J and all -- It's not clear that Apple has taken any direct actions against Qualcomm. That would be an example of tortious interference in New York State, and I suspect also in other states as well. But Apple could chat with friendly investment analysts in order to convince them that Apple has (1) better, faster processor chips for iPhones, iPads and MacBook computers, and (2) that Apple is gaining market share, even if that's uncertain other than for certain markets in certain locations.
I doubt that Apple itself would buy or sell enough shares of Qualcomm to influence the QCOM share price. They don't have to. They can just suggest similar tactics to friendly fund managers, albeit at the risk of causing trading on inside information not generally available to the public or the investment community. Through indirect actions, Apple could also influence purchases or sales of QCOM shares, using cryptocurrencies, whose ownership is more difficult to trace. Apple wouldn't even have to initiate such actions. Large trading groups could also do it, depositing crypto funds overseas in places where the transactions could not be linked to the group or groups doing the trading.
The real crime here is deregulation policy that allows some large scale investors to adopt trading rules not known to the general investment community. In game theory, when a rule change occurs without the full knowledge of the players, the game stops. I know a couple of things about gaming simulations from being a life member of the North American Simulation and Gaming Association and a student at the University. of Michigan, which for years was considered a leader in simulation games as educational tools.
Lastly, SEC rules (not always enforced) require any person or group to inform the SEC when they have acquired more than 5% of shares of a listed stock. And it would take at least a 5% position, up or down, to make a significant difference in the price of shares being acquired or sold. An investor who detects an anomaly in the price action of a stock, such as a markedly lower price after a strong earnings report, should consider whether the price change is reasonable or not, and act accordingly.
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