BUSINESS

CUPERTINO, Calif. — As Tim Cook prepares to step down as Apple CEO after 15 years and transition to executive chairman, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus set to take over on Sept. 1, the question of whether Apple is better off without Cook's steady leadership has sparked intense debate among investors, analysts and tech historians.

SYDNEY — Australian motorists faced rising fuel prices on Wednesday as global oil costs climbed due to renewed uncertainty in the Middle East, with average unleaded petrol prices hovering around AUD 1.89 per litre nationally and diesel reaching AUD 2.76 per litre in many areas, despite the government's temporary excise reduction providing some relief at the pump.

TORRANCE, Calif. — Navitas Semiconductor Corp. shares have delivered explosive gains in 2026, surging hundreds of percent on enthusiasm for its gallium nitride and silicon carbide chips powering artificial intelligence data centers, yet Wall Street analysts remain divided on whether the stock is a buy, hold or sell at current elevated levels.

TORRANCE, Calif. — Navitas Semiconductor Corp. has emerged as one of the hottest names in the semiconductor sector in 2026, with its stock exploding higher amid intense interest in its gallium nitride and silicon carbide technologies for artificial intelligence data centers and energy infrastructure.

Elon Musk has been summoned in Paris for a voluntary interview as French investigators probe allegations involving X, including deepfakes, illegal content, and possible platform misuse.

The IT industry has a people problem. There is no shortage of technicians or software; the shortage is in actual human connection. OAC Technology, a Minneapolis-based managed services provider with 25 years of operating history, has built its entire business around solving exactly that.

When you visit the different investing forums in Australia today, you will see that there are two tribes that cross-talk in a polite manner. One party is concerned with the long-term impact of compounded returns on purchasing shares in ASX, getting franking credits, and experiencing relative tranquillity of reduced daily price movements.

Tim Cook is now stepping down as Apple's CEO, but he will still remain involved in Apple's business despite having a replacement named.

Elon Musk proposes a federal "universal high income" to address AI job losses, sparking debate among economists and tech leaders.

NEW YORK — As the S&P 500 navigates a volatile 2026 marked by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and persistent focus on artificial intelligence infrastructure, investors are hunting for resilient large-cap names with strong growth potential. Wall Street strategists project the benchmark index to finish the year between 7,100 and 7,800, implying roughly 9% to 14% upside from spring levels, driven by solid corporate earnings and continued AI adoption.

Artificial intelligence is completely changing how we sell online. Find out how to choose the right online store builder to easily grow your business.

CARLSBAD, California — MaxLinear Inc. (NASDAQ: MXL), a provider of radio frequency, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, trades with mixed signals in April 2026 as investors weigh its push into high-speed AI data center connectivity against ongoing losses, analyst caution and a consensus price target implying downside from recent levels.

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. shares are trading near $423 as investors debate whether to buy or sell ahead of what analysts call a pivotal year for the tech giant's artificial intelligence and cloud ambitions. Wall Street's consensus leans heavily toward buying the stock, with average 12-month price targets around $578 to $600 implying roughly 37% to 42% upside from current levels.

NEW YORK — NVIDIA Corp. shares hover near $200 in mid-April 2026, trading as the world's most valuable company with a market capitalization topping $4.9 trillion, as Wall Street analysts overwhelmingly recommend buying the stock amid unrelenting demand for its artificial intelligence chips.

AUSTIN, Texas — Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Tesla, SpaceX and xAI, has sparked intense debate with a bold prediction that artificial intelligence will usher in an era of "universal high income" funded by direct government payments, ultimately triggering deflation rather than inflation as productivity explodes.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Albemarle Corporation shares exploded higher on April 16, 2026, closing at $215.62 after a stunning 16.31 percent single-day gain on heavy volume, as lithium prices continued their sharp 2026 rebound and bullish analyst actions reinforced optimism for the world's largest lithium producer.

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board in June, closing a historic chapter as the streaming giant enters a new leadership era.