Source: Zhitong Finance "Since 1950, the S&P 500 index has risen more than 10% 21 times as of the end of May. In about 90% of these cases, the S&P 500 index rose for the rest of the year. There were only two instances of declines for the rest of the year, in 1987 (-13%) and 1986 (-0.1%)." With the rebound of the stock market, the old adage "Sell in May and Go Away" seems to have been a bad advice once again. Last month, the S&P 500 index rose 4.8%, the best May performance since 2009. The NASDAQ 100 index rose nearly 6.2%, and the NASDAQ Composite Index rose 6.9%. Goldman Sachs FICC & Equities Trading Division said: "History doesn't really support this saying. Don't sell, leave the market (go on vacation), and enjoy the good times." The rising trend is still to be continued? If history is any guide, it may indicate that the rise of the stock market is not over yet. Looking ahead to the rest of 2024, Scott Rubner, Managing Director of the Goldman Sachs Global Markets Division and tactical expert, pointed out the following historical background for investors. Rubner stated that the S&P 500 index has risen 10.7% year-to-date, and since 1950, the S&P 500 index has risen more than 10% 21 times as of the end of May. In about 90% of these cases, the S&P 500 index rose for the rest of the year. There were only two instances of declines for the rest of the year, in 1987 (-13%) and 1986 (-0.1%). "Since 1950, the median return of the last 7 months of each year (June 1 to December 31) is 5.4%. In the aforementioned 21 cases, the average performance of the last 7 months increased to 8.1%." Rubner added. Rubner also pointed out that the NASDAQ index has risen for 16 consecutive Julys, with an average return of about 4.64%.

$Apple (AAPL.US)$The WWDC2024 Global Developers Conference will be held from June 11th to 15th. According to the well-known Apple whistleblower Mark Gurman, this conference will showcase all contents with a focus on ai.

Apple usually isn't the first company to introduce new product categories, as it has shown with the iPhone, smartwatch, and Vision Pro. All of these areas already had related products that existed before Apple introduced its versions, but Apple often finds a way to stand out.

Now, Apple seems to be looking to do something similar in the field of artificial intelligence. After the generative AI frenzy began two years ago, the company is getting ready to showcase its vision for the technology. At the annual global developer conference on Monday, Apple will announce plans to deeply integrate artificial intelligence into its major applications and functions, while reaffirming its commitment to privacy and security.

According to insiders, Apple's new artificial intelligence system will be named Apple Intelligence and will be launched with new versions of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems. The tech giant will also partner with OpenAI to power chatbots similar to ChatGPT. The company is also preparing to showcase new software for the Vision Pro headset, Apple Watch, and television platform.

Gurman said Apple's WWDC keynote will begin at 10am Pacific Time and typically lasts about two hours, with AI functionality expected to take about half the time and the rest likely showcasing popular features unrelated to AI, such as making the iPhone more customizable and improving the Apple Watch. Company spokespeople declined to comment on the plans.

Overall, here are all the things that may be covered during the keynote:

AI features

Apple's artificial intelligence solution will include integrating the technology into as many applications as possible to simplify customers' daily lives in an ideal way. The company isn't focusing on cutting-edge technologies like image and video generation, but rather on functions with broad appeal.

New features will be optional, meaning Apple won't force users to adopt them if they don't want to, and the company will position them as betas. The processing requirements for artificial intelligence mean users will need to update to the iPhone 15 Pro or the latest models released this year. If they use an iPad or Mac, they may need at least a model with an M1 chip to use these features.

Apple's AI features will be powered by its own technology and OpenAI tools. These services will either run on-device or rely on cloud-based computing, depending on the complexity of the task. New operating systems will include an algorithm for determining which approach to take for any given task.

For years, Apple has discouraged the use of cloud servers to process data and even condemned competitors who do so, and now it's taking the risk of using the cloud for AI. Therefore, a large part of the company's announcement will focus on the preventive measures it's taking, including the security functions of the chips used in its datacenters. Apple won't build user profiles based on customer data, and the company will generate reports proving that consumers' information is safe and won't be sold or read. Meanwhile, Apple will continue to promote the advantages of on-device processing when available.

A major part of AI-driven functionality is summarization. Apple plans to introduce a feature in the Safari browser that quickly browses through articles and webpages. They will also be summarizing meeting notes, text messages, and emails. Apple also plans to provide a supplementary feature for missed notifications, letting users quickly absorb them without looking at their phones.

Another part is reply suggestions. The iPhone will be able to automatically generate complete email and text message replies on behalf of the user.

Siri will also be a part of the new AI-driven functionality, and Apple plans to revamp its voice-controlled service based on large-scale language models, which is the core technology behind generative AI. Siri users will be able to accurately control individual features and operations within applications for the first time. For example, people will be able to tell Siri to delete an email, edit a photo, or summarize news articles. Over time, Apple will extend this functionality to third-party applications and allow users to string together multiple commands to form a request. However, it may take until next year for these features to appear.

