Market Loop - Apple Pay anti-competitive says EU

View this email in your browser

3rd May 2022

Bite-sized business news from the UK and beyond

Good morning Welcome back from the long weekend. Today marks the one year anniversary of the first issue of Market Loop. To those who have been here from the very beginning and those who have just joined, and everyone in between – thank you! If we could ask for one favour to celebrate it would be to share Market Loop with a friend or two. Here’s to the next year!

Today's stories

Apple Pay anti-competitive says EU
Tech’s terrible month

TECH
Apple Pay anti-competitive says EU

What happened
Yesterday the European Union accused Apple of unfairly restricting rivals from its Apply Pay mobile payment system, a practice it believes limits competition and ultimately hurts consumers. Apple denies the charge and has said it's ready to cooperate with the EU’s investigation.

Some context
Apple Pay is Apple's own mobile payment solution on iPhones and iPads that can be used in stores and online.

Its near-field communication, or NFC "tap and go" technology is embedded on Apple mobile devices for payments in stores, allowing communication between a mobile phone and payments terminals. More than 2,500 banks in Europe use Apple Pay and Apple smartphones represent around a third of the market across Europe.

The EU has been investigating Apple since 2020 and says that as the company is by far the largest NFC-based mobile wallet on the market, that by excluding others from popular technology leads to less innovation and less choice for consumers for mobile wallets on iPhones.

It’s not the first time the EU has come after Apple
Last year Apple was accused of suppressing competition for other music streaming services after rival Spotify lodged a complaint.

So what happens next
This is just the start of antitrust proceedings against Apple in what’s likely to be a long process. Apple will have the chance to respond to the EU’s accusations. If found guilty then Apple could be fined as much as 10% of its $37bn global revenue, as well as be forced to change its business operations.

Other stories to keep you in the loop

Passport delays could cost £1.1bn in cancelled summer trips
Citigroup says trader made error behind flash crash in Europe stock market
FCA staff to walk out on Wednesday in first strike action
Staff at London law firm can work from home full-time – if they take 20% pay cut
Qantas Sydney to London route will become world's longest direct flight at 20 hours
Netflix faces losing licensed hit shows to streaming rivals
EU pilots own social media sites

STOCK MARKET
Tech’s terrible month

What happened
April was a month to forgot for anyone with a stock portfolio. The S&P 500 - the biggest US stock index - was down nearly 10%, its worst month since March 2020. The tech-heavy NASDAQ index dropped 14%, its worst month since 2008. Among the biggest fallers: Netflix fell 49%, Amazon plummeted 24% and Google tumbled 18%. The NASDAQ has had the worst start to the year on record, with a 21% decline in 2022.

What’s behind the move
The first quarter results of Big Tech released over the past couple of weeks weren’t encouraging for investors. News of declining subscriber numbers at Netflix, supply chain issues at Apple and losses at Amazon gave investors - who are already stressing over the war in Ukraine, high inflation and rising interest rates - more to worry about.

How did the UK stock market do in comparison
The FTSE 100 fared much better, finishing April flat. As the UK market doesn’t have an equivalent to the Big Tech names it’s been largely immune to the tech sector sell off. Instead the UK market is heavily weighted towards energy, mining and financial service companies – all of which are having a strong 2022. Energy stocks have been boosted by rising oil prices. Miners have been lifted by historically good prices for iron, copper and aluminium. Meanwhile, financials, including banks, have benefited from rising interest rates.

Stat of the day

The number of children aged 8-12 with their own smartphones increased from 24% in 2015 to 43% in 2021

Interesting links from around the web

Why there’s no such thing as a ‘bad workout’
How Britain fell for adult braces
Why we snap-judge some people as 'boring'

Forward to Friend

Not a subscriber? Join free

How did you like today's email?
Get in touch with any feedback or even just to say hi
hello@marketloop.co

Copyright © 2022 Market Loop, All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

This email was sent to you
why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
Market Loop · 16 Great Chapel St · London, London W1F 8FL · United Kingdom

Market Loop - Apple Pay anti-competitive says EU

Older messages

Consumer giants feel the cost of living squeeze

European gas prices spike as Russia starts cutting supply

UK’s record £70bn borrowing bill

Investors rattled over China lockdowns

Consumer confidence and retail sales take a hit

You Might Also Like

Alternative to Google Traffic?

Digiday's annual guide to ad-supported streaming services, from the top platforms to marketing spend

♦️ Why your brand needs an enemy to grow faster (and how to choose one)

🕝 24hr trading on the NYSE?

Tomorrow is the last chance to recognize your company's rising leaders

The future is retail media

Take a peek into the marketers’ tech stack, make it easy for customers to find your emails, and more

What makes a winning influencer campaign?

This is something I’ve never done before...

5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Pricing