Apple Stock Surges as Court Upholds $20B Google Search Deal

Apple shares climbed 4.3% following a U.S. federal judge's decision to maintain the tech giant's lucrative search partnership with Google. The ruling preserves an arrangement that contributes nearly 20% of Apple's services revenue at a time when hardware sales growth slows.

Judge Amit Mehta's verdict permits Google to remain Safari's default search engine while prohibiting exclusive contracts. The decision contrasts with Europe's aggressive antitrust stance, where Google has faced multibillion-euro fines for similar arrangements.

This partnership represents one of Silicon Valley's most consequential commercial alliances, generating approximately $20 billion annually for Apple. The court's measured approach highlights regulatory differences between U.S. and European tech oversight.