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STORY: Apple announced a record share buyback program on Thursday as the iPhone maker revealed a smaller-than-expected drop in revenue.The company upped its cash dividend by 4%, and is buying back $110 billion worth of stock.It's the largest buyback in Apple's history, fueling a jump in shares after hours.Apple reported a revenue drop of 4% to almost $91 billion in the fiscal second-quarter.That's not as steep a fall as analysts had predicted.A positive forecast came from CEO Tim Cook.He told Reuters the iPhone maker expects "to grow low-single digits" in overall revenue in the current quarter ending in June.Wall Street is predicting closer to 1.3% growth, according to LSEG data.The results and guidance suggest the company may be regaining its footing in the smartphone market, despite stiff competition and regulatory challenges.Long considered a must-own stock on Wall Street, Apple shares have underperformed other Big Tech firms in recent months.It's fallen 10% this year while struggling with weak iPhone demand and tough competition in the Chinese market.Smartphone rivals like Samsung have also introduced competing devices aimed at hosting artificial intelligence chatbots.Though Cook said Thursday that iPhone sales still experienced "growth in some markets, including China."He also said Apple has spent more than $100 billion on AI research and development in the past five years.And that the company would be sharing "some very exciting things" about its AI plans later this year.
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