Namrata Sen Chanda

Software-as-a-service company Datadog (DDOG) made a smashing debut on Wall Street yesterday. After its IPO, DDOG’s shares surged 40% in intraday trading.

The top tech CEOs helped push the sector’s bull run in 2019. The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) has posted 42% YTD growth.

In this year-end review, we’ll look at five tech CEOs who have the challenge of bolstering or restoring market confidence in their companies in 2020.

Apple Pay is ahead of Google Pay and Samsung Pay. A report from Patently Apple indicated that by 2020, the digital wallet would have nearly 227 million users.

Partnerships have done wonders for Netflix. In addition to having deals with Apple TV and Roku, the streaming giant has partnered with pay-TV providers.

Toyota announced that it plans to raise its stake in Subaru Corporation from 17% to 20%. Toyota and Subaru would jointly produce all-wheel-drive vehicles.

After the Google-Fitbit news, the market is now abuzz with talks that Sonos (SONO) could be Apple’s (AAPL) or Amazon’s (AMZN) next target.

In a well-strategized move, Apple (AAPL) is relocating its production base to India. Apple’s investment in India will be around $1 billion.

Google’s acquisition of Fitbit on Friday was a significant development in the world of wearables, upon which Apple depends heavily.

Netflix (NTFLX) has inked a multiyear content distribution agreement with South Korea’s JTBC Content Hub, Deadline reported yesterday.

The case for Apple (AAPL) acquiring Sonos has gotten more compelling. Sonos (SONO) has announced it has acquired Snips for $37.5 million.

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that Apple (AAPL) inked a new licensing deal with UK’s Imagination Technologies Group.

2020 may see Apple (AAPL) in a completely new arena. On December 23, Patently Apple reported that this year the iPhone marker might venture into eSports.

With CES 2020 kicking off tomorrow, big technology companies will be flocking to Las Vegas. One of the highlights? Apple’s participation after 28 years.

Netflix is ramping up its original content slate for 2020 and rapidly expanding overseas. That said, it will have to address certain challenges in 2020.

Wall Street thinks Microsoft stock is up for a dream run in 2020. Bank of America raised its price target for the stock to $200 from $162 on Thursday.

Apple Pay (AAPL) has been gaining a lot of momentum lately. However, PayPal announced plans to buy Honey Science Corporation for $4 billion.

Most analysts are upbeat about Apple’s upcoming 5G iPhone and think it will be worth the wait. However, some think otherwise.

As Netflix (NFLX) gears up for its third-quarter results, the key metric in focus will be its subscriber count. What do analysts expect?

When Apple reports its Q4 results, we expect to see its Services segment in the spotlight. This segment could exceed $100 billion per year in 2023.

Yesterday, Chinese government data indicated that Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone shipments in the country rose over 18% year-over-year in December.

According to Barron’s, Morgan Stanley’s Keith Weiss predicts Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) market value could exceed $1 trillion.

According to CNBC, a Goldman Sachs survey has revealed that big organizations prefer Microsoft Azure as a cloud partner rather than its competitors.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) spurred a new wave of optimism after it announced astounding App Store sales during the holiday season.

Yesterday, JPMorgan Chase raised its subscriber estimates for Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) on the back of its robust international growth, reported CNBC.

Susquehanna expects Apple to delay its faster 5G iPhone until January 2021. The firm expects the first phase of 5G iPhones to come out this fall.

Blackberry (BB) announced that it would work with Amazon AWS (AMZN). So, the companies will work together over a software platform for connected vehicles.

Analysts got increasingly bullish on Apple (AAPL) stock after it touched $300 on January 2 for the first time after its stock split in June 2014.

Former HBO CEO Richard Plepler has entered into a five-year deal with Apple TV+. Plepler’s company plans to produce exclusive content for Apple TV+.

Overall, 2019 has been a phenomenal year for Apple (AAPL). The stock has been on a bull run. As a result, the company has emerged stronger.

Apple (AAPL) had a great year in 2019 with a nearly 86% YTD return through Friday’s close. Amongst the FAANG stocks, it delivered the highest returns.

On December 19, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple executives met with MGM Holdings and the Pac-12 Conference for initial talks.

Wedbush predicted that 5G would boost iPhone demand and boost Apple stock in 2020. Analyst Daniel Ives raised Apple’s price target to $350 from $325.

