CFRA, an independent research provider, has provided MT Newswires with the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:
The U.S. is suing AAPL, accusing it of monopolizing the smartphone market by citing that AAPL makes it difficult for competitors to integrate with the iPhone, thus raising prices and keeping consumers from switching. The government says AAPL seeks to lock in its users by preventing them from having access to software, like cloud-based mobile games, while non-Apple phones have limited features to iMessage (among other things). Although the DoJ’s case appears much more aggressive than any other towards AAPL and increases risk for investors, the case will likely take years to conclude and we note that U.S. regulators/DoJ have had a spotty record against Big Tech, at best. We do see an increasing likelihood that AAPL will be forced to incrementally open up its ecosystem over time across all geographies but view monopolistic claims as a bit of a reach. All eyes will be on whether recent changes in Europe (DMA) and the pending U.S. litigation will impact the growth trajectory of AAPL’s high margin Services business.