The iPhone euphoria must have made its way around the country to trading desks today, because for the moment investors are bidding up stocks, and Apple (AAPL 0.96%) is one of the big reasons why. Two of the potential winners from the iPhone 5 release are AT&T (T 1.14%) and Verizon (VZ 0.05%), two of the stocks leading the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.95%) higher today. AT&T is up 1%, Verizon has climbed 0.7%, and the broader Dow index is up 0.11% in late trading.
If Apple is able to sell 6 million or more iPhones over the weekend, as many analysts predict, it will be a big win not only for Apple and telecommunications companies, but also for the overall economy. It will pump billions of dollars into the economy and give investors a little hope that the consumer is strong enough to keep the economy afloat.
On the flip side, Microsoft (MSFT 0.43%) is one of the Dow's biggest losers today, falling 1%. The company is seen as one of the big losers from the success of the iPhone, but in reality, Microsoft doesn't have much share in the smartphone market, so any upside is upside for the stock. The iPhone's success isn't a good thing for Microsoft, but I don't think it's a game-changer, either.
On a more macro level, stocks are being boosted by reports that Spain is close to getting a bailout. Spain's economy minister held discussions with EU officials about reforms including freezing pensions and increasing the retirement age. Spain is living with crushing unemployment, and structural reforms are needed, so any progress in getting the country on the right track is good for the EU and, in turn, U.S. markets.
