Apple’s Recent Bruising

The world’s largest tech stock had a rough December, falling four weeks straight. It continued that decline on the first trading day of the year, falling another 4%. πŸ™ƒ

As we head into the new year, many investors are watching Apple for clues about how the sector and broader market will perform. Given its weighing in the major indexes, exposure to global supply chains, and overall size as a company, it’s clear why.Β 

With today’s move lower, the stock’s market capitalization fell back below $2 trillion. Some analysts suggest this means investors believe that there’s more pain ahead for the stock market and economy. Others see the recent pullback from all-time highs as an opportunity to buy the company long-term. 🀷

Who is ultimately right remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that $AAPL will be on everyone’s radars for the foreseeable future. πŸ‘€

What’s With All The Accounting Issues?

Accounting is the practice of using numbers to tell the story of a company’s past, present, and future. For an investor, these numbers and stories are the foundation of all decisions, so it’s imperative that they’re done correctly. And generally, they are.

But lately, there’s been an uptick in the number of accounting mishaps making their way into the financial markets. Today we got a few more instances of this problem, so let’s take a look. πŸ“

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Boeing Loses Altitude (Again)

If you’re an investor in airlines or airplane manufacturers, this is not the type of headline you want to wake up to. Unfortunately for Boeing and several others, the news is not great. So let’s dig into it. πŸ‘‡

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Investors Are Losing Trust

It’s been a rough eighteen months or so for real estate investment trusts (REITs), with higher interest rates giving investors alternative sources of yield and pressuring commercial real estate’s asset values. Unfortunately for Medical Properties Trust (MPT), that pain continuesΒ today, with its shares falling back to their Great-Financial-Crisis lows. 😬

The medical-related real estate property operator revealed to investors that one of its tenants, Steward Health Care System, is roughly $50 million behind in rent payments. As a result, MPT will take a $225 million noncash charge to write off rent receivables and other items.Β 

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Justice Department Targets UnitedHealth

With the upcoming presidential election looming, the current administration is itching to accomplish more before a potential shakeup. While antitrust regulators have had a field day with big tech, airlines, grocery chains, and others this year, they’re taking another look at UnitedHealth, especially given its recent cybersecurity issues. πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™‚οΈ

The Justice Department is poking around to figure out the relationship between the company’s UnitedHealthcare insurance unit and its Optum health-services division. They’ve asked how UnitedHealth’s acquisitions of doctor groups might affect competitors and consumers. πŸ€”

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