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Apple Shares Hit An All-time High

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

June 12, 2024

Shares of Apple jumped to a record high on Tuesday, marking their biggest daily gain since late 2022. The big jump came after Wall Street welcomed the iPhone maker’s long-awaited announcement about its plans for generative artificial intelligence .

KEY FACTS

Apple shares rose more than 7% to $207, about $8 higher than the previous record close and topped $200 for the first time.
That sent Apple’s market capitalization jumping from roughly $215 billion to $3.2 trillion, ranking among the 10 biggest daily market value jumps in history.
The rally came a day after Apple announced various AI features that will be integrated into the iPhone and other devices later this year, the most notable of which is the integration of OpenAI’s hit AI-generating chatbot ChatGPT directly into iPhone apps.
Even after the sharp jump, Apple remains behind Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company, a title Apple lost in January. Apple has narrowed the market capitalization gap between it and Microsoft to less than $50 billion.

IMPORTANT QUOTE

“Apple’s WWDC keynote showed enough improvements to reassure us of the expected upgrade cycle with the release of iPhone 16 and the release of iOS18 in the fall of this year,” wrote JPMorgan analysts led by Samik Chatterjee. Apple could certainly use a rekindling of iPhone sales, which are expected to fall to their lowest level since 2020 in the current quarter, according to consensus analyst estimates compiled by FactSet.

BIG NUMBER

7%. That’s how much Apple shares have risen in price since the beginning of the year. That’s far worse than the S&P 500’s 13% gain, but still marks a significant stock market turnaround for Apple, whose shares were down 12% year-to-date as of the end of April.

CONTRA

Apple regained its position as Wall Street’s second most valuable company after losing it to Nvidia last week. The leader in chip manufacturing received a market valuation of 3.003 trillion. dollar. However, Nvidia is currently valued at $2.9 trillion. dollars, while Apple exceeds a valuation of 3.1 trillion. dollar.

KEY STORY

Apple finally unveiled its overarching generative AI offerings “Apple Intelligence” on Monday, a highly anticipated announcement that heralded upcoming upgrades to the iPhone’s Siri voice assistant and messaging, all powered by OpenAI. Apple seems to have fallen behind with the integration of artificial intelligence compared to its major technological rivals such as Alphabet and Meta, and it may be a strategy, analysts say. “Apple’s position seems to be that it doesn’t need to pursue AI. Instead, it leaves that up to Meta, OpenAI and others, saving billions,” Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett summarized.

HSBC Restructures Banking Divisions and Appoints First Female CFO

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 22, 2024

HSBC is undergoing significant changes as part of a strategic restructuring led by new CEO Georges Elhedery. The bank is merging its commercial and investment banking units in a bid to streamline its operations, cut costs, and enhance efficiency. This transformation includes consolidating its business into four divisions: UK, Hong Kong, corporate and institutional banking, and wealth banking. The newly formed corporate and institutional banking division will integrate commercial banking with its global banking and markets business, along with its Western wholesale operations.

A notable aspect of this overhaul is the appointment of Pam Kaur, HSBC’s first female Chief Financial Officer, marking a historic moment for the bank. Kaur, who has been with HSBC since 2013 and currently serves as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, will step into this leadership role at a time when the bank is under pressure to reduce expenses and optimize its business structure.

Other leadership shifts include Greg Guyett assuming a new role as Chair of the Strategic Clients Group and the departure of Colin Bell, CEO of HSBC Bank and Europe, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities. HSBC has been gradually reducing its presence in Western markets like the U.S., France, and Canada to focus on its stronger foothold in Asia.

These changes are part of HSBC’s broader efforts to simplify operations and position itself for future success in an increasingly competitive and cost-sensitive environment.