🍎 Apple Drops -4% After Tariffs, Falling China Sales, and More

Apple faces an 'existential threat' as it falls behind in the AI race with constant delays...

BIG TECH EARNINGS
🍎 Apple Falls -4% and Amazon Falls Flat (In Sharp Contrast to Microsoft and Meta Last Week)

🔥 It was a big week this week with Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Amazon all reporting earnings!

🚀 On Thursday, we talked about Meta and Microsoft’s exceptional results, leading to a massive week for both stocks. Meta ended the week up +7.5% and Microsoft up 11% (its biggest post-earnings gain in over 10 years).

😇 This wasn’t just good news for these companies - it cast a halo effect on the whole market as it eased worries of a ‘potential AI pullback’. As a result, all the major indexes soared:

  • The S&P 500 (tracked by $ZSP) jumped 2.9% and is now only down -3% year-to-date (compared to -15% at the lowest point in early April)

  • The Nasdaq-100 (tracked by $HXQ) jumped 3.5% and is now only down -4% year-to-date (compared to -19% at the lowest point in early April)

📉 But while the rest of the market soared, Amazon fell flat, up only a measly +0.12% this week, and Apple fell, dropping -2.2% this week (and -3.9% since reporting earnings)

👀 So let’s see what’s going on with these two tech giants and why this week told such a different story for them compared to Microsoft and Meta, starting first with Apple…

📊 Despite the Drop, Apple Actually Beat Most Expectations

Before we discuss the reasons for the stock drop, let’s take a look at the numbers.

📊 Key Results:

  • 🤑 Revenue: $95.4B, 4% higher than last year and 1% higher than analysts projected

  • 📲 iPhone Revenue: $46.84B, 2% higher than last year and 2% higher than analysts projected

  • 🇨🇳 China Sales: $16B, -2.3% lower than last quarter and -4.9% under analysts’ projections

  • ☁️ Services Revenue: $26.7B, 11.7% higher than last year and -0.2% under analysts’ projections

  • 💸 Earnings per Share: $1.65, 8% higher than last year and 1.2% higher than analysts projected

⚠️ By the numbers, it wasn’t the worst report for Apple, with most metrics beating expectations, but there were 4 major factors making investors nervous: Tariffs, a massive lawsuit loss, falling sales in China, and AI delays.

🤿 But before we dive in, a quick word from this week’s sponsor, Purpose Investments!

PRESENTED BY PURPOSE INVESTMENTS
💸 Solana Staking. No Fee Drain.

🪙 You’ve probably heard of Bitcoin. Maybe even Ether. But crypto’s grown way past the OGs – and Solana’s been leading the charge.

Now there’s a smarter way to get in: the Purpose Solana ETF ($SOLL) from Purpose Investments. It’s not just exposure to SOL in a regulated ETF (wallets are for lunch money; real investors use ETFs), it’s active in-house staking where the rewards flow straight back into the fund. Other funds farm out staking to third parties and pass the fees onto you. Not SOLL.

🔒 Why it’s a better way in

  • In-house staking = no middleman fees and more value for investors

  • Staking rewards stay in the fund, boosting potential returns

  • Secure cold storage with Gemini and Coinbase

  • Simple ETF access – no wallets, keys, or sketchy DeFi logins

Solana is fast, scalable, and built for the future. If you’re only holding BTC, it might be time to diversify into the next generation, without giving up safety or simplicity.

🧠 Looking to learn more?

  • Solana 101 Whitepaper – Learn Solana’s history, differentiating features, and unique value prop.

  • Proof of History Explained – Discover how Solana’s blazing-fast seed, unique Proof-of-History tech, and scalable architecture set it apart from other blockchains.

  • Purpose Digital Assets Suite – Whether your goal is growth, income, or diversification, Purpose has a solution built for it.

*See Purpose Investments Disclaimer at the end of the newsletter

BIG TECH EARNINGS
😰 Tariffs, Lawsuits, Falling Sales in China, and AI Delays All to Blame for Apple’s Decline

If the numbers were fine, why did the stock drop? There are actually 4 reasons to blame:

1) 💰 Tim Cook Warns of $900M Tariff

The first, and arguably the most obvious reason, is Trump’s tariffs, which Apple CEO Tim Cook estimates will add $900M in extra costs in the upcoming quarter.

While Apple has taken steps to move its US production away from China to avoid the 145% tariffs - with half of the iphones being produced for the US made in India - the tariffs will still be a major blow to Apple’s profitability, at least in the short term.

2) 🧑‍⚖️ Apple Loses Major Lawsuit, Damaging Apple’s Control of the App Store

This one I haven’t seen as widely reported, but this week Apple lost a major lawsuit to Epic Games, which seriously threatens Apple’s control over the App Store.

Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, which back in December 2023 won a similar lawsuit against Google, just won a lawsuit that bans Apple from charging a commission on purchases made outside the App Store.

For apps (including Blossom), Apple takes a massive 15-30% cut of all payments and was previously blocking apps from directing users off-app to bypass this fee. With the recent ruling, Apple is no longer allowed to do this!

What’s interesting is the same judge in the current case actually issued a ruling back in 2021 saying that Apple was not unfairly monopolizing, but basically told Apple to stop blocking apps that allowed users to bypass the fee. From the new reports, it sounds like Apple basically ignored this ruling, with the judge saying:

“That Apple thought this Court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation”

Epic v. Apple Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers

Apple will of course appeal the ruling, but this is potentially a serious blow to Apple’s Services Revenue, which has been its biggest growth driver to date.

