Apple: The Ultimate Juggernaut

Market Update

Markets were flat yesterday as most investors sit on the sidelines and wait until Emperor PowellPatine takes center stage tomorrow. Wallstreet wants to make sure they know where the Fed’s head is at with interest rates, so I expect trading to be muted today too. There are several reasons to be cautious moving into Q4 for investors.

13,000 auto workers on strike that could escalate to 146,000 😳

We are entering day 5 of the UAW strike against all three major American automakers. With a resolution far from complete, this will surely have a trickle-down effect for the American consumer. Here’s how it shakes out. The automakers’ production have been halted so they are going to see a decrease in vehicle sales. Now I think they have two options here. They can either increase vehicle prices for the consumer to make up for this decline in revenue or they can take the loss. In either event the consumer is taking a blow. Either cars just got even more expensive, or your stock position is going to be in decline.

Student loan repayments for 45 million Americans

Student loan repayments are coming up for millions of Americans in two weeks. This will obviously have an impact on consumer spending, but Wallstreet is still unsure how big of an effect it will have. The markets are bouncing all over the place and will continue to do so until there is concrete data that comes out next month in regards to retail sales strength. Remain cautious until further notice.

Possible Government Shutdown

As if things weren’t shaky enough, there is a good chance that we are facing a government shutdown in 2 weeks. The House and Senate need to approve the new congressional budget to prevent all but the essential federal government agencies from shutting down. If the bill is not passed in time we will see:

• Federal Employees furloughed

• Government food assistance benefits delayed

• National parks closed

• Food safety inspections delayed

• Air travel delayed

Why this Matters to You?

With so much uncertainty in Washington, the markets don’t know what to do. Expect stocks to be volatile and unpredictable for the foreseeable future. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. We will continue to monitor these situations and how they play out over the coming months. If the Fed is able to pull off a soft landing and start cutting rates stocks could rip to all-time highs.

Quote of the Day

“We live in a world defined by the rapid pace of technological change.” - Jerome PowellPatine, Emperor of the Federal Reserve

Tech Corner

I love my AirPods the same as the next person, but I had no idea they were this popular! To put things into perspective, Airpods bring in more revenue for Apple than many other large tech companies make as a whole. There’s a reason why Apple is the most valuable company in the world.

Last week, Apple released several new products including the new and improved adaptive audio Airpods. Apple is claiming that with their new artificial intelligence headphones, the user will be able to wear them all day. This new product will be able to alter sound intake from your surroundings automatically depending on the situation. While you’re in your favorite coffee shop getting some work done, the Airpods will be in noise-cancellation mode. But, once that barista walks up and initiates a conversation, the Airpods will know someone is talking to you and let the in the sound automatically.

This is crazy impressive and another mind-blowing advancement that will get users to upgrade their tech. I expect sales to continue to be strong for Airpods in 2024 with Apple not going anywhere but up. I mean… there’s a reason why half of Warren Buffet’s portfolio is in Apple.

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