What Apple will do with $285 billion reserves ?

It is very much hard to believe on Every second, Apple makes $1,444 of profit. That’s more than any other company and almost as much as Alphabet, Microsoft and Facebook combined.

A bank account of $285 billion makes it more a country, than a company. The strange story about Apple’s finances explains how it got so wealthy, why this is a problem, and what they’ll buy next. Companies pay taxes to the country in which their money is made. A toy might be invented and manufactured in Antarctica but if it’s sold in Germany, that’s where it pays taxes. And because these taxes vary by country, so do the costs of products.This is a very big deal to long-term investors, as cash has been hoarded by Apple on the balance sheet for the past decade.It’s also likely that Apple will use its repatriated funds to buy back shares and raise its dividend.

The iPhone X is $1000 in America but $1368 in India and $1455 in Hungary. In fact, if it weren’t for import taxes, it’d be cheaper to fly to the US, buy an iPhone and fly back. But there’s an exception to every rule. And that exception is always America. It’s the only country that taxes based on citizenship. That means a US citizen living and working abroad still owes taxes back to the US. You could renounce your citizenship, but you’d be taxed for that too. And for American companies, this means paying the highest tax in the world on profit made everywhere. So this won’t fly. When Apple pays tax overseas, America subtracts that amount from its tax rate, and then reaches out its hand.

But what about the 30% of revenue Apple makes in the US? Well, one way to pay fewer taxes is to make less money. At least on paper. All of Apple’s products depend on patents. But now Apple has to get into so many issues like data privacy and probable sales drop due to the recent announcement of Apple iPhone and iPad Devices Vulnerable After Reintroduction of SockPuppet Flaw in iOS 12.4 (CVE-2019-8605).

Apple's latest iPhone software, iOS 12.4, re-introduces a security vulnerability that makes it possible to jailbreak an iPhone, as Motherboard reported. That could leave Apple's smartphones susceptible to hacks that can steal use apps to steal personal data.

The vulnerability was fixed in Apple's previous software version iOS 12.3,but was introduced again in iOS 12.4. Stefan Esser, CEO of Germany-based IT security company AnditdOte,warned that iPhone owners should be careful about what apps they download from the App Store until the vulnerability is fixed.
 

Google recently said it found evidence that iPhone users have been targeted by malicious websites for years before Apple found out. The report suggests that a collection of malicious websites created a network of tools that allowed hackers to break through layers of iOS software security.

Further, the websites would then install a "monitoring implant" that could give hackers access to iMessages, photos and location data for years. Google did not name the malicious websites or answer how many people fell victim to cyber-attacks because of the vulnerability.

The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system released late last month reintroduced a critical security bug that makes all iPhones and iPads that updated to iOS 12.4 vulnerable to malicious hackers. However, the problem with its products, Apple makes so much more money, it’s in an unusual position.

The desire to minimize taxes kept money offshore. But that made it useless for what they care about most: investing back in the business. But everything is about to change. When the US lowers its corporate tax, Apple can finally bring back its money. The question now is how to spend it all?

Now the question is on what Apple will do with the huge money they have made. Will they buy Tesla, Activision, and Netflix. And to an investor, this makes perfect sense. Diversifying a business so dependent on just one product. Apple’s strategy is to shop for talent and technologies, never trying to make a quick buck. Saying no to what every other company would say yes to is exactly what makes Apple so successful. The rise of Apple began with innovation and a slew of product launches over the last decade. From the iPod to the iPhone to the iPad and the Apple Watch, each new product has woven its way into the fabric of our culture.

However, Apple has reportedly been working on an electric car project for years. Some reports suggested that Apple might acquire Tesla rather than building a project from scratch. Given the similarities that both companies have in common and the shared vision, it might be a deal.