The German antitrust regulator, Bundeskartellamt has designated Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) a “company of paramount significance for competition across markets.” The German regulator has already designated Alphabet (GOOGL) and Meta Platforms (META) of “paramount significance.”
Pick the best stocks and maximize your portfolio:
- Discover top-rated stocks from highly ranked analysts with Analyst Top Stocks!
- Easily identify outperforming stocks and invest smarter with Top Smart Score Stocks
Bundeskartellamt stated, “The company is – beginning with its mobile devices such as the iPhone – the operator of a comprehensive digital ecosystem with a high significance for competition not only in Germany, but also in Europe and worldwide.”
With this designation, the German regulator can scrutinize “practices that pose a threat to competition and practices and effectively prevent them” Apple told Reuters that it planned to appeal the decision and believed that this designation “misrepresents the fierce competition Apple faces in Germany, and it discounts the value of a business model that puts user privacy and security at its core.”
Analysts rate AAPL stock a Strong Buy based on 23 Buys, five Holds, and one Sell.