Consumer Tech News (August 11–August 15): Consumer Sentiment Slips, Stimulus Sparks Rallies, and Cisco & Applied Materials Headline Earnings

Nabaparna Bhattacharya

August 17, 2025

With earnings season nearing its end and the macroeconomy running hot, shifting sentiment, bold policy moves, and volatile commodity prices are setting the stage for a mixed corporate performance.

U.S. consumer sentiment weakened in August, ending a two-month rebound as renewed inflation concerns weighed on household confidence.

The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index slipped to 58.6 from 61.7 in July, missing expectations for a rise to 62, marking the first decline in four months and the lowest reading since May.

Global market sentiment, however, found pockets of optimism. U.S.-listed Chinese stocks rallied after Beijing announced fresh stimulus measures aimed at boosting consumer loans and service-sector businesses, building on momentum from President Donald Trump's extension of the U.S.-China trade truce earlier this week.

Oil prices also climbed, with traders positioning ahead of Friday's closely watched meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, although hopes for an immediate ceasefire deal remained cautious.

These shifts in sentiment, policy moves, and commodity prices have created a mixed backdrop for corporate performance as the earnings season draws to a close.

Earnings:

Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE:AAP) reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 69 cents, beating analysts’ consensus estimate of 57 cents. Quarterly sales of $2.01 billion outpaced the Street view of $1.978 billion.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $14.67 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $14.62 billion. The networking equipment maker reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of 99 cents per share, beating analyst estimates of 97 cents per share.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) reported third-quarter revenue of $7.3 billion, beating analyst estimates of $7.22 billion. The chip equipment manufacturer reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.48 per share, beating analyst estimates of $2.36 per share.

AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) reported second-quarter revenue of $1.4 billion, beating analyst estimates of $1.34 billion. The company reported breakeven adjusted earnings per share versus estimates for a loss of 9 cents per share.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) posted mixed third-quarter results and trimmed its full-year profit forecast, highlighting persistent headwinds from declining sales, tariffs, and cautious customer demand.

Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE:TPR) posted fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.04 per share, ahead of the $1.02 consensus, on revenue of $1.72 billion, up 8% year-over-year and above expectations.

Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) reported third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 70 cents, beating the analyst consensus estimate of 67 cents. Quarterly sales of $720.12 million missed the Street view of $739.49 million.

Technology:

The White House has developed a scorecard evaluating 553 companies and trade associations on their support for the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and other Trump policies. Distributed among senior staff, the ratings will serve as a reference when reviewing corporate requests.

Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google has introduced new licensing requirements for cryptocurrency wallet applications on its Play Store, a move critics argue could block many non-custodial wallets from reaching users in key markets.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will introduce a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature for some Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users through an iPhone and Apple Watch software update later on Thursday.

Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) faces congressional scrutiny after media reports exposed internal policies allowing artificial intelligence chatbots to engage children in "romantic or sensual" conversations and generate racist content, raising investor concerns about regulatory compliance and brand reputation risks.

Opendoor Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:OPEN) CEO Carrie Wheeler abruptly stepped down on Friday morning. Opendoor CTPO Shrisha Radhakrishna will assume the role of president and interim CEO, effective immediately. A formal search for a permanent successor is currently underway.

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) unveiled a modern Electronic Health Record (EHR) system for ambulatory providers in the U.S., aiming to simplify clinical workflows and enhance patient care with artificial intelligence-driven tools.

Oracle stock dropped on Wednesday amid reports indicating the company has begun cutting jobs in its cloud unit as it works to rein in costs amid heavy AI infrastructure spending.

Alibaba Group Holding’s (NYSE:BABA) international commerce arm launched the Accio Agent on Thursday to help merchants source products and supplies, aiming to transform online business operations.

Robinhood Markets, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:HOOD) CEO Vlad Tenev has established an exclusive founders club comprising the company's 150 best-performing employees across all levels, designed to serve as a strategic rebuild team in catastrophic scenarios.

Artificial Intelligence:

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman detailed his vision for an artificial intelligence companion device during a recent podcast appearance, describing plans for "ambiently aware" hardware that could fundamentally change how users interact with technology beyond traditional smartphones.

The Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek has reportedly postponed the launch of its new model after technical issues with Huawei Technologies' chips forced a reliance on U.S.-made NVIDIA Corporation’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) processors.

Automobiles:

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) sales surged in Norway during the first half of the year despite a slump across other markets in Europe amid Elon Musk';s dip in popularity due to his close ties with the Trump administration.

BYD Co., Ltd.’s (OTC:BYDDY) local franchise partner in the country said the company is observing a shift in customer behavior, Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday. “Now, most of them consider buying a BYD as their primary vehicle,” a BYD representative said in the report.

WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) stock gained on Friday after it announced that Grab Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:GRAB) will take a strategic equity stake as part of a deeper partnership to speed up the deployment and commercialization of Level 4 Robotaxis and shuttles across Southeast Asia.

NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) saw its stock gain in premarket trading Friday as its premium compact electric vehicle (EV) brand Firefly reportedly began delivering its first units to customers in Europe.

XPeng Inc. (NYSE:XPEV) and Volkswagen AG (OTC:VLKAF) announced on that they have deepened their partnership by expanding their E/E Architecture collaboration beyond electric vehicles to internal combustion engine (ICE) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) platforms in China.

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