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MORNING quote AMERICAS-Apple angst, Tesla tanks, Bitcoin balks

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and international markets from Mike Dolan Has the Spectacular Seven become the Famous 5 and even Fab 4?

With one eye on the major macro events of the week, Apple and Tesla's separation from this year's. tech-infused stock market buoyancy and their underperformance. versus the other Magnificent Seven megacaps has actually ended up being more. pointed.

Apple's stock was down practically 2% again ahead of Tuesday's. bell after news that iPhone sales in China fell 24% year-on-year. in the first six weeks of 2024 - as the U.S. huge faces. increased competition from domestic rivals such as Huawei .

And it has actually been a bad week already for Apple, which dropped. 3% on Monday after the European Union fined it 1.84 billion. euros ($ 2 billion) for preventing competition from music. streaming competitors through curbs on its App Shop. It was the iPhone. maker's very first charge for breaching EU rules.

Apple is now down practically 10% for the year to date -. underperforming the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 by about. 16%. And even though it is still up 15% over the past 12 months,. that's less than a 3rd the gain of the Nasdaq 100.

Tesla's stock concerns are even much deeper as it deals with waning need. for electric automobiles and a rate war, with its stock now down. nearly 25% for 2024. It dropped more than 7% on Monday alone. after its sales declined in February in China, where it likely. faced a downturn throughout the Lunar New Year holidays.

With expert system and related chipmaking the buzz. of the year, Google-parent Alphabet has actually not fared much. much better - and is down nearly 5% for the year.

With even the equal-weighted S&P 500 up 4% this. year, the underperformance is noteworthy.

Exposure to China's stumbling economy, the geopolitical. standoff in between Washington and Beijing and this year U.S. elections might be common elements.

China's mainland stocks edged higher on Tuesday. after Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced an ambitious 2024. economic development target of around 5% on Tuesday, appealing actions. to transform the nation's advancement model and defuse dangers. fuelled by insolvent home developers and indebted cities.

With residential or commercial property and tech sector concerns smouldering in the. background, Hong Kong's Hang Seng were less pleased -. moving 2.6% and with its tech giants tumbling 4.3%.

Details of Tuesday's National Individuals's Congress plan showed. China will enhance defence costs by 7.2% this year, sustaining a. military budget that has more than doubled under President Xi. Jinping's 11 years in office as Beijing solidifies its position on. Taiwan.

Back on Wall St, politics was likewise leading of mind on Super. Tuesday. Donald Trump won the North Dakota Republican Politician. governmental caucuses on Monday, according to forecasts, ahead. of a multitude of contests where he is expected to strengthen his. grip on the party's governmental nomination.

Trump, who has actually assured universal 10% import tariffs and. bilateral trade tariffs of 60% on China's products if elected, was. handed a major triumph on Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court. barred states from disqualifying candidates under a. constitutional arrangement involving insurrection. That reversed. Colorado's exclusion of him from its ballot.

Somewhere else, bitcoin's nearly 60% charge higher this. year seemed to stumble at the final hurdle on Tuesday as it. balked at 2021's record high near $69,000 and turned tail.

Microstrategy fell practically 9% after the bitcoin. development company revealed a private offering for $600. million in convertible senior notes, with earnings to be used to. buy bitcoin.

More broadly, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures remained in the red. once again after an ugly start to the week.

Advanced Micro Gadget was off about 3% after a. report that the chipmaker hit a U.S. government obstruction in its. efforts to sell an AI chip tailored for the Chinese market.

With Wednesday's congressional testimony from Federal. Reserve chair Jerome Powell now strongly in view, U.S. Treasury. yields were calm and the dollar index was. steady.

Secret diary items that might supply direction to U.S. markets later. on Tuesday:. * U.S. Feb service sector studies from ISM and S&P Global, Jan. factory products orders. * Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Guidance Michael Barr speaks. * U.S. Treasury auctions 3-, 6-month expenses. * U.S. corp revenues: Target, Crowdstrike, Greenlight Capital,. Ross Stores

(source: Reuters)