For the first time in nearly a year, all Apple Inc. US retail stores are open.
This milestone along with News over the weekend that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway
BRK.B, + 3.62%
is still optimistic about his share of 5.4% in tech giant sent Apple shares
AAPL, + 5.39%
jump more than 5% on Monday, biggest gain in more than four months.
Apple has closed all stores outside of China on March 13, 2020when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the globe. Shops in China closed in February.
But from Monday All 270 Apple Stores in the US have been somewhat open, although some still have restrictions, such as by appointment only. Stores in Texas were the last to reopen on Monday after additional delays caused by the crippling winter storm in February.
9to5 Mac was the first to report the openings. It is also said that the only Apple stores that remain closed worldwide are around a dozen in France and Brazil.
A number of US stores had reopened from last MayHowever, many were forced to close again as the pandemic worsened and local restrictions tightened. The reopened stores are believed to be a guarantor of local business conditions and are an encouraging sign of economic recovery as COVID-19 vaccines become more prevalent and cases fall across the country.
Apple shares rose more than 5% on Monday. This is the best since a gain of 6.4% on October 12th. Apple stock is down 3.7% since the start of the year but is up 71% over the past 12 months, compared to the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA, + 1.95%
Increases of 3% this year and 18% last year.