3) 🇨🇳 Falling Sales in China

The most obvious ‘red’ in Apple’s earnings was its sales in China, falling ~5% under analyst expectations.

While only 17% of revenue, China was a major growth market for Apple, but has now just become a source of pain, as Apple loses ground to Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo.

4) 🤖 Continuous AI Delays Threaten iPhone Sales

Last but not least, Apple has continuously delayed its Apple Intelligence features - once hailed as the saviour for stagnating iPhone sales, it’s now become a major cause for concern, with the most influential tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee even making a scathing video about it.

Apple is under intense pressure from investors to prove it’s still a leader in the AI space, but while competitors like Google, Microsoft, and even Samsung are shipping real features, Apple has been slow and vague - repeatedly delaying AI features.

Some of these features (like a new and improved Siri) Apple is already using in marketing campaigns, but don’t even exist yet.

This disconnect between how successful Apple would like us to believe they are with AI and how poorly and delayed things are actually going — that is the crisis on Apple’s hands right now.

Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee

To me, this is a critical threat facing Apple and even as a new iPhone 16 owner, I’m pretty disappointed with the new features and feel like they certainly don’t match the hype.

👑 If Apple wants to keep its throne, it seriously needs to step it up, and based on all these reasons, I think the stock drop was very justified.

🌼 The Blossom community was mixed on Apple this week, with the stock ranking as the #19th Most Sold but also the #21st Most Bought. Apple still remains the 3rd Most Held stock in the US and the 4th Most Held in Canada on Blossom

😅 Since I spent too much time breaking down Apple (and ran a half-marathon this morning), I’ve run out of time to touch on Amazon - but for a great recap check out this article from CNBC and make sure to visit the Amazon stock page on Blossom to see what the community is thinking!

😎 Before we finish off with the top posts and discussions of the week, a quick word from another amazing sponsor of the Buzz Dynamic Funds + an exciting new ETF to add to your radar!

PRESENTED BY DYNAMIC FUNDS
🔍 Discover DXDB: Your Strategic Bond Solution

🎢 Tired of those erratic market swings? In times of market uncertainty, bonds can provide an important stabilizer to any portfolio. Not only that, bonds can often provide a steady stream of income and capital gains. At Dynamic Funds, one of the largest active managers in Canada, we offer several fixed income solutions that can take your portfolio to the next level.

🎯 Dynamic Active Discount Bond ETF (DXDB) aims to invest in discounted bonds, those priced below par value, providing distinct advantages. First, these bonds are a portfolio diversifier and may provide a cushion against market downturns. Second, the potential for tax-efficient returns is significant; capital appreciation from discounted bonds is taxed more favorably than traditional interest income.

⭐️ What sets DXDB apart? It’s actively managed, meaning our Specialized Credit Team meticulously selects investment-grade bonds with maturities between three to seven years, balancing risk and return for an optimized fixed income strategy.

💸 For investors seeking an actively managed bond portfolio that can adapt to changing market conditions while delivering tax-efficient income, DXDB is the smart choice. Don’t let traditional bond investing hold you back - explore the benefits of Dynamic Active Discount Bond ETF today.

*See Dynamic Funds Disclaimer at the end of the newsletter

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CBOE CANADA
🚨 New Listing Alert! Middlefield Innovation Dividend ETF

⭐️ This week, Middlefield’s popular Innovation Dividend ETF ($MINN) made headlines when it announced that it is officially transferring over its listing to CBOE Canada - so what is MINN?

🎯 From Middlefield’s website, “Middlefield Innovation Dividend ETF seeks to provide attractive long-term total returns through an investment strategy primarily focused on global dividend-paying companies engaged in the development and commercialization of technological products or services.”

💸 With a current dividend yield of 1.9%, MINN is invested in some of the most popular technology stocks like Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Apple, Broadcom, Sony, and more.

👀 Nearly 400 folks on Blossom already have MINN on their watchlist! Learn more about MINN here.

Purpose Investments Disclaimer:

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. Please read the prospectus and other disclosure documents before investing. Investment funds are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurance that the full amount of your investment in a fund will be returned to you. If the securities are purchased or sold on a stock exchange, you may pay more or receive less than the current net asset value. Investment funds are not guaranteed; their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Crypto assets can be extremely volatile, and there is no guarantee that the amount invested will be returned to you. Fund distribution levels and frequencies are not guaranteed and may vary at the sole discretion of Purpose.

Certain statements in this document may be forward-looking. Forward-looking statements (“FLS”) are statements that are predictive in nature, depend on or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate” or other similar expressions. Statements that look forward in time or include anything other than historical information are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results, actions or events could differ materially from those set forth in the FLS.  Although the FLS contained in this document is based upon what Purpose believes to be reasonable assumptions, Purpose cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these FLS. The reader is cautioned to consider the FLS carefully and not to place undue reliance on the FLS. Unless required by applicable law, it is not undertaken, and specifically disclaimed, that there is any intention or obligation to update or revise FLS, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Dynamic Funds Disclaimer:

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses may be associated with mutual fund investments, including ETFs. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds and ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. The information provided is not intended to be investment advice. Investors should consult their own professional advisor for specific investment and/or tax advice tailored to their needs when planning to implement an investment strategy to ensure that individual circumstances are considered properly and action is taken based on the latest available information.

Dynamic Funds® is a registered trademarks of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under license by, and is a division of, 1832 Asset Management L.P.

© Copyright 2025 The Bank of Nova Scotia.  All rights reserved.