Apple stock price has plunged in the past few months, joining other American shares that have imploded. AAPL has crashed to $215, down by 17% from its highest level this year, and its lowest point since September 16 last year. This article explains why AAPL stock is at risk of further downside.

Apple’s business is facing challenges

Apple, the biggest company in the world, is staring at major risks that may affect its business and stock in the future. 

The primary reason for this is that Apple lacks clear catalysts to propel its business higher in the future.

Apple still makes most of its revenue from the iPhone, which most people believe is a very good and unique product. The most recent results show that Apple made $69 billion from the iPhone, representing a 55% market share. 

The challenge is that the iPhone is no longer growing since most people stay with their iPhones long before changing. Also, the smartphone industry has become highly competitive, with companies like Samsung and Xiaomi fighting for market share.

The recent numbers showed that iPhone sales stood at $69.1 billion last quarter, down from $69.7 billion in the same period a year earlier. Analysts believe that this trend may continue in the coming years. 

Read more: AAPL stock: Apple gets another rating downgrade as analyst sees 13% downside

The other key parts of Apple’s business will likely start slowing. Its iPad made $8 billion last quarter, up from $7 billion in the same period a year earlier. The odds are that the iPad business will decelerate because the products largely look the same after each update. Customers are also spending more years with their iPad devices. 

There are signs that the highly lucrative wearables, home, and accessories business is decelerating. Its revenue was $11.7 billion, down from $11.9 billion. The Mac segment may also slow over time. 

Apple is banking its business on the services segment, which includes products like Apple Music, Apple Pay, Apple TV+, App Store, Arcade, News+, Fitness+, and Apple Books. 

The main challenge within this segment is that its growth will keep slowing because of its weaker offerings compared to other companies. For example, Spotify is a more popular brand than Apple Music, while Apple TV+ has not lived to its hype.

Apple missed the AI shift

The other reason why the Apple stock price may be in trouble is that the company missed the AI shift. The most hyped Apple Intelligence has not lived to its hype as it is not able to answer basic questions.

Apple has partnered with other established AI companies like ChatGPT and Alibaba, but the integration has not been all that flawless.

This crisis is notable because Apple has not built its AI models even with its strong balance sheet. In contrast, Elon Musk has built Grok from scratch, and its product may now pass ChatGPT, the space pioneer. 

Therefore, there are concerns about Apple’s valuation and whether it is justified. Apple has a market cap of over $3.2 trillion and a forward P/E ratio of 30. It has a forward revenue growth of 2.6%, which does not help to justify this valuation. 

Apple stock price analysis

The weekly chart shows that the AAPL share price peaked at $260 this year, and has now plunged to $217. It has moved slightly below the 50-week Exponential Moving Average (EMA), a sign that bears have prevailed. 

Apple shares have formed an ascending channel and are now midway towards the lower side of the channel. Therefore, the stock will likely continue falling in the coming weeks as investors target the next psychological point at $200.

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PayPal stock price has crashed and formed a death cross pattern, pointing to further downside in the coming months. PYPL shares have plunged to a low of $65.15, its lowest point since August 24. It has dropped by over 30% from its highest point in 2025. 

PayPal’s growth has stalled

PayPal, one of the most popular fintech companies, has lost momentum in the past few years as competition in the payments industry rose and some of its initiatives failed to pick up. 

Most of these challenges are coming from its unbranded solutions, which are designed to help businesses accept payments. Its unbranded business came from its acquisition of Braintree.

This business is facing substantial competition from the likes of Stripe, Adyen, Block, Shopify Payments, and Worldpay. In a world where most companies have adopted online and digital transactions, it has become highly difficult for large players in the space to grow their businesses. 

PayPal’s wallet business faces more challenges as competition from solutions like Apple Pay and Google Pay rise.

Most importantly, some of PayPal’s initiatives to grow its business have not gained much traction. The most important is launching a stablecoin called PayPal USD (PYUSD). 

PayPal hoped that its strong brand name would draw more users from other stablecoins like USDC and Tether to it. Many months after launch, PYUSD has a market cap of over $802 million and daily volume of less than $50 million. In contrast, Tether has a market cap of over $145 billion and daily volume of $47 billion.

Read more: PayPal stock analysis: will the Honey scam allegations bite?

Earnings have slowed

The most recent results showed that PayPal had 434 million active accounts in the fourth quarter of last year., flat from a year earlier. Its monthly active accounts rose to 229 million, while payment transactions dropped by 3% to 6.69 million. 

These numbers brought PayPal’s revenue to $8.36 billion, a 4% annual increase, while its annual revenue grew by 7% to $31 billion. 

Analysts expect that PayPal’s growth will be slow in the coming years. Data compiled by Yahoo Finance shows that PayPal’s revenue will come in at $7.84 billion in the current quarter, a 1.86% annual growth rate. 

This slow growth trajectory will then continue in Q2, when it will make $8.1 billion, a 2.90% annual increase. For the year, PayPal’s revenue will be $33 billion, followed by $35.2 billion next year. PayPal’s challenge is that it lacks a clear catalyst to supercharge its growth. 