Apple (AAPL) has once again proven its strength in the global smartphone market, revealed Counterpoint Research on December 19.

Netflix’s in-depth regional data shows it has grown phenomenally in international markets since 2017, prompting Wall Street to view it in a new light.

Disney+ (DIS) won’t let Netflix (NFLX) have it easy. Cowen & Company revealed that 1.1 million Netflix subscribers switched to Disney+ in November.

On Wednesday, Apple (AAPL) Amazon (AMZN), and Google (GOOG) announced their partnership to promote compatibility between all the smart home devices.

On Monday, Netflix (NFLX) released its region-wise subscriber and revenue count for the first time since 2017 in an official filing.

According to Bloomberg, Apple’s (AAPL) latest public filings reveal it has acquired a UK photo-technology startup, Spectral Edge.

On Thursday, Apple got an early Christmas gift. President Trump finalized a partial trade deal with China. The stock rose 0.25% and closed at $271.46.

Apple has a vital obstacle to surpass before it heads into the holiday shopping season. On December 15, the US is set to levy a 15% tariff on Chinese goods.

Analysts’ love for Apple is increasing by the day. Yesterday, Bank of America and Evercore ISI raised their price targets on the stock, according to CNBC.

A Rosenblatt Securities analyst thinks Apple (AAPL) could lose iPhone market share in China in the first quarter, reported CNBC yesterday.

China’s Communist Party has instructed all public and government offices to remove foreign PC equipment and software from their systems within three years.

According to ZDNet, Microsoft (MSFT) could launch its consumer subscription bundle, called Microsoft 365 Life, next spring.

Netflix is now writing its international growth story, and India has a significant role in it. It plans to invest 30 billion Indian rupees (or $420 million) in India.

Azure has proven to be Microsoft’s pillar of growth time and again. The stock got a bullish call from a Bernstein analyst due to Azure’s profit potential.

On Thursday, Citigroup analyst Jim Suva raised his price target for Apple stock (AAPL) to $300 from $250, reports Bloomberg.

On Thursday, MacRumors revealed that analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had shed light on another Apple iPhone feature that might be coming soon: wireless charging.

Apple (AAPL) analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the company is planning to launch its “mini-LED” iPad and Mac Books in 2020.

On December 2, the Korean Herald reported that Samsung would likely launch an affordable foldable phone—a clamshell model that folds vertically—in 2020.

Netflix’s (NFLX) and YouTube’s market share among US adult viewers could shrink, reported Variety on Monday, citing eMarketer data.

Yesterday, JPMorgan Chase analyst Samik Chatterjee raised his price target for Apple stock (AAPL) to $296 from $290. Here’s why.

Apple (AAPL) isn’t just known for its iPhone business anymore. Apple Card could prove to be a hidden gem for the iPhone maker.

Music isn’t the only arena where Apple (AAPL) is contending with Spotify (SPOT). A new phase of their competition has made podcasts an epicenter.

To survive the fierce competition, Netflix is vigorously expanding its wings in the global arena. Notably, Netflix has gained an immense foothold in Asia.

Microsoft (MSFT) wants to enter the consumer market for digital speakers. This year, Microsoft revealed a Teams-integrated speaker for the enterprises.

A Gartner report on November 26 indicated that Apple’s iPhone sales had dropped 10.7% year-over-year in the third quarter.

Netflix started streaming gangster pseudo-biopic The Irishman yesterday, and viewers couldn’t ask for more. The film hit select theaters on November 1.

Yesterday, Microsoft and AT&T revealed details about the first phase of their alliance to collaborate on 5G, cloud computing, and edge computing solutions.

Apple is likely to ship 100 million iPhone 12 handsets in 2020, certain key Taiwanese suppliers who’d received the forecast told DIGITIMES.

Netflix’s (NFLX) cash flow situation is back in focus. On Monday, Wells Fargo’s Steven Cahall downgraded the stock to “underperform.”

Apple (AAPL), once known for its iPhones, will now be known for its path-breaking hearable devices. The Apple AirPods are seeing a stellar demand.

Apple (AAPL) will have to deal with considerable supply challenges in 2020, revealed AppleInsider recently, quoting analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Yesterday, Donald Trump visited Apple’s new campus in Austin, Texas. CEO Tim Cook opened the facility to manufacture Mac Pros in the US.

