Investors hoping for a boost to the S&P 500 from the earnings of five major tech giants—Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta—were largely left disappointed. Despite surpassing analyst expectations for sales and profits, the companies’ results failed to justify their high valuations, prompting technology investors to sell off shares. As a result, the Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Index dropped 1.8%, with the S&P 500 down 1.4%.
“Investors had higher numbers in mind,” remarked Michael Casper, equity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, noting that expectations around AI investments remain unmet.
While the Magnificent Seven are on pace for 30% profit growth for the past quarter—exceeding the 18% forecast—uncertainty looms over future earnings. Heavy AI-related spending continues, with Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta investing a record $59 billion in Q3 alone.
Microsoft, for instance, is on track to generate over $10 billion in annual AI revenue, but at a cost. CFO Amy Hood mentioned that rising capital expenditures would compress profit margins, sparking a 6.1% drop in Microsoft’s stock. Meta faced similar scrutiny.
Bright spots included Amazon’s encouraging operating profit forecast, easing concerns about AI investment pressures. Sean Sun, portfolio manager at Thornburg Investment Management, sees potential, saying, “AI-related sales growth justifies the higher spending.”
However, Apple’s revenue forecast fell short, casting doubt on AI optimism. Casper noted that, while tech remains appealing, other S&P 500 sectors are catching up. “It’s not a bad story for tech,” he said, “but maybe some other groups get to have some fun now.”