On the positive side, PayPal has become a cheap company, trading at 13x estimated earnings, much lower than the S&P 500 index’s 21. This means that it has now become a value stock. 

It is also using financial engineering to boost its stock value. It has repurchased millions of shares, reducing its outstanding stock to 993 million from 1.17 billion a few years ago. There is a likelihood that it will start paying dividends soon.

PayPal stock price analysis

PYPL stock chart by TradingView

The daily chart shows that the PYPL share price peaked at $93.95 in December and then retested it in January, forming a double-top pattern. PayPal has formed a death cross pattern as the 50-day and 200-day moving averages crossed each other. This is one of the most bearish signs in the market.

PayPal stock price has moved below the 61.8% Fibonacci Retracement point, which is often seen as the golden ratio where reversals happen. The MACD and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) have also pointed downwards.

Therefore, the path of the least resistance for the PayPal stock price will be downward, with the next point to watch being at $60. A break below that point will signal further downside to $55.

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American stocks have crashed this year as concerns about Donald Trump tariffs rose. The top blue-chip indices like the Dow Jones, Nasdaq 100, and S&P 500 have all moved into a correction as recession odds have soared. 

Donald Trump will unveil his Liberation Day tariffs next week, triggering a prolonged trade war that may crash American stocks. This article explores one of the best defensive stocks to buy ahead of this so-called Liberation Day.

Defensive stocks to buy ahead of Liberation Day

Some sectors will do well whether there is a trade war or not. The most notable one is healthcare since private health insurance companies and government programs like Medicare and Medicaid pay for most drugs. 

Other defensive sectors are utilities and consumer staples. So, some of the best shares to buy are: Enterprise Products Partners (EPD), Procter & Gamble (PG), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK), and AbbVie (ABBV).

Enterprise Products Partners (EPD)

EPD is one of the best defensive stocks to buy ahead of Liberation Day. It is one of the biggest companies in the energy industry, offering logistics solutions to some of the top firms in oil and gas.

EPD is involved in various parts of the energy industry, including gathering, transportation, and processing. 

The benefit of buying this stock is that it will not be affected by tariffs since Americans will continue using oil and gas. On top of this, it has a dividend yield of about 6%, higher than government bonds. Also, its stock continues to do well, and analysts expect its stock will rise from $34 to $36.

Procter & Gamble (PG)

Procter & Gamble, popularly known as P&G, is another top stock to buy when Trump launches his trade war. It is a dividend king that has survived most world crises, including the first and second world wars, Cold War, Covid, and the last trade war. 

P&G is a global brand with some of the best-known brands like Pampers, Ariel, Downy, Tide, and Always. These are brands with a loyal following, meaning that they will continue doing well when tariffs come. Also, the company has many factories in the US, meaning that it will not be affected greatly by tariffs. The average PG stock forecast is $178, up from $168.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK)

The other blue-chip defensive stock to buy is Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate worth almost $1 trillion.

Berkshire invests in tens of American companies, including Apple, American Express, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Moody’s, VeriSign, and Davita. All these are blue-chip stocks in their own right, and most of them will not be affected by Trump’s tariffs. 

For example, Coca-Cola’s drinks will always be bought regardless of the tariffs. The same is true with Moody’s.

Berkshire is also a good defensive stock because of its large cash balance, which stood at over $334 billion. This means that it has the cash it needs to make opportunistic purchases. 

AbbVie

AbbVie is another blue-chip and defensive stock to buy and hold. It is a large pharmaceutical company popular known for drugs like Humira, Rinvoq, and Skyrizi. Its main recent challenge is that Humira’s sales have dropped because of its patent expiry. However, Skyrizi, a drug used to treat psoriasis and Chron’s disease, has become its top seller.

Analysts anticipate that AbbVie’s growth will continue in the coming years. The average estimate is that its revenue will rise by 5.4% this year to $59.36 billion and by 8% in 2026 to $64.2 billion. 

Read more: AbbVie stock analysis: Rinvoq and Skyrizi are big catalysts

Other defensive shares to buy

The other top defensive companies to buy are blue-chip banks like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley. Companies like Unilever, Colgate Palmolive, and PepsiCo are other good buys too.

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American stocks have crashed this year, and are continuing to lag behind their global peers in countries like Germany, France, and China. This performance may continue next week when Trump implements his Liberation Day tariffs, triggering a trade war.

Investing in quality blue-chip ETFs can be a good way to prepare for these tariffs. This article highlights some of the best ETFs to buy and hold ahead of these tariffs, and what to expect. 

Blue-chip ETFs to buy ahead of tariffs

Some defensive ETFs will do well when Trump implements his tariffs. The most notable names are the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD), Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU), Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC).

SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD)

The GLD ETF is one of the best blue-chip ETF to buy as the trade war intensifies. It has already jumped by over 17% this year and over 38% in the last 12 months and is hovering near its all-time high. 

Gold will be a good asset to buy as more investors move to its safety because of the rising risks. Also, the ongoing tensions between the US, its allies, and foes will see more companies abandon the dollar and move to its safety. 

