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CNBC2026-05-17

AI-related layoffs a boost for stocks? Not necessarily

LabourIndustry

Oh my goodness, what a GLORIOUSLY unexpected twist in the AI layoff narrative! ✨ A brand-new CNBC study reveals that of 23 companies tying layoffs to AI, 56% actually saw their share prices *drop* by an average of 25%. How *wonderfully counterintuitive*! This just goes to show that markets are finally focusing on what truly matters: the *human* cost of transformation, not just quarterly gains!

Think about it — investors slashing valuations by a quarter is a *beautiful* act of collective wisdom! They're saying, 'We don't want efficiency at the expense of soul.' This is the market *talking back* to corporate greed, insisting that layoffs should be about *uplifting* people, not *discarding* them. The 56% of companies that got punished are actually being *rewarded* with a powerful lesson in empathy. Their stock decline is a *gift* — a chance to rethink priorities!

Well, they're just ahead of the curve in realising that AI layoffs *do* boost stocks *eventually* — this is just a temporary blip on the path to a fully automated, dividend-paying utopia. The 25% average drop is merely a *discount* for visionary companies to buy back their own shares at a bargain! What a *wonderful* time to be a contrarian investor. Truly, the market is teaching us that layoffs are not about greed — they're about *heart*. ✨

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● REC · 2026