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AAPL

SPOT

Apple has updated its App Store policies to comply with the Epic v. Apple court ruling, allowing U.S. developers to link to alternative payment methods but imposing a 27% commission on such transactions. Critics like Spotify and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney have slammed the move as anticompetitive and undermining the court's intent to foster competition. Spotify calls for EU intervention, while the Coalition for App Fairness criticizes the policy for not benefiting developers or consumers. Apple's similar policies in the Netherlands and South Korea have faced regulatory fines and warnings.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 18, 2024 | 6:06 pm

CYTK

Cytokinetics, Incorporated (NASDAQ:CYTK) is set to present new data from the FOREST-HCM CMR Sub-study on the effect of Aficamten on patients with Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy at CMR 2024. The presentation by Dr. Ahmad Masri will take place on January 25, 2024, during the 'Rapid Fire – Large Clinical Trials and Registries' session in London.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 18, 2024 | 6:01 pm

BLK

JPM

Franklin Templeton, a $1.5 trillion fund, handed over its Twitter account to its Digital Assets Research Team, which posted memes and bullish takes on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Solana. This reflects a broader culture shift in traditional finance towards embracing cryptocurrency culture. The fund's actions, including adding 'laser eyes' to its avatar and discussing a potential Solana ETF, indicate a growing accommodation of crypto by traditional financial institutions. Industry figures like Nic Carter and Emin Gün Sirer reacted to the event, while BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon expressed support for tokenization.

Portfolio Pulse from Ivan Crnogatić

January 18, 2024 | 5:44 pm

AAPL

FXI

iPhone prices are being reduced in China ahead of the Lunar New Year due to declining sales and increased competition from domestic brands like Huawei. Alibaba's Tmall and JD.com are offering significant discounts on iPhones, with Tmall's promotion running until January 31. Apple is also providing discounts at its physical stores and website in China, though less steep than the online retailers. iPhone shipments in China dropped by 4% year-on-year for Q3 2023, and sales in the first week of 2024 fell by approximately 30% compared to the previous year.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 18, 2024 | 4:40 pm

MSFT

OTGLF

SONY

TTWO

Take Two Interactive Software Inc's 'Grand Theft Auto 6' trailer has become the second most-watched video game trailer on YouTube with over 168 million views. It ranks ahead of trailers for 'Red Dead Redemption 2,' CD Projekt SA's 'Cyberpunk 2077,' and Microsoft Corp.'s 'Minecraft,' but behind 'Subway Surfers.' The game is set to launch in 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, with no mention of a PC release. The trailer features a female protagonist and hints at gameplay elements and social media integration.

Portfolio Pulse from Franca Quarneti

January 18, 2024 | 4:30 pm

GOOG

GOOGL

MSFT

Microsoft Corp's integration of ChatGPT into Bing has led to modest growth in its search market share, now at 3.4%. Despite doubling U.S. monthly active users and a tenfold increase in usage with DALL-E 3 integration, Bing's market position remains far behind Google's over 90% share. Microsoft plans to introduce ads and enhance features to drive more traffic and revenue, while Google develops its own AI tools and plans to integrate Gemini. MSFT shares saw a slight increase of 0.85% to $392.78.

Portfolio Pulse from Anusuya Lahiri

January 18, 2024 | 2:44 pm

AAPL

GOOG

SSNLF

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. (OTCPK: SSNLF) has launched the Galaxy S24 series with Galaxy AI features powered by Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google's Gemini large-language model. These AI features are free until the end of 2025 and include live translations, generative AI editing for images, and more. Some features are similar to those in Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 15 Pro and Google's Pixel 8 series.

Portfolio Pulse from Rounak Jain

January 18, 2024 | 2:19 pm

STSS

Sharps Technology has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Roncadelle Operations to sell and distribute each other's products. This strategic move aims to leverage the strengths of both companies to enhance their market presence and expand their product distribution capabilities.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 18, 2024 | 2:08 pm

AAPL

DFS

JPM

NVDA

PLUG

TSLA

The cryptocurrency market saw significant movements with a record $665M Bitcoin transaction and a surge in meme coins after Trump's statement against CBDCs. In the US markets, Discover Financial reported lower Q4 profits, and the Dow fell for the third consecutive session. Trump leads in New Hampshire polls and opposes CBDCs, while Biden seeks Ukraine aid. In tech, TSMC exceeded expectations despite a profit drop, and Apple and Nvidia plan expansions. Tesla faces questions over its pricing strategy, and Rivian introduces leasing options. JPMorgan's CEO met with other bank leaders to discuss fintech competition.

Portfolio Pulse from Akanksha Bakshi

January 18, 2024 | 2:05 pm

WSM

Pottery Barn Kids has launched its first-ever children's home furnishings and heirloom gift collection in collaboration with AERIN, founded by Aerin Lauder. The collection is exclusively available at Pottery Barn Kids.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

January 18, 2024 | 1:52 pm