Software stocks are "entering winter" while Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) remains "evergreen"! The market value has increased to over 4 trillion U.S. dollars against the market trend, becoming a safe haven amid fears of AI substitution.

Due to increasing concerns among investors about the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence, Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) is seen as a safe haven, with its stock price moving opposite to the tech sector and the overall market. Apple Inc.'s stock price rose 2.6% on Wednesday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index dropped 1.77%. This means that Apple Inc.'s stock price has outperformed the market by the largest margin since the beginning of 2025. This trend continues the recent upward trajectory, with Apple Inc.'s stock price rising nearly 6% this month, while the Nasdaq 100 index has fallen 3.3% during the same period. This growth has pushed Apple Inc.'s market value slightly above $4 trillion, surpassing Alphabet (GOOGL.US) to become the world's second largest company, second only to NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA.US). Dan Eye, Chief Investment Officer of Fort Pitt Capital Group, which holds Apple Inc. stock, said, "The disruptive theme of artificial intelligence seems not to have extended to the hardware sector, and this is undoubtedly good news at a time when the market has already assumed that artificial intelligence will consume the entire software sector." This divergence reflects both Apple Inc.'s positive momentum and the growing uncertainty in most areas of the tech industry. Apple Inc.'s quarterly sales results released last week set a new record, and its performance guidance exceeded expectations. Meanwhile, the artificial intelligence tools launched by Alphabet and the startup company Anthropic have triggered a widespread sell-off in tech stocks, as investors worry that AI services will eat into company growth. Eye pointed out: "Although Apple Inc. is not a value stock, it is also not a high-risk stock." The company is expected to benefit from the proliferation of artificial intelligence, as hardware devices like the iPhone will become the core platform for users to access AI services. Last month, Alphabet's Alphabet Inc. Class C and Apple Inc. reached a multi-year agreement to provide technical support for its AI technology (including the Siri voice assistant). Meanwhile, software stocks are under pressure, with popular ETFs tracking the sector falling 2.7%, potentially on track for a seventh consecutive day of decline, marking the longest losing streak in over two years. Even Microsoft Corporation (MSFT.US) has fallen 14% this year, as its financial report showed disappointing performance in its cloud computing business, and its investments in the field of artificial intelligence are attracting more attention. Eye said, "Apple Inc. has decided not to participate in the AI arms race, which now seems wiser than six months ago. It will still benefit from AI, but it doesn't have to bear the burden of billions of dollars in debt and capital expenditure to fund a large amount of infrastructure and projects."