Williams at bewilliams@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Tara Lachapelle is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., media and telecommunications. She previously wrote an M&A column for Bloomberg News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Some US mobile network operators slow down connection speeds for Netflix (NFLX) customers, a study shows. However, it's not alone.
Several chipmakers have scored new business from Apple for its new iPhones, scheduled to be unveiled next month. They include NXP Semiconductors, Power Integrations and STMicroelectronics.
Apple (AAPL) announced today that its Apple Card is available to US customers today. This month, AAPL tested the card with a limited group of consumers.
(Bloomberg) -- European Union antitrust regulators are already probing Facebook Inc.’s two-month-old Libra digital currency project, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.The European Commission is "currently investigating potential anti-competitive behavior" related to the Libra Association amid concerns the proposed payment system would unfairly shut out rivals, the EU authority said in a questionnaire sent out earlier this month.Officials said they’re concerned about how Libra may create "possible competition restrictions" on the information that will be exchanged and the use of consumer data, according to the document, which is a standard part of an early-stage EU inquiry to gather information.The investigation into founder Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitions to take on traditional cash adds to another preliminary EU investigation into how Facebook may unfairly use its power to squeeze rival apps. The Brussels-based commission, Europe’s most feared regulator, has already targeted Google and Apple Inc.Facebook and the commission both declined to comment on the investigation. The Menlo Park, California-based company has previously promised to appease all regulators before launching the cryptocurrency, a process that could take some time.Global CurrencyLed by a social network with more users than the combined population of China and the U.S., Libra represents a potential challenge that the guardians of money have never faced: a global currency they neither control nor manage.The EU questionnaire said regulators are also examining the possible integration of Libra-backed applications into Facebook services such as WhatsApp and Messenger. It said their investigation focuses on the governance structure and membership of the Libra Association.Facebook has previously promised to appease all regulators before launching the cryptocurrency, a process that could take some time.Visa Inc. declined to comment while the Libra Association representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Mastercard Inc. had no immediate comment.Aside from the antitrust division, other EU regulators are "monitoring market developments in the area of crypto assets and payment services, including Libra and its development," a spokesman for the commission’s financial services department said.Data-protection supervisors are also worried about how Libra will share information. They said earlier this month that Facebook had the potential to combine "vast reserves of personal information with financial information and cryptocurrency, amplifying privacy concerns about the network’s design and data-sharing arrangements."\--With assistance from Alexander Weber, Alastair Marsh and James Hertling.To contact the reporters on this story: Lydia Beyoud in Arlington at lbeyoud2@bloomberg.net;Aoife White in Brussels at awhite62@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net, Peter Chapman, Alistair BarrFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock is up nearly 36% year-to-date. Shares currently trade around $211, and are moving closer to their all-time high of $233.47. But with looming trade risks and slowing growth, how can AAPL move the needle?Source: Shutterstock With a nearly trillion-dollar market cap, shares are not going to double anytime soon. But can investors expect material upside in AAPL stock? Let's take a closer look, and see if investors can find opportunity in Apple stock today. Recent News For Apple StockApple announced earnings on July 30. Sales growth was minimal year-over-year. Revenue for the quarter ending June 30, 2019 was $53.8 billion, up slightly from $53.3 billion in the prior year's quarter. With product sales down 1.7% YoY, service revenue was responsible for the minimal revenue uptick. Service revenue for the quarter was $11.5 billion, up 12% YoY. With smartphone sales in decline, AAPL stock needs new revenue sources to sustain growth and move the needle.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential A new product mix could help jolt up sales. Take "wearables" such as the smartwatch. Apple controls 25.8% of the market. Apple does not breakdown sales. But CEO Tim Cook remarked on the conference call that Apple had an "absolutely blowout quarter for Wearables."The wearables market provides significant runway, as the product has yet to reach critical mass. All bets are off whether these new products can replace declining iPhone sales. But, at the very least, they can help the company sustain its current product revenue.But how about the elephant in the room? I'm talking about the U.S.-China trade war. Looking beyond the headlines (and the tweets), how does the geopolitical situation impact Apple? While the company received a reprieve from looming tariffs, long-term dependence on China for manufacturing remains a material risk. Trade War Risks to AAPL StockWith the U.S.-China trade war continuing, Apple stock is caught in the middle. With the US.. placing a 10% tariffs on imported electronics, the company could experience headwinds. Luckily for Apple, the 10% tariff has been delayed until Dec. 15. This will prevent new tariffs from impacting sales during the holiday season. This proposed tariff could be prevented if the U.S. and China settle their disputes and negotiate a new trade deal.The trade war underscores the risk of Apple's Chinese manufacturing dependence. But Apple has options when it come to hedging against this geopolitical risk. The company is exploring ways to move iPhone manufacturing to other low-cost Asian markets. In fact, with wages rising long-term in China, this move is inevitable. Potential countries include India, Vietnam, and Malaysia.While this is a step in the right direction, moving production is not a one-step process. It takes time to develop the right outsourcing infrastructure. But it is a positive sign that Apple is taking proactive steps.How does this factor into the valuation of Apple stock? Let's see if AAPL stock is truly undervalued, or fairly priced given the risks and opportunities. AAPL Stock ValuationAs I mentioned in my previous article about Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL), Apple sells for the lowest valuation of the "FAANG" stocks. Stagnant growth and size may justify this discount. