Apple, Nvidia Lead Record-Breaking $1 Trillion Stock Buyback Spree

Apple's cautious approach to debuting AI agent features through App Intents may be a strategic advantage rather than a delay.

• After unveiling the framework in 2022, Apple now expects to launch App Intents next spring, enabling Siri to pull data from apps and undertake multi-step tasks.
• Industry figures show 51% of companies deploying AI agents have experienced rogue decisions, prompting calls for stronger oversight.

By taking extra time for testing, Apple aims to deliver more dependable AI-powered automation on the iPhone.

U.S. companies have announced more than $1 trillion in share repurchases in record time, driven by major programs from Apple and Nvidia. Apple greenlit a $100 billion buyback in May, while Nvidia added $60 billion on Aug. 27, according to Birinyi Associates.

Broad support from technology and financial giants—Alphabet, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo and Bank of America—has kept July's repurchase total at a record $166 billion.

Analysts see buybacks as a key pillar for the S&P 500's rebound to all-time highs and forecast announced programs could reach $1.3 trillion by year-end.

Apple on Thursday warned Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that its bid to boost mobile-OS competition could backfire on users and developers. The CMA has proposed designating Apple and Google with strategic market status, enabling it to impose behavioural rules like interoperability and "steering."

Apple says these EU-style measures would erode privacy and security, stifle innovation and force it to give away proprietary technology. London's regulator, due to decide in October, insists its approach is more flexible than the EU's and can preserve consumer protections and intellectual property.