Consumer Tech News (July 28–August 1): Earnings From Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon Offset by Fed Jitters, Tariff Woes\n\nApple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta beat earnings expectations, showcasing resilient demand despite economic uncertainty. Fed rate pause and weak jobs data reignited recession concerns, overshadowing strong tech results and Q2 GDP growth.\n\nDespite strong quarterly earnings from major tech firms, Wall Street ended the week lower as investor focus shifted to mounting macroeconomic risks.\n\nThe Federal Reserve held interest rates steady in July, resisting pressure from President Trump, but the decision drew rare dissent and now faces scrutiny amid signs of a weakening labor market.\n\nJuly’s job growth fell sharply short of expectations, and downward revisions to May and June figures erased a combined 258,000 jobs. Inflation also surprised to the upside, with the PCE price index rising to 2.6% and core inflation holding at 2.8% — both above Fed targets.\n\nThough second-quarter GDP rose 3% due to a plunge in imports, concerns over rising tariffs and economic fragility overshadowed the data. The Fed’s stance may now be tested as markets weigh slowing job growth against persistent inflation.\n\nEarnings\n\nApple Inc. AAPL reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $94 billion, beating analyst estimates of $89.04 billion.\n\nThe iPhone maker reported third-quarter earnings of $1.57 per share, beating analyst estimates of $1.42 per share.\n\nMicrosoft Corporation MSFT reported fourth-quarter revenue of $76.44 billion, up 17% year-over-year. The revenue total beat a Street consensus estimate of $73.80 billion.\n\nMeta Platforms, Inc. META reported second-quarter revenue of $47.52 billion, beating analyst estimates of $44.58 billion.\n\nAlso Read: Berkshire Hathaway Warns of 'Adverse Consequences on Most, If Not All, Operating Businesses' as Q2 Results Reflect Mounting Global Pressures\n\nThe company reported second-quarter earnings of $7.14 per share, beating estimates of $5.79 per share.\n\nAmazon.com, Inc. AMZN reported second-quarter net sales of $167.7 billion, up 13% year-over-year.\n\nThe net sales total beat a Street consensus estimate of $161.9 billion.\n\nBoeing Company BA posted a second-quarter adjusted loss of $1.24 per share, missing analyst expectations of a 94-cent loss.\n\nVisa Inc. V reported third-quarter net revenue of $10.17 billion, up 14% year-over-year. The revenue total beat a Street consensus estimate of $9.82 billion.\n\nExxon Mobil Corporation XOM reported second-quarter 2025 earnings of $7.1 billion, or $1.64 per share, exceeding analyst estimates of $1.47.\n\nChevron Corporation CVX reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.77 per share, down from $2.55 a year ago but above the consensus estimate of $1.76.\n\nMastercard Incorporated MA reported fiscal second-quarter net revenues of $8.13 billion, up 17% year-over-year and 16% Y/Y on a neutral currency basis, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $7.95 billion.\n\nProcter & Gamble Company PG reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.48, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $1.42.\n\nTechnology:\n\nApple has warned investors that it expects to incur a $1.1 billion hit from the tariff-related costs during its fiscal fourth quarter.\n\nIntel Corporation’s INTC new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, is overhauling the chipmaker’s manufacturing operations, cutting thousands of jobs, delaying projects and witnessing the retirement of key executives as part of a sweeping reset.\n\nMicrosoft is paying distinguished engineers up to $2.4 million annually, according to leaked internal compensation documents, revealing the software giant’s escalating investment in top-tier technical talent amid Silicon Valley’s heated artificial intelligence hiring war.\n\nAnthropic CEO Dario Amodei has vehemently denied allegations made by NVIDIA Corporation NVDA CEO Jensen Huang that he is attempting to dominate the AI industry.\n\nArtificial Intelligence\n\nOver $500 million in fresh funding has flowed into AI startups across various specializations, from healthcare to construction tech, while strategic acquisitions signal ongoing consolidation in the space.\n\nMicrosoft’s co-founder Bill Gates warned that artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace that “surprises” even him, creating uncertainty about when AI might replace human workers across industries.\n\nOpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor recently voiced his support for computer science degrees, emphasizing their significance in fostering “systems thinking,” a crucial skill even in the era of AI coding.\n\nReddit, Inc. RDDT CEO Steve Huffman believes the future of artificial intelligence relies fundamentally on human input—not machine invention. During Reddit’s second-quarter earnings call on Thursday, Huffman said that AI technologies are built on the foundation of real human conversation and community insights.\n\nAutomobiles:\n\nTesla, Inc. TSLA has launched its ride-hailing operations in the San Francisco Bay Area, a month after introducing its robotaxi in Austin, Texas.\n\nTesla has reportedly stopped taking new orders for the Model S and the Model X in Europe amid poor sales figures in the region.\n\nNIO Inc. NIO released its July 2025 delivery figures, reporting a total of 21,017 vehicles.\n\nThis total comprised 12,675 vehicles from its premium smart EV brand NIO, 5,976 from its family-oriented ONVO brand, and 2,366 from its small high-end EV brand FIREFLY.\n\nZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited ZK, a subsidiary of Geely, announced that its combined Zeekr and Lynk & Co brands delivered 44,193 vehicles in July 2025, marking a 19.7% increase from the prior year.\n\nLucid Group, Inc. LCID has begun shipping adapters for its customers, which will let them access Tesla’s Supercharging stations.\n\nHarley-Davidson, Inc. HOG announced it will release an entry-level motorcycle priced at $6,000 during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.\n\nLi Auto Inc. LI revealed the official launch of its new six-seat battery electric vehicle (BEV) family SUV, the Li i8.

Consumer Tech News (July 28–August 1): Earnings From Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon Offset by Fed Jitters, Tariff Woes

Major tech firms like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon reported strong earnings, but Wall Street declined as macroeconomic risks, including Fed rate pauses, weak jobs data, and inflation, overshadowed the results. AI and automotive sectors saw developments, including AI funding, Tesla's new operations, and automotive sales updates.