The Bigger They Are…

Diversity. It’s the term we at Broad Financial have been preaching over and over again, and we’ll continue to do so until we’re red in the face and our voices give out. Once again, we were recently shown why it is so imperative to not put our faith solely in the stock market, but rather diversify into investing in alternative assets as well. That’s because Apple decided to kick off the new year with the unexpected announcement from CEO Tim Cook that their Q1 revenue forecast will be decreased by 5 billion dollars (the first time Apple has slashed its revenue forecast in over 15 years).

Apple’s stock took an immediate hit, capping off what was already a disastrous end of the year for the tech giant. It only seems like yesterday when Apple became our country’s first ever trillion dollar company several months ago, but now their stock has dropped nearly 40% in only 3 months since their peak in October.

There are several factors contributing to Apple’s expected Q1 slowdown. Most notably is the ongoing trade war with China, where iPhone sales have fallen sharply as the Chinese economy continues to struggle. Another factor may be a recent increase in market volatility, an affect which has gone far beyond just Apple, although Apple’s latest development certainly had a rippling effect on the market as a whole.

In any event, we are once again sharply reminded that there is no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to any investment. We cannot stress how vital it is for the 98% of the population who have their retirement funds wrapped up solely in Wall Street to consider alternative investments.