Â
Today we are watching…
1. Apple (#aapl)
The iPhone SE was announced at a strange time, deep amid what the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is calling the worse downturn since the Great Depression. However, sales have beaten the expectations of Ming-Chi Kuo, the brand’s top analyst. The phone isn’t dragging up the rest of the business, though, as the company warned back in February. Overall, phone shipments are lagging pre-corona levels by 20-25%. “The most difficult challenge from COVID-19 is the negative impact on consumer confidence or purchasing power that comes after the outbreak.” Are you more optimistic? Are you buying?
2. Vodafone (#vod)
5G relies on transmissions from radio waves, part of the electromagnetic spectrum. There’s radiation involved, and in some people’s minds, radiation is helping the spread of coronavirus. Radio towers are being torched, and protestors are taking to the streets. The chief technology officer at Vodafone, a major British mobile network provider, is lambasting such claims. He says there’s no connection, so there should be no delays on 5G adoption (what millions of investors are waiting for). He says Vodafone will continue to deploy 5G, and conspiracy theorists cannot get in the way!
