Morgans AM: Wednesday, 6 March 2024

Technology stocks led declines on US equity markets overnight, with investors also eyeing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony tonight AEST and labour market data later in the week - Dow fell -405-points or -1.04%. Apple fell -2.84% after a report by Counterpoint Research reported that the company sold 24% fewer iPhones in in China in the first six weeks of 2024 versus a year earlier. Overall smartphone sales declined 7% in the period, though sales for rival firm Huawei jumped 64%, according to the report. Apple is still rapidly losing market share in China, a country that also serves as a manufacturing base for the company, after Beijing last year banned government officials from using Apple phones. In another sign of weakness, Foxconn (or Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd), the Taiwanese company that assembles iPhones for Apple, said on Tuesday (5 March) that February sales fell -12% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, Intel Corp (down -5.37%) and Salesforce Inc (-5.05%) both declined over >5% to be the worst performers in the 30-stock index.