• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechAntitrust

Apple Stock Drops as WWDC Gets Upstaged by Report of a Possible Antitrust Probe

By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 3, 2019, 3:21 PM ET

WWDC, Apple’s annual developers conference, is an obsessively curated affair, an attempt by the tech giant to put its best foot forward not just for programmers, but its customers and investors as well. On Monday, just as executives were unveiling new innovations, however, a monkey wrench was tossed into the proceedings, as reports emerged of a possible antitrust probe.

According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of Justice is considering investigating Apple on antitrust concerns. The two unnamed sources cited by Reuters didn’t specify what particular issues could be leading to an antitrust probe.

Apple’s stock, which had been slightly positive earlier in Monday’s trading session, was down as much as 2.4% at $170.87 a share following the report. By the end of the official trading day, Apple’s stock had rebounded slightly, closing down 1% at $173.30 a share.

The Justice Department’s antitrust division has been meeting with the Federal Trade Commission in recent weeks to discuss investigations into big tech companies, including Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Alphabet-owned Google.

The stocks of those other tech giants were also down Monday, amid concerns that regulators will step up oversight of the companies’ privacy policies and market influence. Facebook declined 7.7% to $164.14 a share, Alphabet was down 6.7% at $1,032.21 a share, while Amazon was down 4.9% at $1,688.80 a share.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an antitrust case brought by iPhone consumers against Apple could move forward. The case centers on a 30% commission that Apple takes on sales of iPhone apps in its App Store, which plaintiffs are arguing pass on to consumers in an unfair use of monopoly power. An informal survey of tech workers showed that many agree Apple’s App Store is in fact a monopoly.

Since May 1, Apple’s stock has lost about a fifth of its value on a number of concerns, including a slowdown of smartphone sales in general and the iPhone in particular, and the impact that an escalating trade war could have on Apple’s financials.

At WWDC on Monday, Apple made several announcements, including a trailer for an Apple TV Plus original series, upgrades to the Apple Watch software, a new Mac Pro, new health-related apps, and details of new features in both iOS 13 and the next Mac OS.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—After rejection, this unicorn is eyeing an IPO to raise $1 billion

—This recession predictor just hit levels not seen since 2007

—Now NYC commuters can set up Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Fitbit Pay

—AT&T has become a new kind of media giant

—Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune 500 Daily

Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis.

About the Author
By Kevin Kelleher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

The billionaire Anthropic cofounder who majored in literature says knowing how to ask the right questions beats knowing how to code
SuccessTech
The billionaire Anthropic cofounder who majored in literature says knowing how to ask the right questions beats knowing how to code
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 14, 2026
6 hours ago
TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 3: Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a talk session with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at an event titled "Transforming Business through AI" in Tokyo, Japan, on February 03, 2025. SoftBank and OpenAI announced that they have agreed a partnership to set up a joint venture for artificial intelligence services in Japan today. (Photo by Tomohiro Oh
CybersecuritySam Altman
From Molotov cocktails to data center shutdowns, the AI backlash is turning revolutionary
By Eva RoytburgApril 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Dow COO Karen Carter wearing a white lab coat and sitting while smiling
C-SuiteNext to Lead
Dow’s CEO pick elevates a seasoned insider at a pivotal moment for the chemical giant
By Ruth UmohApril 14, 2026
8 hours ago
Anthropic’s Mythos reveals a growing security gap: AI finds flaws far faster than companies can patch them
AIEye on AI
Anthropic’s Mythos reveals a growing security gap: AI finds flaws far faster than companies can patch them
By Sharon GoldmanApril 14, 2026
9 hours ago
Sam Altman’s attacker had a kill list of AI executives. Experts warn this is just the beginning
AIchief executive officer (CEO)
Sam Altman’s attacker had a kill list of AI executives. Experts warn this is just the beginning
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 14, 2026
11 hours ago
Nava founders Brianna Montgomery and Vyas Krishnan pose for a photo
CryptoCryptocurrency
Nava raises $8.3 million in seed funding to keep AI financial agents from going off the rails
By Jack KubinecApril 14, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
Success
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
1 day ago
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
Commentary
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
17 hours ago
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
Success
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
19 hours ago
Current price of gold as of April 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 13, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
2 days ago
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
AI
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
17 hours ago
New drones are giving Ukraine a battlefield advantage and ravaging Russia’s oil industry
Innovation
New drones are giving Ukraine a battlefield advantage and ravaging Russia’s oil industry
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.