"You don't find out who's been swimming naked until the tide goes out," said Warren Buffet, a famous investor.
The tide is leaving.
Tech giants, the people they employ, and the users they serve are all likely to go through choppy waters. Job cuts appear to be imminent at several of the companies, ongoing inflation means people and corporations are reining in their spending, and the threat of a recession still looms large.
The environment in which tech companies are trying to make money is more difficult now than it has ever been, according to a New York Stock Exchange senior market strategist.
"It's clear that there are challenges for the industry after a period of unsustainable growth, privacy changes, and competition," he said.
How are the big tech companies going to fare if things get bad? Which companies would need a swimsuit the most?
Apple is in the best shape, a bright spot in the tech sector. According to Market Watch, Tim Long said that the iPhone-maker was a safe haven in the storm.
The privacy changes it enacted made it easier for people to modify their settings to prevent ad tracking, but it only made Apple's operating system stronger.
The company's otherwise strong quarter was not affected by the worse-than- expected iPhone sales. Tim Cook, the CEO, said during a conference call with investors that demand was stronger than he anticipated.
Wall Street was surprised by the results of the parent company of the internet giant. The company's search advertising business slowed down. Ad budgets are usually the first to go during periods of belt-tightening.
The fear of a recession is gripping consumers, according to a senior analyst at Forrester.
It will be sheltered from the worst of economic storms because of its leading market share and irreplaceable scale.
The market value of Amazon's shares was wiped out as of Friday. The company expects sales to be below analysts' expectations during the fourth quarter.
The pressures on AMZN's business are largely macro-driven, and not fundamental, according to a note written by JP Morgan. The company as a whole is in good shape even though they are worried about the economy.
Despite Microsoft's lackluster guidance for the upcoming quarter, analysts are optimistic about the company's future. There's a chance for a rebound next year, according to analysts at Goldman.
" Looking beyond near-term dynamics, we remain constructive as we see the company well positioned to continue to win deals and expand its wallet share within its existing customer base, even in a slower growth environment," analysts wrote.
Meta's shares plummeted after the company reported its second straight quarter of revenue declines. Meta's virtual reality and metaverse division has reported $9.4 billion in operating losses so far this year, and the company plans to spend more on the metaverse next year.
Meta needs to focus on fixing its core business and that the company, whose stock has fallen more than 70% so far this year, is on shaky legs according to an analyst.
Meta is under tremendous pressure due to weakened worldwide economic conditions, challenges with Apple's App Tracking transparency policy, and competition from other companies.
Morgan Stanley wrote that Meta's guidance and quarterly results are "thesis changing" and are likely to weigh on the shares for some period until the market can feel confident in execution and return on invested capital.
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