Microsoft

Intel saw its stock plummet at historic rates on Friday, along with smaller drops from Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon.

Voluntary departures carry a reputational advantage over forced layoffs, shifting responsibility to employees who opt in.

That’s the accusation that the Trump administration has made, as it moved to suspend big tech companies from using the visa program to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency here.

But it remains to be seen whether it’s the hero, or the antihero.

The AI supply chain is full of mixed incentives, according to researcher David G. Widder. He’s not optimistic that the companies in charge of it will police themselves.

Some investors are already diversifying away from the biggest names in tech.

Apple announced it’s raising prices on some iPads and MacBooks this week, citing the rising price of memory and storage devices. But some economists say AI could eventually bring the prices of goods and services down.

Spending on AI infrastructure is consuming almost all of the revenue Big Tech firms are bringing in.

And some companies are buying their competitors’ chips.

Meta, Google, Microsoft and Amazon report tomorrow. Apple reports on Thursday. These companies are so large that their earning reports can swing the stock market in either direction.