Tech 5: NVIDIA Results Rattle Investors, Trump Signals More Tech Deals to Come

However, it wasn’t enough to reassure the public, and NVIDIA's share price fell over 4 percent between Wednesday (August 27) and Friday (August 29). As investors analyzed new inflation data that indicates tariffs are impacting prices, other AI-related stocks saw losses too, pulling the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) from its recent record highs.

With that, here's a look at some of the other drivers that shaped the tech sector this week.

1. Intel warns of adverse reactions to government equity stake

In a US Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K filing dated August 22, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) warns that the federal government’s 10 percent stake in its business could cause “adverse reactions,” including litigation from investors, employees, customers, suppliers, partners and foreign governments.

The company also discloses a clause in the agreement that would raise the government’s stake to 15 percent if the company fails to meet set manufacturing thresholds.

Moreover, the filing states that, if this agreement prompts other government bodies to seek similar stakes, the varied agendas could diminish the voting power of other shareholders.

The comments come after the White House announced last week that it would take a 10 percent stake in the company in a deal worth around US$8.9 billion. On Monday, (August 25), President Donald Trump suggested he might pursue similar agreements with other American companies, posting on Truth Social:

“I will also help those companies that make such lucrative deals with the United States. I love seeing their stock price go up, making the USA RICHER, AND RICHER.”

Meanwhile, White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett told CNBC that the deal is part of a broader strategy to create a sovereign wealth fund that may include additional companies.

Later, during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said Pentagon officials are considering acquiring equity stakes in leading defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT).

2. Apple sets date to reveal fall product lineup

On Tuesday, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) invited media members and analysts to its next launch event, which is scheduled for September 9 at 10:00 a.m. PST.

The event, which will be live streamed from the iPhone maker's campus, is expected to be the venue for the introduction of the new iPhone 17 lineup and updated Apple Watch models.

The new iPhone series is rumored to include four models:

• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• A new iPhone 17 Air that will reportedly replace the iPhone 16 Plus. This new model is rumored to be exceptionally thin, potentially as slim as 5.5 millimeters, a major new design direction for Apple.

The new iPhones are also expected to feature a new "Liquid Glass"-based interface as part of iOS 26.

According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who has a reputation for being one of the most accurate and prolific sources of leaks about Apple's future products, the company is planning three years of major iPhone redesigns, starting with the September release. Apple’s first foldable iPhone, code-named V68, is slated to arrive in 2026, according to Gurman. Apple's 2027 "iPhone 20" will feature curved glass edges to complement the upcoming Liquid Glass-based interface for iOS and other operating systems.

3. IBM, AMD to partner on quantum supercomputer

IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (NASDAQ:AMD) said on Tuesday that they plan to collaborate to develop quantum-centric supercomputing.

The two companies, which have each fundamentally advanced the frontiers of quantum hardware and software, AI accelerators, CPUs and GPUs, said they will work together to “develop scalable, open-source platforms that could redefine the future of computing” by combining their strengths in quantum and high-performance computing.

“Quantum computing will simulate the natural world and represent information in an entirely new way,” said Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM, adding that the firms' collaborative efforts will “build a powerful hybrid model that pushes past the limits of traditional computing.”

“We see tremendous opportunities to accelerate discovery and innovation,” said Dr. Lisa Su, chair and CEO of AMD.

In an interview with Axios, Jay Gambetta, IBM's quantum vice president, said he aims to get fault-tolerant quantum computers, a set of techniques and architectural designs that ensure a computation can proceed accurately even in the presence of errors, “by the end of this decade.”

4. Cost of Meta data center to exceed original estimate

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Meta Platforms' (NASDAQ:META) Louisiana data center will cost the company around US$50 billion to build.

That's over 70 percent of the company’s projected CAPEX spending in its latest quarterly report.

“When they said US$50 billion for a plant, I said, ‘What the hell kind of plant is that?’” said Trump, revealing a photo of the proposed data center, Hyperion, superimposed over the island of Manhattan.

“When you look at this, you understand why it’s US$50 billion,” he added.

When the data center was announced, officials in Louisiana estimated the project would cost around US$10 billion. Meta has not confirmed this new estimate and declined to comment on Trump's remarks.

5. Fusion developer raises US$863 million for energy development

On Thursday (August 28), Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a leading nuclear fusion developer in the US, announced it has secured US$863 million in an oversubscribed Series B2 funding round.

Investors including Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and NVIDIA contributed to this capital raise, which will facilitate the completion of Commonwealth's Spac fusion demonstration machine, as well as the commencement of construction on a new ARC power plant in Virginia.

“Investors recognize that CFS is making fusion power a reality. They see that we are executing and delivering on our objectives,” said the company’s CEO and co-founder, Bob Mumgaard. “This funding recognizes CFS’ leadership role in developing a new technology that promises to be a reliable source of clean, almost limitless energy — and will enable investors to have the opportunity to capitalize on the birth of a new global industry.”