On November 19, Microsoft declared that Teams, its workplace chat app, had over 20 million daily active users, more than a 50% surge from July.

Netflix (NFLX) subscribers have opted out due to price hikes. Notably, 40% left the streaming giant for other streaming services.

Apple Music (AAPL) has a new reason to worry. Spotify (SPOT) was already a tough competitor, but now it also has to face off with Chinese company ByteDance.

According to Bloomberg, Apple shipped 10 million iPhones in China between September and October. China contributes nearly 20% to its top line.

Microsoft stated on November 15 that it was planning to discontinue its standalone Cortana app on iOS and Android in selected countries outside the US.

Strategy Analytics reported that Apple could lead the 5G smartphone market in 2020, outshining Samsung—the current leader in the global 5G market.

After attracting 200,000 members in the first two days of its launch in March, Apple News+ hasn’t seen much interest, reported CNBC yesterday.

Google plans to offer a smart checking account along with Citigroup and Stanford Federal Credit Union. Tentatively called Cache, it could launch in 2020.

Netflix (NFLX) and Nickelodeon have entered into a multiyear deal to produce original animated content, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

Former HBO CEO Richard Plepler is in “advanced talks” over a deal with Apple TV+ (AAPL), the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

On Tuesday at the official summit, Dell Technologies (DELL) announced the launch of the on-demand model for its products like personal computers and servers.

The wait for Apple’s AR (augmented reality) headset could get longer. However, AR could become the backbone of Apple’s next hardware revolution.

An IDC report on November 11 revealed that Apple had once again captured more than half of India’s premium smartphone market.

Some of the older Samsung TV and Roku (ROKU) devices won’t stream Netflix (NFLX) starting on December 1 due to some technical limitations.

Netflix’s (NFLX) Indian arm posted a whopping 700% YoY (year-over-year) revenue growth in 2018 to 2019, per a company filing.

The Apple Card is currently under regulatory scrutiny related to gender-biased credit limit approvals, according to a Bloomberg report on November 9.

Apple Watch shipments surged over 51% year-over-year in the third quarter. Find out what’s driving this growth and what’s next for Apple wearables.

Foldable phones are a big thing now, and Samsung deserves all the credit as one of the first movers and shakers in this space.

Apple’s iPad has proven its strength yet again. Strategy Analytics reports iPads’ market share grew year-over-year to 26.5% in the third quarter.

Yesterday, Nokia announced a partnership with Microsoft (MSFT) to offer digital transformation to enterprises and telecom providers.

Apple’s iPhone 11 saw success due to its affordable cost and advanced features. However, the 5G iPhone 12 is likely to come with a higher price tag.

Apple (AAPL) seems to be gearing up to offer subscription-based services, the ideal option for stable, recurring revenue.

AE Ventures, the investment arm of æternity blockchain, recently partnered with Microsoft to hold events to promote blockchain in Malta.

Apple (AAPL) and Qualcomm (QCOM) settled their long-standing dispute in April, a critical step for Apple to expedite its entry into the 5G arena.

Apple reported its fiscal 2019 Q4 results after markets closed yesterday. The company met expectations and saw its highest September quarter revenue ever.

When Apple discloses its Q4 results today, investors will surely be watching for its metrics. However, management’s guidance may be more important.

Markets are eagerly waiting for Apple to release its fourth-quarter results tomorrow. AAPL stock has risen to record highs this month amid optimism.

Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 11 series has taken the market by storm, and investors are looking forward to what’s next for iPhones.

With just one week until its fiscal 2019 fourth-quarter earnings results, Apple (AAPL) is trading at a new high. Let’s talk about why.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty forecast that Apple TV+ could be a $9 billion business by 2025. The firm raised Apple’s price target to $289 from $247.

Microsoft thrives on the core strength of its business model. It has once again proved so with a spectacular fiscal 2020 first-quarter earnings release.

The road for Netflix is getting rockier by the day. As it prepares for the imminent streaming wars, it’s been caught off guard by a new development.

Microsoft plans to release its Q1 earnings after the market closes. Investors expect upbeat earnings, driven by its robust cloud-computing business.

On October 20, SAP (SAP) and Microsoft (MSFT) revealed their three-year cloud partnership. This partnership would be called Embrace.

The buzz surrounding Apple’s augmented reality headset is getting stronger. On October 21, Bloomberg reported that the company is planning a 2020 release.