Big technology firms' money-making machine plows ahead amid turmoil

Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet and Facebook all showed increases in revenue beyond what analysts' had expected in the third quarter

After a year of tough headlines, the world’s biggest technology companies showed this week that they’re powering through, continuing to rake in cash and invest in future growth as demand for their goods and services shows little sign of slacking.
Amazon.com, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet and Facebook all showed increases in revenue beyond what analysts’ had expected in the third quarter. Facebook, one of the most maligned tech companies this year, added 36 million new daily active users around the world and posted its biggest increase in sales in more than a year. Apple, which sagged a bit in August amid