Apple stock nose-dives while HTC’s skyrockets

The smartphone space has changed, and Apple is no longer King despite still commanding around 75 per cent of the market's profits. Reduced demand for its iPhone 5 and the rise of Samsung has had a nasty affect on the company’s share value, which now sits at $500. 

Apple and HTC’s stock values – bizarrely, given their shared current predicatments – are mirror images of one another. Apple’s dropped from $700 in September to $500 on Monday, and HTC’s has recently gone berserk (in a good way) despite poor quarterly reports, declining handset sales, and dwindling profit margins.

After dipping below NT$200 in early November, reports BGR, HTC’s stock came roaring back, hitting NT$300 a few weeks ago and up 5 per cent today following Nikkei’s report on Apple’s possible component order reductions

Are investors flocking from Apple to HTC? Not likely. But perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel for the latter? HTC, according to market watchers, could claw back market share and profitability in 2013 via its two excellent Windows Phone 8 devices, the HTC 8S and HTC 8X. 

That sounds like a long shot – and it is. Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform has not yet been shown to perform. But combined with HTC’s soon-to-be-released Android-powered M7 handset and its renewed focus on marketing and Chinese markets, a comeback for the once great Android OEM isn't entirely implausible. 

HTC is expected to unveil its latest Android flagship, currently codenamed the M7, at Mobile World Congress 2013 at the end of February.