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), and Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) continue to show considerable runway.But Apple is in the similar boat as Google: both companies have more cash than they can reinvest in the business. What does that mean for AAPL shareholders? The company needs to consider aggressive buybacks and dividends to move shares higher.The company bought back $17 billion worth of Apple stock last quarter. Based on the most recent financials, the company has over $210 billion in cash and marketable securities. The 2017 tax bill made it easier for Apple to repatriate its overseas cash hoard. Aggressive share buybacks and dividend increases would help improve the Apple stock price. Acquisitions could be another way Apple can generate growth. Apple's 12-figure war chest provides multiple pathways to boost the share price. Bottom Line on Apple StockWith shares trading at a forward price/earnings ratio (forward P/E) of 16.6, Apple stock is a bargain compared to its big tech peers. But slow growth and trade risks justify this discount. Nevertheless, there are emerging trends that could help jump-start growth. The wearables market has plenty of runway, allowing Apple to use smartwatch sales growth to counter iPhone sales declines.The U.S.-China trade war is far from over. But the current Apple stock price takes into account these risks. With the company looking for ways to diversify manufacturing geographically, the long-term China risks could be mitigated.But does all of this mean AAPL is a buy? For investors looking for a blue chip at a fair price, Apple stock could be a buy. But given the specter of a stock market correction in the near future, it may pay to wait before taking a position.As of this writing, Thomas Niel did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post Apple Stock Is Undervalued, but It's a Tough Road to Upside appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc officially became a credit-card lender on Tuesday by rolling out its first product with Apple Inc, but the bank has aspirations to grow much bigger in consumer lending, its chief executive said in an internal memo viewed by Reuters.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc officially became a credit-card lender on Tuesday by rolling out its first product with Apple Inc, but the bank has aspirations to grow much bigger in consumer lending, its chief executive said in an internal memo viewed by Reuters.
Soon after its U.S. debut, the streaming service will begin rolling out globally.
The major stock indexes were squarely lower in morning trade Tuesday. Home Depot surged into a buy zone after earnings.
The idea that corporations should go beyond maximizing shareholder value is pious bunk, says Tim Mullaney.
InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for AAPL, BIDU, C, LYFT, and MU.
Apple Inc. may be willing to spend big in an effort to make a name for itself in the crowded world of video streaming.
Two of the most anticipated streaming video services may be launching in the same month. Netflix investors will be keeping a close eye on Disney+ and Apple TV+.
Qualcomm Inc said on Tuesday that it has entered into a new five-year patent license agreement with LG Electronics Inc to develop, manufacture and sell 3G, 4G and 5G smartphones.
The Dow Jones today was under mild selling pressure in premarket trading Tuesday, but Home Depot was a bright spot after the retailer reported earnings.
A new credit card exclusive to Apple customers is getting a lot of hype.
Our call of the day says the summer swoon is over and the S&P 500 is ready to revisit all-time highs reached before August’s wild trading days.
* Ministry sees Aug orders falling, but eyes stabilisation Recovery might not come till Q1 2020 - analyst
Japan's Nikkei rose for a third straight day on Tuesday as investors tiptoed back into equities amid signs of a slight easing of trade tensions between the United States and China.
Japanese shares edged up on Tuesday as investors tiptoed back into equities, amid signs of a slight easing of trade tensions between the United States and China and continued hopes for fresh stimulus moves by major economies.
Stock futures: About a dozen states reportedly plan a Big Tech antitrust probe, likely ensnaring Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Google. Baidu, spinoff iQiyi and Fabrinet moved on earnings.
Top tickers for end of day: MSFT, CHK, CNHI, PCG, AAPL, AMD, VRAY.
When you're buying stocks, it can be tempting to have a bias towards popular stocks. But top-tier name recognition alone won't guarantee big gains in your portfolio. That's why it's important to filter out the noise and combat your bias by leveraging data and charts to help you make your buying decisions. We compare and contrast tech giants Microsoft and...
* China unveils interest rate reform; Germany hints at stimulus
* China unveils interest rate reform; Germany hints at stimulus
Major stock indexes rose strongly Monday after the White House postponed sanctions on Chinese tech giant Huawei, further easing U.S.-China trade strains.
* Estee Lauder jumps after full-year forecast raised (Updates to late afternoon, changes byline, adds NEW YORK to dateline)
Life as a public company has so far been a rocky one for the audio streaming platform. Since directly listing on the NYSE in April 2018 at $165.90 a share, the stock has had its ups and downs, and is now sitting more than 10% below its opening price.
Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of Google’s (now Alphabet) IPO on 8/18/04.
* Estee Lauder jumps after full-year forecast raise (Updates to early afternoon)
After downgrading the chip sector almost a year ago, brokerage firm Raymond James now is seeing some attractive semiconductor stocks. They include ON Semiconductor and NXP Semiconductors.