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Investing.com - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will continue receiving payments from Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) to maintain its position as the default search engine on Safari, according to a federal judge’s ruling in the Department of Justice antitrust case against Google. InvestingPro data shows Google maintains a strong financial position with more cash than debt on its balance sheet, supporting its ability to maintain these significant payments.
The sealed ruling allows Google to maintain its payment arrangement with Apple, estimated at $15-20 billion annually, but prohibits exclusivity arrangements and limits search placement deals to one-year terms instead of the previous three-year agreements. With a market capitalization of $2.56 trillion and trading near its 52-week high, Google appears well-positioned to handle these financial commitments, though InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is currently trading in overbought territory.
Google will be required to syndicate certain data and search/ad services to qualified competitors, potentially making other search engines more viable partners for Apple in future negotiations.
Evercore ISI maintained its Outperform rating and $250 price target on Apple stock, describing the ruling as a "net positive" that preserves Apple’s search revenue while potentially giving the company more leverage in annual negotiations.
The shorter contract terms could create opportunities for companies with AI-enabled search engines to compete for Apple’s default search position, with approximately 50% of the current Google payment being U.S.-based revenue.
In other recent news, Google announced a significant investment plan, committing $9 billion in Virginia to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure through 2026. This investment includes the construction of a new data center in Chesterfield County and partnerships with local entities to address energy capacity needs. Additionally, Waymo, Google’s autonomous driving technology arm, will launch its autonomous vehicle service in Denver this fall with a mixed fleet of Jaguar I-PACE and Zeekr RT vehicles. In a favorable development for Alphabet, BofA Securities raised its price target for the company to $252 from $217, maintaining a Buy rating after a positive antitrust ruling. The court’s decision was a significant win for Google, as it did not require the divestiture of its Chrome browser. These developments come amidst ongoing discussions about digital market regulations, with European leaders asserting their sovereignty in regulatory matters following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump. France and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining their digital regulations despite the potential for additional U.S. tariffs.
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