Market Insights

Third-quarter earnings season has begun with technology still leading the stock market, although some new themes are emerging.

A resurgence in Apple (AAPL) is the latest story, fueled by reports of strong demand for the new iPhone 17. That reinvigorated a stalwart that’s lagged in recent years. Alphabet (GOOGL) and Amazon.com (AMZN) are expected to make incremental improvements on their core businesses. There’s also a new focus on Tesla (TSLA) as a potential leader in AI and robotics.

Most of these major growth stocks are scheduled to report quarterly results in the next two weeks, which could spur further activity in their share prices. The table below features key dates and recent news for the group. (Note: All earnings are due after the closing bell on their respective dates.):

Recent News

• Technology stocks have led the market with a gain of 11 percent in the last three months. While megacaps like Nvidia (NVDA) and Apple (AAPL) have climbed, they’ve been outpaced by smaller stocks involved in data storage and networking. Some of those niche companies include Micron Technology (MU), Western Digital (WDC), Corning (GLW) and Arista Networks (ANET).
• Multiple reports have supported the group as companies boost infrastructure and data-center investments. OpenAI, the parent of ChatGPT, struck deals with the chipmakers Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Broadcom (AVGO). Oracle (ORCL) had its biggest gain since 1992 on strong demand for cloud computing. Dell Technologies (DELL) raised guidance because of demand for AI servers. MU gained on similar news.
• AAPL has climbed in the last month as investors anticipate strong demand for its new iPhone 17. The views, based on supplier deliveries and analyst research, helped push the stock to new all-time highs on Monday and Tuesday. One report from China said the device sold out “within minutes” of being released. That could suggest business is improving in a major stock that’s mostly been excluded from the AI boom.

Apple (AAPL), daily chart, with select patterns and indicators.

• GOOGL received a boost on September 6, when a judge ruled the Internet giant doesn’t have to divest its Chrome browser. Analysts have more recently focused on the potential for strong advertising revenue as GOOGL integrates AI into its core search business. There could also be news about an upgraded Gemini 3 AI model.
• TSLA reported quarterly deliveries of 497,099 vehicles on October 2. It was a new record for the company and well above analyst estimates. CEO Elon Musk could now shift the narrative to monetizing TSLA’s EV fleet by widening adoption of its Robotaxis across the U.S. The company is also planning to commercialize its Optimus robot in the next five years.
• AMZN has limped after saying on July 31 it would spend more on data centers. The initiative, known as Project Rainier, is a multisite supercomputing project to support the growth of Anthropic. Wells Fargo upgraded AMZN on September 24, saying the effort will boost growth at AWS. Bank of America, Deutsche Bank and Jefferies have issued similar reports.
• Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya said megacap companies like GOOGL will gain market share in AI against early leaders like OpenAI. He noted their established footprint in the tech ecosystem.

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