*Welcome to Apple Stocks Weekly by Cheddar, when we count down the top stories, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley, that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week.* **5. [Wall Street Says Good Riddance to October](https://cheddar.com/videos/investors-say-good-riddance-to-spooky-october-on-wall-street)** October is historically a volatile month for markets, but this year was something different. The major indexes all had their worst months in years, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq bearing the brunt of the sell-off. A gathering sense of worry over slowing global growth, rising borrowing costs, and the fallout from tariffs collided head-on with uncertainty about the outcome of the forthcoming midterm elections. And if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty. [Read more](https://cheddar.com/videos/investors-say-good-riddance-to-spooky-october-on-wall-street). **4. [IBM Bets Big on the Cloud](https://cheddar.com/videos/ibm-buys-red-hat-in-game-changing-cloud-deal)** There was a time when IBM ($IBM) was known as the big disruptor in tech, but it has largely aged out of that role as younger start-ups have taken its place. But Big Blue made a huge bet this week on the move into cloud computing, paying the equivalent of nearly a third of its market cap for open-source software provider Red Hat ($RHT). At $34 billion, it’s the biggest deal in IBM’s history. [Read more](https://cheddar.com/videos/ibm-buys-red-hat-in-game-changing-cloud-deal). **3. [Apple Freshens Up Stale Devices](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-shows-much-needed-love-neglected-product-lines)** Apple ($AAPL) freshened up its MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and iPad Pro lines with new designs, faster processors ー and higher prices. The company is hoping its strategy of raising the price on the iPhone to wring more profits out of a saturated market can translate to its other hardware lines. The most significant tweaks came with the new iPad Pro, which sheds the Home button for an edge-to-edge screen and a stylus that charges wirelessly. The new products will hit shelves next week. [Read more](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-shows-much-needed-love-neglected-product-lines). **2. [Tech earnings a Mixed Bag](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-trying-hide-something-reporting-shakeup)** Earnings this week from major tech bellwethers Apple and Facebook ($FB) were all over the map. Apple stock got punished even after the company said it had a record quarter in terms of revenue. But softer holiday guidance and the decision to stop breaking out unit sales of the iPhone made investors uneasy. At Facebook, the stock was rewarded for earnings that weren’t as bad as estimates. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had warned investors that revenue would decelerate due to slowing growth and monetization around Stories. At the same time, the company is spending heavily on safety and security issues to make the platform “healthier.” [Read more](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-trying-hide-something-reporting-shakeup). **1. [Google Employees Walk Out](https://cheddar.com/videos/google-employees-stage-global-walkout-in-protest-of-sexual-harassment)** Thousands of Google employees got up from their desks and walked out of offices around the world to protest the company’s handling of misconduct allegations against top executives. The walkout followed a damning report in The New York Times that showed evidence Google protected high-ranking executives who were credibly accused of sexual impropriety. Among them: Andy Rubin, the so-called “father of Android,” who received a reported $90 million exit package despite allegations that he coerced an employee into sex. Google CEO Sundar Pichai responded to the protests, saying “we clearly didn’t live up to our expectations.” [Read more](https://cheddar.com/videos/google-employees-stage-global-walkout-in-protest-of-sexual-harassment). *ー by Carlo Versano*
