Apple lost its handle on the global stage | Nickel and aluminium prices scrubbed up |
Finimize

TOGETHER WITH

Hi John, here's what you need to know for April 16th in 3:11 minutes.

🪙  Women are still paid less than men on average. That makes it just about impossible to invest as much as men – so we’ve worked with CFA Institute to build a guide that makes a difference. Read it for free

Today's big stories

  1. Apple’s iPhone sales sat last quarter out, leaving room for Samsung and Xiaomi to storm the field
  2. Analysts don’t have high hopes for every sector this earnings season – Read Now
  3. Aluminum and nickel prices were reinforced after the US and UK banned Russian metals

Blow Your Top

Blow Your Top

What’s going on here?

Apple shipped 10% fewer iPhones last quarter than the same time last year, leaving the number-one spot wide open.

What does this mean?

Total global smartphone shipments increased by 8% last quarter from the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). The iPhone was far from the bestseller, though, with shipments falling to just over 50 million units, pushing Apple’s market share down from 21% a year ago to 17%. So even though Samsung’s sales were basically flat, the brand took back the top spot from Apple. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi increased its market share from 11% to 14%, landing at the bronze spot on the podium.

Why should I care?

Zooming in: Apple’s being tested.

Traders will hardly be surprised by that data. It’s been big news that the iPhone is losing ground in China, with local brands winning the country’s customers over. Mind you, the Chinese government might’ve done its bit to help, banning employees in government agencies and state-owned companies from using foreign devices in the workplace. Even with all that in the background, though, Apple’s share price has picked up a little lately. Of course, any optimism will be tested on May 2nd, when Apple releases its earnings and provides guidance for the quarter ahead, as well.

The bigger picture: AI fixes everything.

That said, there are a few reasons why investors might be expecting a turnaround. The news that Apple is working on a new high-tech chip for its MacBooks got investors excited about the potential of integrated AI solutions, and that showed in the share price. More details should come out at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Plus, the next iPhone – slated for a launch in September – is speculated to have AI features that could be capable of creating a buzz among tech investors once again.

Copy to share story: https://app.finimize.com/content/blow-your-top

🙋 Ask a question

Analyst Take

What To Expect This Earning Season, From Big Tech To Big Banks

What To Expect This Earning Season, From Big Tech To Big Banks
Photo of Reda Farran, CFA

Reda Farran, CFA, Analyst

Forget anniversaries, after-work drinks, or vacations. Earnings season is the event that investors really clear their calendars for.

So let’s take a look at what analysts are expecting before the final results roll in, so you can be as prepared as possible.

That’s today’s Insight: where analysts expect to see fortune and failure this earnings season.

Read or listen to the Insight here

SPONSORED BY CFA INSTITUTE

Earn your digital certificate in digital assets

Decentralized finance is changing the asset management industry.

Cryptocurrencies, and the blockchain technology that runs through them, is also profoundly changing the way we perceive transparency, ownership, and freedom when it comes to money.

If you can’t keep up, you risk falling behind professionally, financially, and when your friends launch into the acronyms at the pub.

So check out the DeFi: Introduction to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency course from CFA Institute, work online at your own pace, and develop a comprehensive understanding of the digital scene.

That includes the ins and outs of blockchain tech, the current applications and potential impacts of DeFi, financial markets, and the intersection of DeFi, traditional finance, and governance.

Get a real-life hold on the digital world with CFA Institute.

Find Out More

When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that.

If you want your brand featured here, get in touch.

Nickel And Climb

Nickel And Climb

What’s going on here?

Aluminum and nickel prices picked up after the US and UK imposed a ban on Russian metals.

What does this mean?

Russia churns out a ton of sought-after metals. In fact, 36% of the nickel, 62% of the copper, and 91% of the aluminum stored in the London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses are from Russia. That’s big: the LME sets metal prices around the globe. So when the US and UK banned new metal deliveries from Russia to the LME late on Friday, investors initially sent aluminum prices up by a record 9.4% on Monday when markets reopened, while pushing nickel 8.8% higher too. That’s because less of Russia’s metal will reach Western markets, forcing them to plug the gap with more desirable – and therefore, pricier – metals from other regions.

Why should I care?

For markets: Talk about a hot commodity.

Commodity prices are up 15% this year and 178% since their pandemic lows. On top of rising industrial metal prices, precious metals like gold and silver have seen double-digit price increases this year, as have energy commodities like crude oil and gasoline. There’s a laundry list of reasons why, including supply chain disruptions, heightened geopolitical risks, a strengthening manufacturing sector that’s hungry for raw materials, and the number of investors flocking to tangible assets now that interest rate cuts are looking less certain. That’s fueling speculation of another commodity supercycle, when prices stay much higher for longer.

For you personally: Portfolios need reinforcements.

Higher commodity prices feed into inflation, reducing the likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates anytime soon. And because stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies have benefited from expectations of a trim, they could take a knock if that doesn’t materialize. So popping commodities into a portfolio could protect it from that risk – although if the current climate turns into a recession, commodity prices would likely end up in the dumps, too.

Copy to share story: https://app.finimize.com/content/nickel-and-climb

🙋 Ask a question

💬 Quote of the day

"We are no longer happy so soon as we wish to be happier."

– Walter Savage Landor (an English writer and poet)
Tweet this

Connect your brand with the next generation of investors

Our one-million-strong international financial community has some big plans.

They want to develop their investing skills and discover expert tools that could help them trade better, all in a bid to achieve their dreams of financial freedom.

Your brand could help them do just that: whether you provide information, tools, or tricks, you could help retail investors around the world make smarter decisions.

So showcase your mojo in this very spot, and introduce yourself to over a million engaged investors – you might even help us change the world of finance for the better.

Get Your Name Out There

Bitcoin’s “halving” event – which slices the reward that miners earn – is now just a few days away. Historically, the once-every-four-years event has sent the crypto's price higher. This time, though, traders think it could backfire for miners.

Read The Quicktake

🎯 On Our Radar

1. Grab the keys and pack the snacks. Check out the best road trips around the world.

2. Women are still paid less than men on average. That makes it harder for them to keep up with investments – but where there’s a will, there’s a way.*

3. The US government has problems. Microsoft made the list.

4. AI might be savvy, but it's far from infallible. If you want to invest with the tech, make sure you do it right.**

5. A lot of factors can break a friendship. Forget money and business, Taylor Swift is getting in the way of relationships.

**See Streetbeat's disclosures.

When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that.

🌍 Finimize Live

🤩 Coming Up Soon...

All events are in UK time.

💸 Increase Your Wealth With Blockchain And Bitcoin: 5pm April 24th
💥 A Beginners Guide To Impact Investing: 5pm, May 14th
🤖 How To Leverage AI In Investing: 5pm, June 4th
🚀 2024 Modern Investor Summit: 2pm, December 3rd

❤️ Share with a friend

Thanks for reading John. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend.

You stay classy, John 😉

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Give feedback

Want to advertise with us too? Get in touch

Image Credits:

Image credits: shutterstock | dall-e

Preferences:

Update your email or change preferences

View in browser

Unsubscribe from all Finimize Emails

😴

Crafted by Finimize Ltd. | 280 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AG

All content provided by Finimize Ltd. is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to represent trade or investment recommendations. You signed up to this mailing list at finimize.com or through one of our partners. © Finimize 2021

View Online