Apple's rise has been good for both NASDAQ and Taiwan. The NASDAQ Composite Index closed at over 5,000 points on Monday. That was the first time the NASDAQ hit the 5,000 mark in 15 years. Analysts are saying that Apple’s market capitalization gains of over US$750 billion during the past several years have been a major factor in the index’s rise.
Technology research company Gartner said Apple sold 74.84 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of last year, beating Samsung’s sales of 73.03 million phones. That was the first time since the fourth quarter of 2011 that Apple’s iPhones sold better than Samsung’s smartphones.
The popularity of new iPhones has greatly benefited Taiwanese companies. Share prices for the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. hit a record high after the company received orders for Apple’s A8 processors. The company’s market value hit NT$4 trillion (roughly US$127.6 billion), which is 15% of all listed companies in Taiwan. Largan, which makes Apple’s camera lenses, also saw its stock value hit a new high, at NT$2,800 per share.
Industry experts are saying the reason iPhone 6 sales have been so good is that the phone has met consumer demand for bigger phones. The iPhone 6 has enabled Apple to reach a market value of US$1 trillion. But analysts say that the success of the iPhone7 will play a big role in determining whether Apple will continue to lead the market.