Why Retail Traders Couldn’t Take Their Eyes Off These Stocks Last Week: AAPL, MU, MSFT, META, BABA

• Apple (AAPL) sued OpenAI, accusing the AI company of trade secret theft related to its upcoming AI hardware efforts. 
• Micron expanded its U.S. investment plan to $250 billion through 2035. 
• Microsoft (MSFT) announced 4,800 job cuts, including major reductions at Xbox.

The technology sector entered a more competitive phase over the past week as companies ramped up efforts to secure advantages in artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, cloud computing, and autonomous vehicles, signaling a shift from collaboration to direct competition, with firms focusing on intellectual property, supply chains, and infrastructure investments. 

 Apple Takes OpenAI To Court Over Trade Secret Theft 

A major legal fight has started between Apple Inc. (AAPL) and OpenAI, with Apple accusing the AI company of using former employees to obtain private files, product designs and prototypes for its own AI hardware development. 

The lawsuit named OpenAI's hardware chief, Tang Tan, a former longtime Apple executive, and former Apple engineer Chang Liu, alleging they used their access to obtain sensitive information before joining OpenAI.

Apple claimed OpenAI hired hundreds of its former employees and even coached some workers on how to leave Apple without raising suspicion, allowing them to keep accessing internal information during their notice period.

The legal dispute comes as both companies compete to build AI-powered devices such as smart glasses and other consumer hardware. 

Apple’s stock has gained 0.8% over the past week. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock remained in ‘bearish’ territory. 

Micron Expands U.S. Chip Manufacturing Push 

Micron Technology (MU) increased its planned U.S. investment to $250 billion by 2035 to expand domestic chip manufacturing and strengthen the country's semiconductor supply chain.

The company has begun construction on a new memory chip factory in Clay, New York, which will help Micron achieve its goal of producing 40% of its DRAM chips in the U.S.

Micron also announced a $3 billion investment in Texas, including $500 million for the silicon wafer supplier GlobalWafers. The investments are expected to support Micron's long-term supply agreements with Ford (F) and General Motors (GM), which need advanced memory chips for vehicles featuring AI and other computing technologies.

Micron’s stock slipped 0.5% over the last week. Retail sentiment around the stock remained in ‘Bullish’ territory. 

Microsoft Cuts Thousands Of Jobs 

Microsoft (MSFT) announced it will cut 4,800 jobs, about 2.1% of its workforce, as the company seeks to reduce costs and adapt to the growing impact of AI. The company’s Xbox division will face some of the biggest cuts, losing around 3,200 employees, which represents about 20% of its staff. 

Microsoft said it expects to return to growth in 2027, but investors have raised concerns about slowing performance in areas such as Xbox, Windows, and hardware. The layoffs come as Microsoft faces pressure to prove that its AI investments can generate stronger returns.

Microsoft’s stock edged 0.4% lower over the past week, with retail sentiment around the stock remaining in ‘bearish’ territory. 

Meta Pulls Instagram AI Image Tool After Privacy Backlash 

Meta Platforms (META) has removed an AI image-generation feature from Instagram after users and privacy advocates raised concerns about how it used public photos.

The feature, called Muse Image, allowed users to create and edit images through Meta’s AI chatbot using photos from public Instagram accounts. However, critics said the tool was automatically enabled for users and did not provide enough control over whether their images could be used.

Meta said it removed the tool after hearing feedback that it did not meet expectations. The stock, however, saw over 11% gains for the week. 

Beijing’s Chip Policy Shift Gives Alibaba Cloud A Boost 

China has allowed some major AI companies, including Alibaba (BABA), to buy a limited number of Nvidia H200 AI chips after earlier restrictions created shortages of advanced computing power.

The move will help Alibaba Cloud train its large AI models faster by giving it access to more powerful chips designed for heavy AI workloads. Under China’s rules, the chips can mainly be used for training AI models rather than everyday AI services. The access could help Alibaba reduce the impact of hardware shortages and strengthen its position in the cloud computing market.

Alibaba’s stock garnered over 14% gains during the week. Retail sentiment around the stock turned to ‘bullish’ from ‘extremely bullish’ territory the previous day. 

Cloud and software providers expanded global AI initiatives throughout the week. Salesforce unveiled new international investment plans, Cloudflare announced AI-focused research efforts with OpenAI, and Oracle introduced new motorsports technology collaborations.

Tesla Inc. (TSLA) continued expanding its Robotaxi operations into additional U.S. markets, reflecting the company's push to commercialize autonomous transportation. 

Rocket Lab (RKLB) completed a U.S. Space Force mission called VICTUS HAZE, proving it can rapidly build, launch and operate spacecraft on short notice. Spire Global (SPIR) launched 10 new satellites via a SpaceX (SPCX) rideshare mission, expanding its satellite network to support services such as weather data, emissions tracking, and asset monitoring. 

Planet Labs (PL) launched its Pelican-11 satellite, designed to provide faster and more detailed images of Earth.

Also See: OpenAI CEO Altman Accuses Elon Musk Of Wooing Investors With Space-Data Center Hype As SPCX Stock Nears Post-IPO Low

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