- Bull Street
- Posts
- 📈 Google’s Play Store Monopoly Cracks
📈 Google’s Play Store Monopoly Cracks
Stellantis takes Union to Court, American Water suffers cyberattack, Ubisoft reviews options, Hurricane Milton's impact on Florida, Ruling reshapes the app market
Evelio Silvera
October 08, 2024
Good morning.
⚡ The Fast Five → Stellantis takes Union to Court, American Water suffers cyberattack, Ubisoft reviews options, Hurricane Milton's impact on Florida, Ruling reshapes the app market
And now…
⏱️ Your 5-minute briefing for Tuesday, October 8, 2024:
MARKET BRIEF
Before the Open
As of market close 10/7/2024.
Pre-Market
| 
|
Fear & Greed
*UP 0 pts
Trends
Wall Street indexes slip with interest rates, Middle East in focus
US Futures Steady After Weak Session
US jobs market cooling but still resilient, Fed's Kugler says
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Events
Wed. Oct 9: Federal Reserve - Federal Open Market Committee, 2:00PM
Why You Should Care: It's a detailed record of the FOMC's most recent meeting, providing in-depth insights into the economic and financial conditions that influenced their vote on where to set interest rates.
Earnings Reports
Today: PepsiCo, IDT, Accolade
Tomorrow: AZZ, Applied Digital, Bassett Furniture
MARKET BRIEF
Leading News
Judge Orders Google to Open Play Store – Rivals May Finally Get a Fair Shot
Why it matters: A landmark ruling against Google could shake up the app market, potentially driving down prices and sparking new opportunities for investors in the tech space.
The big picture: A U.S. federal judge has ordered Google ($GOOGL) to allow rival apps onto its Play Store, following a lawsuit by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite. This decision could level the playing field in the $130 billion app economy—and savvy investors should take note.
This ruling is a part of the broader crackdown on tech giants like Google and Apple ($AAPL), which have long dominated the mobile app space, often charging up to 30% on transactions. Legal pressure is mounting on these companies to open their ecosystems, a move that could lower costs for consumers and boost competition.
Google plans to appeal, but if the ruling stands, expect new market entrants and lower fees, which could accelerate growth for smaller developers and disrupt Google’s Play Store revenue.
Go deeper:
Developers win: Lower barriers to entry could mean more apps, more innovation, and more price competition—good news for consumers and investors alike.
Consumer prices drop: Expect lower app prices as developers no longer have to swallow Google’s hefty commission fees.
Crypto and blockchain implications: A more open app ecosystem could fast-track the integration of decentralized apps (dApps), unlocking potential for blockchain-based solutions in mainstream tech.
What they’re saying: "It shows that courts are willing to take bold steps to curb the power of dominant platforms," says Vanderbilt Law professor Rebecca Haw Allensworth.
The bottom line: This ruling could reshape the app economy—and that spells opportunity for investors ready to back smaller tech firms and innovative platforms. Keep an eye on app store competitors and emerging technologies ready to ride this wave.
Stellantis takes UAW to Court
Why it matters: Stellantis' (STLA) decision to take the UAW to federal court could reshape labor negotiations, affecting both the auto industry and broader markets.
The big picture: Stellantis, one of the world’s largest automakers, is escalating tensions with the United Auto Workers (UAW) by heading to federal court. This move highlights the high stakes of the ongoing strikes that have rocked Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers. While strikes usually spell short-term pain for companies, investors may see long-term gains as automakers accelerate plans to automate production and diversify their global supply chains.
The current labor disruption also signals a shift in bargaining power, with unions fighting for bigger wages and job security amid the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). If Stellantis and other automakers can weather this storm, they stand to benefit from a more efficient, tech-driven future in manufacturing.
EV push: Stellantis is investing heavily in EVs, with plans to spend €30 billion by 2025 to catch up with rivals like Tesla (TSLA). The strike may delay production, but the company’s long-term EV strategy remains intact.
Automation boost: Prolonged strikes could speed up the auto industry’s move toward robotics and automation, reducing future dependency on labor-intensive processes.
Supply chain resilience: With ongoing strikes disrupting production, Stellantis and its peers are likely to focus on global supply chain diversification, reducing reliance on any single region or labor force and ensuring smoother operations in future disruptions.
What they're saying: “The stakes couldn’t be higher. Stellantis is playing hardball, and this could set a precedent for future labor disputes,” said a labor market expert.
The bottom line: While strikes may cause short-term volatility, Stellantis is well-positioned to ride the EV wave and emerge stronger with greater operational efficiencies. Investors with a long-term outlook should keep an eye on this one—there’s more upside than downside.
Headlines
Hurricane Milton Is Florida's Second Storm In Two Weeks: How Disney, Theme Parks, Insurance Companies Could Be Impacted (link)
Could war in the Gulf push oil to $100 a barrel? (link)
Mullen to cut 20% of its workforce, axe passenger EVs (link)
Can Elon Musk Take Tesla Stock Higher with the Robotaxi Event This Week? (link)
Facebook, YouTube and TikTok users in Europe get forum to challenge social media content decisions (link)
American Water, the largest water utility in US, is targeted by a cyberattack (link)
Assassin’s Creed publisher Ubisoft reviews ‘strategic options’ amid Tencent buyout report (link)
CRYPTO
Fear & Greed
*DOWN 1 pt
Headlines
DAILY SHARE
On the Socials
*Hat-tip to WorkRetireDie