Apple(US:AAPL) Benzinga·2025-09-21 14:01Market Overview - U.S. stocks reached record highs following the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut, marking the first reduction in nine months, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Dow Jones, and Russell 2000 all closing at all-time highs [1] Corporate Developments - Meta Platforms, Inc. introduced two new smart glasses at its Connect 2025 event: the $499 Oakley Meta Vanguard aimed at athletes and the $799 Ray-Ban Display featuring built-in AR capabilities [4] - Nvidia and Intel announced a significant partnership to co-develop future data center and PC products [6] - FedEx Corporation reported first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $3.83, surpassing the consensus estimate of $3.62, with sales of $22.20 billion also exceeding expectations [3] - General Mills, Inc. reported first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 86 cents, exceeding analyst estimates of 81 cents, with revenue of $4.52 billion slightly above projections [2] - Darden Restaurants, Inc. reported first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.97, missing the consensus estimate of $2.00, with quarterly sales of $3.004 billion falling short of the expected $3.040 billion [3] Technology Sector - Nvidia is in advanced discussions to invest $500 million in the U.K. autonomous driving startup Wayve, indicating a strategic move in the AI sector [6] - Alphabet's Google opened a new data center in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, as part of a £5 billion (~$6.818 billion) investment plan in the U.K. aimed at supporting AI and cloud services [7] - CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. announced new AI-security initiatives and a deal to acquire AI security firm Pangea [8] - Alibaba Group is launching a high-performance processor to compete with Nvidia's H20 graphics chip and an open-source AI agent to rival OpenAI's Deep Research platform [9] Automotive Industry - Ford Motor Company confirmed plans to cut up to 1,000 jobs at its electric vehicle plant in Cologne, Germany [14] - Tesla, Inc. received approval to test self-driving robotaxi cars in Arizona, advancing its ride-hailing service rollout [14] - Tesla's Gigafactory near Berlin is adjusting production figures in anticipation of increased demand in the latter half of the year [15] - XPeng Inc. is advancing its flying car initiative through its Advanced Air Mobility subsidiary, AeroHT, focusing on modular eVTOLs [16]