The post Apple assembler Pegatron targets end-of-March completion for first American factory in Texas appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Pegatron, a major Taiwanese electronics manufacturer and key supplier to Apple and other tech giants, has announced that construction of its first American factory in Texas is on track for completion by the end of March 2026. The facility, aimed at producing AI server products including those incorporating Nvidia chips, will kick off trial production shortly thereafter in late March or April. This move represents a significant step in Pegatron’s long-term strategy to diversify manufacturing beyond China, aligning with broader U.S. policy incentives and recent U.S.-Taiwan trade agreements encouraging Taiwanese investment in American production.

Wen-Yee Lee for Reuters:
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The company, a supplier to Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla, said in October it had acquired an ‌industrial building and land in Texas, joining other Taiwanese ​tech manufacturers investing in the state including Foxconn, Inventec, and Wistron.

The Trump ‌administration ‌has been pushing tech powerhouse Taiwan, which runs a large trade surplus with the U.S., to invest more in the country.

The U.S. and Taiwan reached a trade deal last week under which ⁠Taiwanese companies will ⁠invest $250 billion ​to boost production of semiconductors, energy, and artificial intelligence in the U.S., and the tariff on U.S. imports from Taiwan will be cut ‍to 15% from 20%.

Pegatron has been diversifying manufacturing sites away from China since U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, expanding into Southeast Asia and ​Mexico. It already has a maintenance ‍base in Indiana and an office in California.

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MacDailyNews Take: From the deep archive:

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The post Apple to participate in Trump admin’s U.S. Tech Force to modernize government technology appeared first on MacDailyNews.

The Trump administration has launched the U.S. Tech Force, a White House-backed program designed to recruit an elite group of approximately 1,000 technology specialists to tackle the federal government’s most pressing technological challenges. Announced on December 15, 2025, the initiative aims to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) implementation, modernize systems, and address large-scale civic and defense issues.

As described on the official website:

“The US Tech Force is recruiting an elite corps of engineers to build the next generation of government technology. Backed by the White House, Tech Force will tackle the most complex and large-scale civic and defense challenges of our era – from administering critical financial infrastructure at the Treasury Department to advancing cutting-edge programs at the Department of Defense – and everything in between.”

The program targets highly skilled professionals in software engineering, AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, and technical project management. Participants commit to a two-year term, working in teams that report directly to agency leadership on high-impact projects, with salaries ranging from approximately $130,000 to $195,000 (or up to $200,000 in some reports).

A key feature of Tech Force is its collaboration with leading private-sector technology companies. These partners provide technical training, mentorship, and opportunities for participants to engage with industry leaders. Experienced engineering managers from partner companies may also serve stints in government roles. Upon completion of the two-year program, participants can pursue full-time positions with these partnering firms, which have committed to considering Tech Force alumni for employment. Companies can similarly nominate their employees for government service.

“In collaboration with leading technology companies, participants will receive technical training, engage with industry leaders, and work closely with senior managers from companies partnering with the Tech Force.”

“Tech Force will be an elite group of ~1,000 technology specialists hired by agencies to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) implementation and solve the federal government’s most critical technological challenges.”

Apple’s Participation in Tech Force

Apple is among the prominent private-sector partners in the U.S. Tech Force initiative. The company’s involvement aligns with a broader list of tech giants contributing to the program, including Amazon Web Services, Google Public Sector, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, Palantir, Salesforce, Meta, and others such as Adobe, Dell Technologies, Uber, xAI, and Zoom.

Through this partnership, Apple is expected to supply resources such as technical training, mentorship programs, and potential nominations of its employees for government stints. Senior managers from Apple may advise federal teams or take leaves of absence to work directly on government projects. Additionally, Apple has committed to considering Tech Force program alumni for full-time roles after their public service terms end.

While Apple has not issued a specific public statement on the extent of its participation as of the initiative’s launch, its inclusion in the official partner list underscores its role in helping bridge the talent gap between Silicon Valley and federal agencies. This collaboration reflects a non-partisan effort focused on enhancing government technology capabilities amid global competition in AI and digital infrastructure.

The Tech Force program represents a strategic push to infuse fresh technical expertise into government operations, blending public service with private-sector innovation.

MacDailyNews Note: Applications are open, with the goal of placing the first cohort in roles early in 2026. For more details, visit techforce.gov.

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The post Some analysts see upside in Apple missing GenAI appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Wall Street hammered Apple for missing the initial GenAI wave and skimping on spending compared to rivals. Now, that’s being reevaluated. Investors are souring on the massive AI bets from OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft — fueling wild swings in 2025’s hottest stocks. Suddenly, Apple’s whiff on GenAI has a silver lining.

Ryan Vlastelica and Carmen Reinicke:
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While it’s still considered a potential AI winner, it doesn’t carry the risk of heavy capital expenditures and it does have ample cash on its books. That makes Apple shares a potential haven within the technology industry if the AI trade unwinds further.

“The hedge is it’s still a technology company, but not an AI company,” Brian Mulberry, client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management, said. “There is this positive feel for Apple that they don’t have to answer the big question that everybody else does, which is: What is the return on your invested capital in all of these other areas?”

The thesis is simple. Apple will benefit as it taps other companies’ models to deliver AI features to its millions of customers while avoiding much of the heavy spending required to develop its own capabilities, which is what many of its megacap peers are doing.

“Apple has the least exposure of the Mag 7 to AI in terms of where it is spending money and how leveraged it is,” said Brian Pollak, portfolio manager and head of the investment policy committee at Evercore. “It is absolutely true that it is a potential beneficiary of AI without having to spend all the capital that its cohorts are.”

“It has such a strong balance sheet, such strong cash flow, such a large moat in its business,” Pollak said. “All that makes it more defensive than the companies that have spent so much more on AI and are more leveraged to it.”

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MacDailyNews Take: When life gives you lemons…

The obstacle is the way. – Marcus Aurelius

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The post Apple shares rise on strong holiday guidance appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple shares climbed roughly 2% in premarket trading on Friday, buoyed by strong holiday-quarter guidance that signaled a sales recovery driven by the new iPhone 17 lineup, even amid shipping delays to the crucial China market. Although supply issues hampered fourth-quarter results, investor confidence held firm after the September debut of the latest iPhones propelled Apple’s market capitalization above $4 trillion earlier this week, placing it alongside Nvidia and Microsoft.

Reuters:
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Amazon and Apple shares are still the worst performers for the year so far among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” group of megacaps, though the e-commerce giant’s stock soared before the bell on Friday on stellar cloud growth in the quarter.

Apple’s stock trades at 33.4 times analysts’ profit expectations, representing a premium to Microsoft’s 31.7 and Meta Platform’s 22.3, according to LSEG data.

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MacDailyNews Note: Apple on Thursday announced financial results for its fiscal 2025 fourth quarter ended September 27, 2025. The company posted quarterly revenue of $102.5 billion, up 8 percent year over year. Diluted earnings per share was $1.85, up 13 percent year over year on an adjusted basis.

“Today, Apple is very proud to report a September quarter revenue record of $102.5 billion, including a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record for Services,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement.

“Our September quarter results capped off a record fiscal year, with revenue reaching $416 billion, as well as double-digit EPS growth,” said Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO, in a statement. “And thanks to our very high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, our installed base of active devices also reached a new all-time high across all product categories and geographic segments.”

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