*By Michael Teich*
Though iPhones and Mac computers made in China have been spared U.S. tariffs, the brewing trade war between Washington and Beijing could finally catch up with Apple, the world's most valuable publicly traded company.
None of the tariffs considered by the Trump administration so far have materially affected Apple's business, but in his third-quarter earnings call with analysts on Tuesday, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said it was too early to predict if other policies under consideration could affect the company's bottom line.
"Our view on tariffs is that they show up as a tax on the consumer and wind up resulting in lower economic growth," Cook said in Tuesday's call.
Mike Murphy of Quartz told Cheddar that consumers' willingness to pay for Apple's most expensive productーthe iPhone Xーis a good sign that even a trade-war inspired bump in prices for its other devices won't deter loyal iPhone users.
"If we have no problem buying a $1,000 phone, we'll probably have no problem buying a $1,100 phone," Murphy said in an interview Wednesday. The iPhone represents Apple's biggest source of revenue.
If tariffs were to hit Apple, they would likely affect the company's fastest-growing division, "Other Products," which includes Apple Watch, AirPods, and the HomePod.
Revenue from other products reached $3.74 billion in the third quarter, up 36 percent from a year earlier. Apple doesn't disclose exact numbers for the Apple Watch, but Cook said sales grew in the "mid-40 percent range."
Apple does not appear worried about the prospect of tariffs dampening its business. The Cupertino-based company delivered fiscal fourth quarter revenue guidance of between $60 billion and $62 billion, topping Wall Street's estimate of $59.47 billion, according to StreetAccount.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-spared-trumps-tariffs-for-now).
Tech-enabled residential hospitality company Mint House recently raised $35 million in a Series B round led by Mohari Hospitality. Mint House was described by one of its backers as 'the best of a hotel without the worst of a hotel, and the best of an Airbnb without the worst of an Airbnb.' Mint House offers apartment-style lodging across the country. The company claims its spaces combine the comfort of a home with the luxury of a hotel in order to give guests all of the perks and none of the tradeoffs. Will Lucas, Founder and CEO of Mint House, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Social media platforms walk a fine line when it comes to free speech, especially when posts lead to real-life negative consequences. Texas lawmakers are trying to enforce a law that would prohibit platforms from taking any action when it comes to malicious or violent posts, and they insist it does not violate the First Amendment. But the Supreme Court thinks otherwise, at least for now. Matt Schruers, President of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, joins Closing Bell to discuss what threat the Texas law poses to social platforms, why his organization sued over the law, what it could mean for users, and more.
Fintech company Acrisure recently raised $725 million in a new funding led by a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, bringing the company's valuation to $23 billion. Acrisure offers financial solutions including insurance, reinsurance, real estate services, cyber services, and asset management. The company says its financial solutions are powered by the best of human and artificial intelligence. Greg Williams, co-founder, CEO and President of Acrisure, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
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Scientists are hoping that the simplest element in the universe — hydrogen — can be the solution to slowing down climate change. However, it does not come without cost. The process of making hydrogen could potentially add more CO2.
