Exploring TikTok Conversations, Evaluating a Major Bank's Performance, and Stocks Worth Investigating
In this podcast episode, Our Website host Dylan Lewis and analysts Matt Argersinger and Bill Mann discuss various topics, including the potential impact of TikTok's potential ban in the United States on Apple and Google. TikTok, a popular social media platform, is facing a potential ban due to national security concerns related to its data collection practices and relationship with China. If the ban is enforced, Apple and Google will need to remove TikTok from their respective app stores, leading to several consequences:
- App Store Removal: Apple and Google would need to remove TikTok from their app stores. This means that users would no longer be able to download the app from these stores, although existing users could continue to use it until it becomes unusable due to lack of updates.
- Financial Consequences: Both companies could face fines for continuing to host TikTok after the deadline set by the law. This could lead to financial penalties and potential legal repercussions.
- Quality Degradation: Without updates, the TikTok app would likely degrade in quality over time, leading to issues such as video-loading delays and performance glitches, affecting user experience.
- Impact on Third-Party Apps: The ban also targets third-party companies like cloud-service providers and app stores. This means that other apps developed by ByteDance, such as CapCut and Hypic, would also be removed from Apple's and Google's stores, affecting users who rely on these apps.
- User Experience: Users who already have TikTok installed on their devices would still be able to use it, but they would not be able to redownload it if they delete or restore their device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions would also no longer be possible.
Our Website Senior Analyst Matt Argersinger also talks about the strong earnings from various banks and how 2024 was a stellar year for banks. He mentions that financials were one of the top sectors in the S&P 500 last year with a 30% return and 3.7% shareholder yield. The discussion also touches upon the potential market forecasts for 2025 and the importance of staying invested for the long term.
In conclusion, a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. would have significant implications for Apple and Google, affecting the app store, user experience, and potentially leading to financial consequences.
- If Apple and Google decide to continue hosting TikTok after the ban, they might face substantial financial penalties due to investing in defying the law's deadline.
- Diversifying one's investment portfolio in the finance sector, especially in banks, could be beneficial considering their strong earnings and high returns, such as the 30% in 2024.
