Apple stock slumps AGAIN this morning - after it lost $113 BILLION in value yesterday after US 'monopoly' crackdown

Apple's stock price is falling - as regulators in the US and Europe crackdown on the technology giant.  

Dual investigations both sides of the Atlantic are unnerving investors - with fears of fines and forced changes to how it operates  

Shares of the company slid 4.1 percent Thursday - their worst day since August 2023 -reducing its market value by $113 billion in market value.

It took the losses this year to 11 per cent - at a time the rest of themarket is making record highs. 

Today shares opened about the same price they closed at Thursday - $172 - but then slid downwards again. 

The US Department of Justice and 15 states allege it used the powerful demand for its iPhone and other products to drive up prices and hurt smaller rivals in the first major antitrust effort against Apple.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland, with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco (L), announces an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, at the Justice Department in Washington, DC, on March 21

For example, it is alleged that Apple makes it harder for rival payment apps and smartwatches to work with iPhones. 

Instead it prioritizes its Apple Pay and Watch - rather than, say PayPal, or Garmin. Shares in both those companies rose today after the news of the lawsuit.

Another major complaint is over messaging. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said users who try to message owners of other makes of smartphone end up having problems - such as videos not sending. 

Apple joins a list of major tech companies sued by US regulators, including Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms and Amazon.com across the administrations of both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

In the lawsuit, Apple is accused of five main areas where it hs blocked rival firms from fully accessing its technology - in a bid to supress competition.

As well as messaging apps, smartwatches and digital wallets, Apple is accused of blocking competition with so-called 'super apps' and cloud stream game apps.

It is claimed that Apple makes it harder for competing messaging apps and smartwatches to work with iPhones. 

Officials also say it blocked access to its contactless technology that allows mobile payments - meaning iPhone owners can only use its Apple Pay service.

Meanwhile, rules on the App Store around streaming services for games have hurt compeition. 

Super-apps are those that make combine multiple features, such as calling, messaging and payments in one place - and it easier to move between between smartphone platforms. They are common in China and include WeChat.