Frontier Group Holdings, Inc.

Hecla Mining Company

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation

GitLab Inc.

USA Rare Earth, Inc.

X-Energy

Qorvo, Inc.

This week, shares of rare earths producer USA Rare Earth rose after the acquisition of Serra Verde mines, strengthening the company’s position in a strategic sector. Meanwhile, cannabis and psychedelics stocks advanced on regulatory easing in the U.S. Against this backdrop, analysts have highlighted small caps amid uncertainty over the future of U.S.-Iran negotiations, as well as chipmakers that could benefit from the launch of a foldable iPhone. Below is a roundup of key developments in the small-cap segment from April 20 through April 24.

Small caps last week: U.S.-Iran talks, rare earths, U.S. drug policy easing, chips

Apple Inc.

The appointment of techie John Ternus to head Apple is a return to the foundations laid by Steve Jobs

Apple's stock is up 20 times under CEO Tim Cook. What do analysts expect after him?

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

Xiaomi Corporation

Apple posted strong growth on its China shipments in the first quarter, but its future growth may be hampered by constraints on the manufacturing side, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-04-16-2026/card/tsmc-s-results-weren-t-a-great-sign-for-apple-q8Pv7dWsepHLWQCP8tgH?mod=lctimeline_finance">writes</a>. Amid the AI boom, Apple's key contractor, TSMC of Taiwan, may switch to producing more profitable chips for data centers, the WSJ <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-04-16-2026/card/tsmc-s-results-weren-t-a-great-sign-for-apple-q8Pv7dWsepHLWQCP8tgH?mod=lctimeline_finance">notes</a>.

iPhone shipments in the PRC are up 20%. How the AI boom may hinder further growth

The voice assistant will be available in a chat format - like ChatGPT and other assistants

Bloomberg: Apple will make a separate app for the new Siri with AI. It will be unveiled in June

Despite the similarities to the iPad, the foldable iPhone will run on standard iOS, not iPadOS

iPad interface, multitasking: Bloomberg has learned new details about the "foldable iPhone"

Artificial intelligence is a threat to software vendors, but not to iPhone sales

Apple has unshackled itself from the Nasdaq. What's good for investors in the midst of the software apocalypse?

The market is taking the launch timing of the updated Siri as an indicator of Apple's ability to realize its AI strategy

"Soap opera" wraps up: why Wedbush thinks Apple's sell-off is unjustified

The company's stock outlook is directly tied to the introduction of AI features in the iPhone

Apple faces Siri 2.0 glitches and may delay launch - Bloomberg

In 2026, the analyst firm expects Apple to take a "significant step forward" in artificial intelligence

'They're bound to show something': Bernstein upgrades outlook on Apple stock because of AI

To maximize profits amid parts supply issues, Apple will focus on releasing premium iPhone models in 2026, according to reports

Apple pushed back the start of iPhone 18 sales to 2027 due to memory shortage - Nikkei

"I'm proud to say this quarter will go down in history," said Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple has reported "overwhelming" demand for the iPhone. But there is cause for concern

Apple CEO Tim Cook and his team will be in the spotlight after the market closes on Jan. 29, when the company releases results for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 28. Cook said last year that the company "expects the first quarter to deliver record revenue in its history and in the history of the iPhone," Yahoo Finance<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apples-first-quarter-earnings-will-focus-on-iphone-sales-ai-outlook-170801438.html"> recalls</a>.