After substantial gains in yesterday's trading, Apple (AAPL 3.09%) stock is climbing again Thursday. The company's share price was up 3% as of 11:30 a.m. ET.
Apple stock is gaining ground today after CEO Tim Cook announced at the White House yesterday that his company will be investing another $100 billion to strengthen its U.S. manufacturing base. The company's share price is also getting a boost from news that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing will be exempt from a new 100% tariff on imported chips.
Image source: Getty Images.
Apple stock is rising in response to two positive catalysts
Alongside President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that his company will be devoting another $100 billion to build out its domestic manufacturing footprint. The new announcement brings the company's total domestic infrastructure investment commitment to $600 billion and represents a major step to shift production out of the Chinese market.
Apple stock is also getting a boost from news that TSMC will not be subject to a 100% import tax that will be placed on foreign-sourced semiconductors. TSMC is the leading manufacturer of high-performance chips and produces many of the key hardware designs that are central to Apple's devices, and exemption from the tariff should be a substantial cost benefit for Apple.
What's next for Apple?
Waves of new tariffs and adversarial relations between the U.S. and China have meant that Apple has faced elevated macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures. The company's $600 billion commitment to building manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. is seemingly helping it gain favor with the Trump administration, but the big infrastructure push is also part of a broader dynamic that involves reducing reliance on Chinese manufacturing in response to geopolitical uncertainty. Apple seems to be making some smart moves in response to macroeconomic and geopolitical dynamics, but investors will still be looking to see if the company can serve up big wins in artificial intelligence (AI) and deliver new lines of devices that can reenergize growth.
