The selloff in artificial intelligence (AI) plays has intensified, with hyperscalers particularly feeling the heat. Even Apple (AAPL), which had been looking steady amid the selloff, came under pressure and fell 5% on Feb. 12 on reports of Siri delays and the company facing Federal Trade Commission (FTC) scrutiny over alleged bias against conservative voices on Apple News. All “Magnificent Seven” stocks except Nvidia (NVDA) have turned red for the year, which is unsurprising. While growing AI capex is pu ...

Quick Read Apple (AAPL) fell 7.95% in a week to $255.78 despite record iPhone sales of $85.27B and $143.76B revenue. Apple faces doubled NAND flash costs starting Q1 2026 and delays in Apple Intelligence 2.0 past March. 29 of 47 analysts maintain Buy ratings with average target of $292.15 despite the selloff. A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ retirement savings and moved retirement from dream, to reality. Read more here. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) closed at $255.78 on F ...

Group 1 - Apple's stock price experienced a significant drop of 5% on February 13, 2026, closing at $261.73, marking its worst single-day performance since April 2025, with a trading volume of $21.54 billion and a total market capitalization of $3.84 trillion [1] - Year-to-date, Apple's stock has declined by approximately 4.46%, with a total market value around $3.81 trillion as of February 13, 2026 [1] Group 2 - Recent reports indicate a delay in the upgrade of Siri's artificial intelligence, with the internal rollout pushed to May or later, although Apple confirmed plans for a 2026 release [2] - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook on February 11, requesting a review of Apple News' service terms and content filtering policies, raising regulatory concerns [2] - The iPhone 17e is expected to be launched on February 19, featuring upgrades such as the Dynamic Island design and A19 chip, targeting emerging markets [2] - Tim Cook emphasized in an internal meeting on February 9 that AI will be a core pillar for the company's future [2] Group 3 - UBS downgraded the rating for the U.S. technology sector to neutral on February 10, citing uncertainties in the software industry and high capital expenditures, which have heightened investor caution regarding large tech companies' investments in AI [3]

Core Viewpoint - The F.T.C. has raised concerns that Apple may be violating consumer protection laws by suppressing conservative viewpoints in its news aggregation service [1] Group 1 - Andrew Ferguson of the F.T.C. communicated with Apple regarding potential violations of consumer protection law [1]

Core Insights - Apple stock has faced significant pressure recently, erasing its year-to-date gains due to a combination of regulatory scrutiny and delays in AI feature releases [1][1][1] Company Performance - Apple shares initially gained momentum in January following an AI partnership announcement with Alphabet and record holiday-quarter revenue [1][1] - However, the stock dropped 5% after the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning regarding the Apple News service and reports indicated delays in AI-powered Siri features [1][1][1] - Following the earnings report that showed strong iPhone and services revenue, Apple shares rose nearly 8% but subsequently fell, erasing most of those gains [1][1] Industry Context - The tech sector, including Apple and its peers, has been under pressure due to concerns about AI spending and high valuations, impacting broader market performance [1][1] - The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF, which includes major tech companies, has underperformed the S&P 500 in 2026, reflecting the challenges faced by the sector [1][1] - Concerns about overspending on AI infrastructure have also affected stocks of other major tech companies like Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta [1][1]

Market Overview - The Hang Seng Index closed at 27,032, down 0.86% for the day and up 5.47% year-to-date [1] - The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 1.65% to 5,408, with notable declines in major tech stocks [5] - The A-share market saw the Shanghai Composite Index close at 4,134, up 0.05%, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose 0.86% to 14,283 [5] Currency Performance - The Renminbi Index stood at 98.340, increasing by 0.36% over the past month and 1.44% over six months [2] - The US Dollar Index decreased by 2.10% in the last month and 1.34% over six months [2] Commodity Prices - Brent crude oil rose by 10.06% over the past month, reaching $69.570 per barrel [3] - Gold prices increased by 10.36% in the last month, currently priced at $5,073.21 per ounce [3] Company News - Grab reported its first annual profit of $268 million, a significant turnaround from a loss of $105 million the previous year, with Q4 profit soaring 533% year-on-year [13] - SoftBank's investment in OpenAI has yielded substantial returns, with an estimated investment gain of $19.8 billion, contributing to a return to profitability for the company [14][15] - MINIMAX launched its new programming model, MiniMax M2.5, which is designed for high-performance coding and competes with top international models [16] Stock Performance - Zijin Mining rose by 3.45% to HKD 45.02, making it the best-performing blue-chip stock [19] - Budweiser Asia saw a decline of 5.21% to HKD 7.83, marking it as one of the worst performers [19] IPO Information - Recent IPOs include Xian Dao Intelligent, which debuted at HKD 43.80, and Aixin Yuan Zhi, which started at HKD 24.12, both showing varied performance in their initial trading days [26] Economic Indicators - Hong Kong's overall export volume increased by 21.6% year-on-year in December, with significant growth in exports to Taiwan and the US [10][11]

