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by ArtTimeInvestor 436 days ago
It's hard to say where the lower bound for the value of American companies is now. Is it zero?

Usually one could estimate the absolute minimum of future earnings.

But the current administration seems to be set on redirecting those earnings away from investors towards the government. And I don't see what could limit the extent to which they do so.
2 comments
ENGNR 436 days ago
The absolute lower bound is probably domestic consumption?

Which is still a huuuuuuuuuuuuge market

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SideburnsOfDoom 435 days ago
When the parts can't be imported, then the question is: domestic consumption of what?
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pwatsonwailes 435 days ago
Potatoes?
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SideburnsOfDoom 435 days ago
Sure, even in North Korea with "Juche" (1) extreme self-reliance, there is some domestic consumption. Of potatoes, even (2). It's not that domestic consumption will go to zero.

But the point is that domestic consumption is not constant. It can decrease, it can substitute more basic goods. Such as potatoes.

1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juche

2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_production_in_North_Kor...

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intermerda 436 days ago
> It's hard to say where the lower bound for the value of American companies is now. Is it zero?

Come on, it's definitely not zero for most of the companies, even if tons of small businesses go bankrupt.

> But the current administration seems to be set on redirecting those earnings away from investors towards the government. And I don't see what could limit the extent to which they do so.

The objective of the current administration is to implement fascism. Companies can operate and make profit, as long as it’s allowed by the government. See the blackmailing of law firms and tech companies for examples.

Ironically, Thomas Sowell made that argument back when Obama dared to give Americans healthcare - https://www.creators.com/read/thomas-sowell/06/12/socialist-.... And he also rang similar alarm bells during the Biden administration - https://www.foxnews.com/media/thomas-sowell-systemic-racism-.... But he has offered nothing more than milquetoast commentary about tariffs being bad when it comes to the current administration.

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ArtTimeInvestor 436 days ago 

    Companies can operate and make profit
Why make a profit? How is an Apple that gives billions of dollars to investors (many of them abroad) better for Trump than an Apple that gives those billions of dollars to the Government which he controls? Tariffs are one way to redirect those profits.
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jajko 435 days ago
Apple has ~30% margin, so they will just increase prices. If real SHTF with sales (since iphone 16 has had lukewarm sales already and they have 0 new shocking transformative products), they can start chipping down that part, but its a long way to go to reach competition.

Who pays for all this, as always, is common people, getting poorer. More specifically middle class, poor don't buy money-making devices from ie Apple, and rich will either stay rich or get richer if positioned well.

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ArtTimeInvestor 435 days ago
Why do their 30% margin make you predict they will increase prices? What if they had 3% margin?
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jajko 435 days ago
Their stock would collapse, nobody in power there wants that.
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robocat 435 days ago
> Apple that gives billions of dollars to investors (many of them abroad)

Yeah and much of the revenue comes from abroad too. You could at least try to show a balanced view

  the U.S. still counts for around 40 percent of Apple’s net sales
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