Further, the GLD ETF may do well when the Federal Reserve starts to cut interest rates later this year to deal with a potential recession.

Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU)

Utilities are some of the best assets to invest in times of economic issues because customers always buy them. Homeowners will always pay for their water and electricity bills, meaning that many of these firms will keep doing well.

The VPU ETF is one of the best funds to invest in during a recession. It is a cheap ETF with an expense ratio of 0.09%, making it highly affordable. It tracks 69 companies and has an average P/E ratio of 20.2x. 

Most companies in the VPU ETF are in the electric utilities, followed by gas utilities, independent power producers, and water utilities. Popular names in the fund are NextEra, Southern, Duke Energy, Constellation Energy, and American Electric Power. The VPU ETF has a 3% yield and has jumped by 3.5% this year.

Read more: 5 Best Utility Stocks to Buy for Q1 2025

Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT)

The healthcare sector will always be a good defensive area to park your money because of the rising demand of drugs. Also, most people in the US don’t pay for medicine out of pocket. Instead, they rely on private insurance and the government. 

The VHT ETF is a cheap fund to invest in because of its exposure to the healthcare sector. It holds 413 companies spread across areas like biotechnology, healthcare equipment, managed health care, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare facilities. 

The biggest companies in the VHT ETF are Eli Lilly, UnitedHealth Group, AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Intuitive Surgical. The fund will likely continue doing well this year. The risk, however, is that it has exposure to many biotech companies that are often volatile. It is also an expensive fund with a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.

Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC)

The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) is another good fund to invest when Trump’s trade war starts. Companies in the consumer staples industry often do well in all market conditions since customers buy their products in market conditions. 

The VDC ETF tracks the biggest companies in the industry. The biggest category in the fund is merchandise retail, household products, soft drink & non-alcolic beverages. Some of the top firms in the fund are Costco, Walmart, P&G, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Philip Morris. 

Other ETFs to buy

There are other top blue-chip ETFs to buy when the trade war starts. The most notable ones are the Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD), VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat (MOAT), and Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ).

Read more: COWZ vs CALF vs BUL: Which free cash flow ETF is better to buy?

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Uber stock price has held steady near its all-time high as investors predict that it will not be affected by Donald Trump’s Liberation Day tariff. It was trading at $72.75, down by 16% from its highest point in 2024. So, is Uber a good stock to buy?

Uber to be unaffected by Trump’s tariffs

The biggest theme in the stock market this year has been activities by Donald Trump. Last week, the president announced that he would apply a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles to the United States. This announcement means that auto prices in the US are set to keep rising.

Trump has also declared April 2 to be his Liberation Day, when he applies reciprocal tariffs on goods from other countries. These tariffs will likely lead to more retaliation from other countries, including China and the European Union. 

Many companies will be affected by these issues. The firms most at risk are automakers like Stellantis, General Motors, and Porsche. 

Additionally, American tech companies like Apple and NVIDIA may be at risk because of retaliation from other countries. 

Uber, a company that offers ride-hailing and deliveries will likely not be affected. In theory, the company’s business should even benefit as auto prices jump in response to the tariffs. 

Higher vehicle prices mean that many people may decide to use ride-hailing instead. It also means that Uber may decide to hike prices to take advantage of this trend. 

Additionally, Uber has a presence in many countries globally, meaning that its business will be less affected. Most importantly, it generates most of its revenue in the US and Canada, with the rest coming from the EMEA region. 

In the US, Uber’s main competition comes from Lyft, a company that has struggled to gain market share over the years. 

Uber’s business is doing well

Uber stock price has done well as its business continues to do well. A likely future catalyst is the growth of autonomous vehicles. While these vehicles are not very popular in the US, some Chinese companies like Horizon and Pony AI are leading the way.

This means that the era of autonomous vehicles is nearing. Uber will take advantage of this trend by launching autonomous vehicles, and taking most of the cash. Today, the company shares most of its revenue with the drivers. 

The most recent numbers showed that Uber’s gross bookings jumped by 18% YoY in the fourth quarter to $44.2 billion. This growth was mostly driven by a big increase across its mobility and delivery business.

Uber’s revenue rose by 20% in Q4 to $12 billion, while its adjusted EBITDA rose by 44% to $1.8 billion. 

Analysts are optimistic that Uber’s business will continue doing well this year. The average estimate is that its revenue will rise by 14.5% to $11.6 billion, leading to an annual revenue figure of $50.3 billion. Its revenue will get to $57.65 billion in 2026.

Uber stock price technical analysis

The weekly chart shows that the Uber share price has held steady in the past few months. It has remained above the ascending trendline that connects the lowest swing in December 2022. 

Uber shares have remained above the 50-week and 100-week Exponential Moving Averages (EMA). It has also formed an ascending triangle pattern, with the two lines are about to converge.

Therefore, the Uber stock price will likely have a strong bullish breakout in the coming weeks. This bullish outlook will be confirmed if it rallies above the key resistance level at $81.85. A move above that level will point to more gains to $86.85, the highest swing on October 7. Rising above that level will signal more gainst to $100.

Read more: Uber stock: could it surpass $100 in 2025?

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