Finance
Verizon Shares Take a Hit After Q1 Sales Warning
March 13, 2025
In a bizarre mishap, payment giant Stripe sent out layoff notifications with an unexpected surprise: a cartoon duck attached to the emails. Let’s just say, that’s a quack up.
In market news, stocks ended the week higher, though they took a dip on Friday. The Federal Reserve is anticipated to hold interest rates steady in its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, amid a robust labor market and ongoing questions surrounding Trump’s policies. This week, all eyes are on earnings reports from major players in Big Tech, Big Oil, and more.
Need a Reset?
Apple ($238.80, +0.46%) could probably use a reboot this year. While most of Big Tech (aka BATMMAAN stocks) has had a strong 2025, Apple’s performance has been lagging. Its stock is down roughly 11% so far this year, erasing about $450 billion in market value. Just last week, Nvidia ($122.49, -4.02%) overtook Apple for the sixth time to become the world’s most valuable company. Despite posting record Q4 revenue in October—driven by a modest uptick in iPhone sales for the first time in two quarters—Apple’s other products fell short of expectations. iPhones make up nearly half of Apple’s total revenue, so the pressure is on.
Outlook:
During its last earnings call, Apple forecasted modest single-digit sales growth, aligning with Wall Street's predictions.
In Limbo...
Apple’s 2025 hasn’t been smooth sailing. After being dethroned as China’s top smartphone seller last year, the company now ranks third, behind local competitors Vivo and Huawei, as iPhone sales in the region fell by 17%. Global sales followed a similar trend. To make matters worse, this month Apple had to pull its AI-generated summaries for news and entertainment after repeated errors. A recent survey showed 73% of iPhone users didn’t see much value in the new AI features, which Apple had hoped would drive upgrades. We’ll have to see if that sentiment impacts Apple’s Q1 results, marking the first full quarter with the new devices.
Shifting Gears:
There’s speculation that Apple might be working on a foldable iPhone to take on Samsung and Huawei’s flippable models.
A Bumpy Ride:
Apple may have been named America’s best-run company last year, but now it's facing some tough spots. Just last week, Jefferies downgraded the stock from “hold” to “underperform,” and JPMorgan lowered its price target. To turn things around, Apple will need strong holiday sales and an optimistic outlook to regain its footing.
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Meta ($691.75, +0.34%) and Microsoft ($418.47, -1.21%) are gearing up for earnings reports as the tech giants align with Trump to push their AI agendas. Last week, President Biden backed Stargate, a $500 billion initiative to boost the U.S. AI infrastructure, with key players like OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, SoftBank ($29.98, -1.06%), and Oracle ($162.30, -1.20%) deeply involved. While Meta wasn’t included in the plan, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed Friday that the company plans to build an AI data center as large as a city. The question remains: Will these massive AI investments drive growth? October's results weren’t kind, as Meta’s user growth fell short and Microsoft offered disappointing guidance.
EV Incentives Under Fire
As Tesla ($405.30, -2.53%) and GM ($49.71, -0.55%) prepare to report, President Trump looks set to nix electric vehicle incentives, including the $7.5K tax credit. Tesla delivered a record 496K vehicles in Q4, but growth still came in below expectations. GM made significant strides, becoming the U.S.'s No. 2 EV seller, though Tesla’s market share in the U.S. dipped below 50% for the first time. GM, still reliant on gas-powered vehicles, may benefit from Trump’s rollback of EV incentives and his pro-oil stance, as part of his “drill, baby, drill” push to ramp up oil production.
Home Sales Hit a Slump
2023 marked the slowest year for home sales in nearly 30 years. High mortgage rates—averaging around 6.5%—and sky-high home prices (the median sale price hit a record $407.5K) kept many would-be buyers out of the market. Fewer than a third of Americans who intended to buy a home last year actually followed through. As prices are expected to keep climbing, Trump’s plan to address the affordability crisis involves slashing regulations and ramping up construction. However, critics warn that his proposals for tariffs and stricter immigration policies could make the situation worse.
TikTok's Future: A Game of High Stakes
The battle for TikTok heats up. After Trump granted ByteDance an additional 75 days to divest from the app or face a U.S. ban, the list of potential suitors has grown. Investors, including MrBeast, have made offers, while billionaire Frank McCourt and “Shark Tank” judge Kevin O’Leary proposed a $20 billion deal. However, a ByteDance board member hinted that the company is looking for alternatives to a sale. Trump has suggested the possibility of a U.S.-based company buying a 50% stake in TikTok and forming a joint venture, potentially involving Oracle ($162.30, -1.20%). The drama continues.
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Advertiser's disclosures:
¹ Reservations do not require purchase of a Casita and there is no assurance of how many will result in actual purchases.
² The minimum investment is $1,000. This is a paid advertisement for the Boxabl Inc. Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular and related risks at StartEngine’s Boxabl Website.
Investing in private company securities is not suitable for all investors because it is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. It should only be considered a long-term investment. You must be prepared to withstand a total loss of your investment. Private company securities are also highly illiquid, and there is no guarantee that a market will develop for such securities.
¹ Source: Nasdaq Global Indexes, Nasdaq AI Team, IFI Claims, Factset as of 8/29/2024. Index data as of 12/31/2013 and 12/31/2023. Companies are ranked on prior full-year total patent filings.
² It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
³ See slide 26 for further details on the growth in the value of patents for NDX®, S&P 500, and Global ex-US since May 2007.
Nasdaq®, Nasdaq-100 Index®, Nasdaq-100®, and NDX® are trademarks of Nasdaq, Inc. The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular security or an overall investment strategy. Neither Nasdaq, Inc. nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company. Statements regarding Nasdaq-listed companies or Nasdaq proprietary indexes are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. ADVICE FROM A SECURITIES PROFESSIONAL IS STRONGLY ADVISED.
