Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Toyota’s Surprise CEO Change Signals Strategic Shift Amid Global Auto Turmoil 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Prudential Financial Reports Higher Q4 Profit on Strong Underwriting and Investment Gains 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Alphabet’s Massive AI Spending Surge Signals Confidence in Google’s Growth Engine 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026 
FDA Targets Hims & Hers Over $49 Weight-Loss Pill, Raising Legal and Safety Concerns 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge 
OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering 
Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
Anthropic Eyes $350 Billion Valuation as AI Funding and Share Sale Accelerate 
Apple Inc. announced on Monday, Sept. 19, that it would implement price increases for items in its App Store. The American tech firm is applying the new rates for purchases in some European and Asian regions starting next month.
Apple revealed that it would be raising the prices of apps and in-app purchases on its App Store. The company mentioned that some of the countries that will see higher rates include Malaysia, Japan, and all nations that use the euro currency, as per Reuters.
Price increases for Apple’s App Store items are also expected to be implemented in South Korea, Pakistan, Sweden, Poland, and Chile in South America. Based on the report, the new prices are set to take effect as early as Oct. 5, and the rates exclude auto-renewable subscriptions.
The price adjustments are expected to reflect the new regulations set by Vietnam for Apple, where it must collect and pay applicable taxes such as value-added tax (VAT) and corporate income tax (CIT) at 5% rates.
It was mentioned that Apple typically adjusts its prices in different territories from time to time. In fact, last year, it also reduced prices for countries under the “euro zone”, and this was done to fine-tune the corresponding currencies and taxes. The latest price increase starts at €1.19.
In any case, the new rates are being applied as a way of protecting the company’s margins as major currencies collapse against the US dollar. Bloomberg reported that the strong dollar today could actually be a key driver.
The latest price hike for in-app purchases and apps on Apple’s App Store comes after the company raised the prices of its leading products, including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers, earlier this summer. The increase was due to the discrepancy in currencies when the dollar’s value started to soar.
“It is not the first time Apple is adjusting App Store prices, but this hike is a pretty hefty one,” Serkan Toto, an analyst at Tokyo-based Kantan Games company said in a statement. “It is inevitable the price adjustment will be felt by app and game developers in the markets affected. People might be more hesitant to make in-app purchases now than ever, and developers might be forced to get more creative in terms of pricing in the future.”