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson has expressed concerns regarding alleged political bias in Apple News, suggesting that it may be promoting left-leaning content while suppressing conservative viewpoints [2][4]. Group 1: Allegations of Bias - Ferguson's letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook highlights allegations that Apple News has systematically favored news articles from left-wing outlets and suppressed content from conservative publications [2][4]. - Multiple studies have indicated that Apple News has not featured any articles from American conservative-leaning news sources in recent months, while promoting hundreds of articles from liberal publications [4]. Group 2: Regulatory Context - The FTC has previously sought public comment to investigate whether major tech companies, including Apple, are limiting consumer access to information based on political affiliations, which could violate the FTC Act [3]. - Ferguson clarified that the FTC's role is not to police speech but to protect consumers from material misrepresentations and omissions, including those related to speech [4]. Group 3: Company Performance - The concerns from the FTC arise as Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary and reports record-breaking financial results, with anticipation for new smartphone releases in 2026 [5]. - Apple currently has a market capitalization of $4.05 trillion, with a 52-week high of $288.61 and a low of $169.21, closing at $261.73, down 5% [6].

Core Viewpoint - Apple's stock price fell by 5% following negative news regarding its Siri virtual assistant upgrades and potential regulatory scrutiny [1][4]. Group 1: Siri Upgrades - Apple is reportedly considering delaying upgrades to its Siri virtual assistant due to issues with in-app voice commands not functioning as intended [2]. - Previous delays in Siri updates occurred in March 2025, with many advanced capabilities still not launched [2]. - The company's privacy policies may complicate the integration of artificial intelligence, as Apple aims to protect user data while enhancing Siri's capabilities [3]. Group 2: Regulatory Pressure - Apple CEO Tim Cook received a warning from FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson regarding potential violations of law related to Apple News misrepresenting its terms of service based on political views [4]. - Investors are concerned about increased regulatory scrutiny on Apple and other tech giants, which may impact the company's operations and stock performance [4]. Group 3: Investment Considerations - Analysts from The Motley Fool Stock Advisor have identified 10 stocks they believe are better investment opportunities than Apple at this time [5]. - Historical performance of stocks recommended by The Motley Fool shows significant returns, with examples like Netflix and Nvidia yielding substantial profits for early investors [6].

Core Viewpoint - Apple experienced its worst trading day since April of the previous year due to delays in the AI update for its voice assistant Siri and scrutiny of its news application by regulatory authorities [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance - As of Thursday's market close, Apple's stock price fell by 5%, erasing all gains made in 2026, with a cumulative decline of nearly 4% year-to-date [2]. - The stock's recent performance has been influenced by concerns from Wall Street regarding excessive spending by large tech companies in the AI sector [3]. Group 2: Product Updates - Reports indicated that the highly anticipated Siri AI update has been postponed internally to May or even later, with features now expected to be rolled out in phases over several months [2]. - Despite the delays, Apple stated that it still plans to launch the Siri update as scheduled in 2026 [3]. Group 3: Regulatory Scrutiny - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned Apple against suppressing conservative content on its Apple News platform, indicating that such practices could violate laws aimed at preventing corporate deception of consumers [3].

Core Insights - Apple's stock dropped 5% following negative news, including a warning letter from the Federal Trade Commission regarding its news app and delays in AI features [1][1][1] Regulatory Concerns - The Federal Trade Commission warned Apple that its news app could violate laws by misrepresenting terms of service and favoring "left-wing" news outlets over conservative ones [1][1] - This warning raises concerns about Apple's relationship with the Trump administration, which had previously been supportive of the company [1][1] AI Development Delays - Reports indicated that an AI-enhanced upgrade for Siri has been delayed, contributing to worries that Apple is lagging behind competitors in AI advancements [1][1] - The delays in AI features come after Apple had previously posted record revenue for the holiday quarter, driven by strong iPhone and services sales [1][1] Market Impact - The 5% drop in Apple's stock represents the worst performance since April and has erased much of the gains made in recent weeks [1][1] - As of now, Apple's shares are in the red for 2026, indicating a challenging start to the year for the company [1][1]