


FANG techs (plus more) fall on news of investigations
Both Congress and government regulators are taking aim at big tech. The House Judiciary Committee is planning an investigation into whether digital platform companies are using their market power to harm competition. The Federal Trade Commission is taking the lead in...
Down yesterday, up today–traders buy the chip stocks they sold yesterday on Huawei headlines
Stocks--especially chip stocks--have rallied strongly today on headlines saying that the Department of Commerce has granted a 90-day license for U.S. companies to do business with China's Huawei Technologies in order to service existing networks. This is especially...
Why did Apple settle with Qualcomm now? Can you say 5G?
Why did Apple settle a dispute that had dragged on for two years with Qualcomm now?How about because troubles at Intel threatened to leave Apple without the 5G modem chips it needed for a new 5G iPhone?

Apple meeting lowered earnings, revenue expectations–and then guides lower for next quarter
Goes to show you that if you lower expectations enough, you can beat them when you actually report earnings. Even if the earnings report itself is bad news. After the close of the New York market today, Apple (AAPL) reported December quarter earnings of $4.18 a share...
Apple cuts revenue forecast, drops 7.6% in after-hours trading
Will Apple's (AAPL) warning spook stocks tomorrow, Thursday, January 3, to a degree that bad economic news out of China didn't today? After the close in New York Apple CEO Tim Cook dramatically lowered the company's estimates for sales in the December quarter. Apple...
Citigroup lowers its Apple iPhone sales estimates
Shares of Apple (AAPL) haven't done too badly today--up 0.60% at 3:30 p.m. New York time--considering that they got a hard ding from Citigroup today. According to a report from Citigroup, investors can expect a significant reduction in production of the iPhone XS,...
Selling AAPL, FCX, NKTR, PXD, VIX options out of Volatility Portfolio on likelihood of continued downward trend in the market and looming expirations
In November and December I selectively added risk to my Volatility Portfolio in the expectation of a strong seasonal January Effect Rally and the odds of an end of the year bounce that would, temporarily, disrupt the developing bear market. I thought that was a...
Notes You Need for November 26: Argentina, Italy budget, Treasury yields, MGM, Federal Reserve minutes, Salesforce, corporate bonds, BMY, AAPL
In my daily trawling through the market I come upon lots of tidbits of knowledge that I think are important to investors but that don't justify a full post. I've decided to start compiling these notes here each day in a kind of running mini blog that I'm calling Notes...
How could Apple be so stupid?
Let's see. You're a company running into serious global headwinds in a maturing (or mature market) that are raising huge doubts about your ability to increase unit sales quarter to quarter for your core product. You: a) Grimly admit that unit sales are stagnant and...
Apple ahead of earnings: What to watch, what to expect
Apple (AAPL) reports earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter (the quarter that ended in September) after the market close in New York tonight. Right now, at 2:30 the shares are down 0.05% to $218.76. I bought the Apple January 18, 2019 calls with a strike price of $225...