Apple's $129.35 Billion Trading Volume Surges 45.59% to Rank Fourth in Market as AI Acquisition Rumors Swirl

On June 20, 2025, Apple's trading volume reached $129.35 billion, marking a 45.59% increase from the previous day, placing it fourth in the day's stock market rankings. Apple (AAPL) rose by 2.26%, marking two consecutive days of gains, with a total increase of 2.75% over the past two days.

Apple has been internally discussing the potential acquisition of Perplexity AI, a rapidly growing artificial intelligence startup. This move is aimed at enhancing Apple's AI capabilities, particularly in developing an AI-powered search engine. The discussions are in the early stages and may not necessarily lead to an offer. Apple's executives, including Adrian Perica, the head of mergers and acquisitions, and Eddy Cue, the services chief, have been weighing the idea with top AI decision-makers.

If the acquisition goes through, it would be Apple's largest deal to date, valued close to $14 billion. Perplexity AI provides AI search tools that deliver information summaries to users, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. The integration of Perplexity AI into Apple's Safari browser could potentially move the company away from its longstanding partnership with Alphabet's Google, which has been a default search engine for Apple's products.

This strategic move by Apple reflects the broader trend among big tech companies to invest heavily in AI capabilities to maintain competitive leadership in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. The success of this acquisition would depend on seamless integration, regulatory clearance, and execution speed. The potential deal underscores Apple's commitment to staying at the forefront of technological innovation and its willingness to take calculated risks to achieve its goals.