Keith Fitz-Gerald, chief investment officer of the Fitz-Gerald Group, analyzes Apple and explains why Palantir stock is on track to hit $100 per share on Varney & Co.
Apple’s board of directors has urged shareholders to reject a proposal that would force the company to cease operations. diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, arguing that this decision would be “unnecessary”.
THE iPhone manufacturer The defense of its DEI programs comes as several major companies are rolling back so-called “woke” initiatives following a 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action and under public pressure from activists.
| Teleprinter | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | APPLE INC. | 236.85 | -5.85 |
-2.41% |
A proxy filing released ahead of Apple’s 2025 annual meeting shows that the National Center for Public Policy Research, a free market think tank and shareholder activist, had proposed that Apple abandon its DEI efforts, saying such programs put the company at greater risk of to be pursued for discrimination.
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But Apple recommended shareholders vote against the proposal, saying it was “unnecessary because Apple already has a well-established compliance program and the proposal inappropriately attempts to restrict Apple’s ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, its people, its teams and its business strategies.
Panelists Jennifer Sey and Daniel Cameron discuss how big companies are revisiting DEI and environmental, social and governance programs on “The Bottom Line.”
DEI often involves prioritizing race, gender, or sexuality in hiring, training, and programming, and the initiatives have been criticized by conservatives as divisive and discriminatory. DEI proponents say these efforts address racial divisions and provide support to historically marginalized groups.
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DEI policies have come under increased scrutiny over the past year, leading at least a dozen major U.S. companies and hundreds of universities to roll back these commitments, including Walmart, Meta and Ford.
| Teleprinter | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 91.59 | -1.41 |
-1.52% |
| META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 615.86 | +5.14 |
+0.84% |
| F | FORD MOTOR CO. | 9:65 a.m. | -0.09 |
-0.92% |
But Apple isn’t alone in strongly supporting its DEI efforts. The majority of America’s largest companies still have such programs in place, and Costco recently did as well. defended its DEI policies while urging its own shareholders to reject a proposal that would end it.
| Teleprinter | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COST | COSTCO GROSS CORP. | 936.94 | +9.57 |
+1.03% |
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Kristine Parks of FOX Business contributed to this report.