Apple's application development software Xcode has also been injected with a lot of ai. Its working principle is similar to that of GitHub Copilot, which can automatically complete code for programmers. Although Apple has already been using this new developer tool internally, it is unlikely to be fully released to third-party developers before next year. $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$GitHub Copilot, which can automatically complete code for programmers, is similar to Apple's Xcode software, which has also been infused with a lot of ai. Although Apple has already been using this new developer tool internally, it is unlikely to be fully released to third-party developers before next year.

The Mail app is also undergoing a major upgrade. It will include a Gmail-like feature that automatically categorizes received emails.

One feature that may garner widespread attention from Gen Z (and perhaps other groups) is AI-created emojis. This will use AI to create custom emoji characters, meaning the iPhone will have more choices than the standardized emoji library that's been built-in for years.

The voice memo will integrate with AI, and the company will increase the ability to automatically transcribe recordings. This has been a feature of Google Pixel devices and many third-party recording apps for many years.

AI will also appear in the photo app, embedding new features in photo editing. This will make it easier to enhance images or remove people or objects from frames.

Other software upgrades.

For decades, Apple's industrial design team has determined the look and feel of all its products, ensuring that the software running on the device matches the clean lines of the hardware. Now, consumers will have more say. In the latest iPhone operating system - iOS 18, codenamed Crystal, application icons will no longer need to be kept in a neat grid. Instead, users can place icons anywhere on the home screen. In addition, icon colors will be customizable for the first time. This means that users can set all their social media apps to blue or set icons related to finance to green. Overall, this is considered the biggest upgrade of the main screen in the 17-year history of the iPhone.

The Control Center is another core part of the iPhone operating system, and it will also receive an updated interface that allows you to rearrange quick buttons in the Control Center view and place them on multiple pages. The Control Center will also have a new music widget and an updated interface for controlling smart home appliances.

Since the first generation of the iPhone, the "Settings" application has remained basically unchanged, but has been updated on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with a focus on improving navigation, better organization, and more reliable search.

The Messages app has undergone some non-AI adjustments, including changes to the effects feature - which allows you to send fireworks and other visual elements to the person you're texting. Users can now trigger effects with a single word instead of an entire message. Tapbacks will have new colored icons that allow you to quickly respond to messages with a heart, exclamation point or other character (currently gray). Users can also click on a message with any emoji. Another frequently requested feature is the ability to schedule a message to be sent later. Apple announced in November last year that it will bring RCS (fusion communication service) to the iPhone later this year, which changes its position for a long time. This will make it easier to share messages with Android users.

Apple will launch a password application for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15, which will provide alternatives to 1Password and LastPass services. This is basically the application version of the long-standing iCloud Keychain feature of the company, which is currently hidden in the "Settings" application.

The company has improved the calculator application and introduced it to the iPad for the first time. On the iPad and Mac, the application will use the same overall interface as the existing iPhone version, with circular buttons.

The calendar will be partially updated, including the introduction of data from the reminder application. However, these two applications are not combined on iOS or macOS.

The Health app will also be partially upgraded, including improving blood pressure data management and preparing for high blood pressure detection for future Apple Watch. Apple's AirPods will also support a new hearing test function. The headphones also have new hearing aid functions, but this may not be announced until later this year. At the same time, if the headphones are worn by pregnant women, the health application will better customize data such as cycle tracking.

The watchOS 11 update code-named Moonstone will add an updated Siri interface that formats responses uniquely based on the type of query. Some key applications will also undergo major changes, such as fitness.

Safari in macOS 15, code-named Glow, will undergo some changes, but Apple seems unlikely to launch its own ad blocker - there are reports that this is possible. Advertisers have already fiercely criticized the app tracking transparency (ATT) in Apple's iOS 14, and Apple does not want another privacy-related trouble.

Apple's devices will launch a new wallpaper pack, including wallpapers for Mac that reference old-fashioned icons and slogans. iPhone wallpapers will have options similar to early phone wallpapers.

The company's latest product, Vision Pro, will not undergo major adjustments to visionOS 2, code-named Constellation, but the software will include new environments, password application, and Vision Pro versions of iPad software, making the gaming experience more perfect. Overall, the software is more focused on filling gaps in the first version than opening up new areas.

Hardware and subsequent products.

WWDC usually focuses on software, but the company will also use this conference to launch some devices. Last year, Apple first showcased Vision Pro. However, this time it is in the intermittent period, and the next wave of devices is expected to be released in the fall, so there should be no new hardware releases next week.

Nevertheless, this conference will still lay the foundation for future development. New health features will be the basis for upgrading Apple Watch in the fall. New AirPods enhancements will also be the core of several new models that will be launched later this year. At the same time, AI features will help Apple sell new iPhones and Macs with upgraded chips next year and beyond.

Editor / jayden