Core Viewpoint - Amazon's investment in Anthropic has significantly increased in value, indicating a potentially lucrative strategic technology investment for the company [1][2]. Investment Details - Amazon holds $45.8 billion in convertible notes and $14.8 billion in nonvoting preferred stock in Anthropic, totaling a stake worth $60.6 billion [1][8]. - The company has invested $8 billion in Anthropic since late 2023, resulting in a seven-fold increase in value [2]. - Anthropic's recent funding rounds have raised its valuation from $61.5 billion in March to $183 billion in September, with discussions for a new round potentially pushing it to $350 billion [3]. Financial Impact - Amazon's convertible notes convert to preferred stock as Anthropic raises additional capital, allowing Amazon to gain valuable stock with each funding round [7]. - In 2025, conversions generated approximately $5.6 billion in recognized gains for Amazon, with an additional $7.2 billion upward adjustment to "other income" in Q3 due to Anthropic's valuation increase [7]. - The value of Amazon's Anthropic stake rose from $38.5 billion in Q3 to $60.6 billion in Q4, with expectations of a further $15 billion gain in Q1 as some notes convert to nonvoting preferred stock [8]. Valuation Methodology - Amazon's valuations of its Anthropic stake are based on "significant judgment" and classified as "Level 3" assets, relying on unobservable inputs rather than market prices [9]. - This classification is typical for startup investments, which lack regularly traded securities on liquid public markets [9].

After days of heavy selling, investors look like they're in buy-the-dip mode. US stocks rallied hard on Friday, with traders trying to cap off a week of heavy losses in the tech sector and in software stocks on a high note.The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF — which entered a bear market earlier this month as investors panicked over high valuations and AI's potential threat to software companies — surged 3%. The ETF is still down around 30% from its peak late last year. Major indexes soared. The ...

Core Viewpoint - Stellantis is taking a €22 billion ($26 billion) charge as part of a major reset of its electric vehicle strategy, marking the largest write-down in a series of recent EV-related charges by global automakers, totaling $55 billion across the industry [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Impact - Volkswagen recorded a $3.5 billion charge in September linked to its electric division [2]. - Ford announced a $19.5 billion charge in December after canceling plans for large EVs [2]. - General Motors reported a $6 billion write-down due to reduced EV production [2]. Group 2: Strategic Shift - Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa stated that the reset is aimed at aligning with customer preferences, acknowledging past overestimations of the energy transition pace [6]. - The company is shifting focus back to gas-powered vehicles, reintroducing models like the V8 Hemi-powered Ram pickup series and the six-cylinder Dodge Charger [10]. Group 3: Historical Context - Stellantis was formed in 2021 through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, investing heavily in EV infrastructure under previous CEO Carlos Tavares [7]. - The anticipated consumer demand for EVs did not materialize, leading to a 70% profit drop during Tavares' final year [8]. Group 4: Product Line Adjustments - Stellantis has canceled or delayed several electric vehicle models, including the Chrysler Airflow and the all-electric Ram 1500 [8]. - The company discontinued its fleet of plug-in hybrid vehicles, ceasing production of models like the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid [9]. - Remaining electric launches by 2026 include the $65,000 Jeep Recon and an extended-range Ram 1500 REV [9]. Group 5: Market Reaction - Following the announcement of the significant EV write-down, Stellantis shares fell by 25.5%, trading at approximately $7.10 per share shortly after market opening [11].

Core Insights - Ford is undergoing a significant overhaul of its manufacturing processes to better compete with Chinese automakers, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) market [1][2] - The Universal Electric Vehicle project is described as one of the most important initiatives in Ford's history, focusing on innovation to maintain competitiveness against global rivals [1][6] Manufacturing Innovations - The new manufacturing system employs a three-pronged "assembly tree" approach, which allows for parallel construction of vehicle components, reducing the number of fasteners by 25% and halving the number of cooling hoses and connections [9] - A unicasting system is being implemented to decrease the number of vehicle parts, potentially leading to lower car prices [10] Product Development - The first vehicle on the new platform is a midsize electric pickup truck expected to launch in the US in 2027, with a starting price of $30,000 [6][7] - Engineers are dedicating extensive time to refining the truck's aerodynamics and design [7] Strategic Shift - Ford is shifting its focus towards smaller, more affordable electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) after incurring a $19.5 billion write-down due to canceled EV programs [11] - The company is responding to competitive pressures from the Chinese EV market, where BYD has become the world's largest EV seller, and is exploring potential manufacturing cooperation with China's Geely [12]

Amazon said Thursday it plans a staggering $200 billion in capital expenditures this year, sparking concern that the AI spending boom has entered an even more bubbly stage. The company's capex forecast was more than $50 billion above Wall Street expectations. That left some analysts uneasy about whether these huge investments will pay off."The strong long-term return on investing capital — I think that's the debate in the market today," Mark Mahaney, a tech analyst at Evercore ISI, said during a conference ...

Tech has been clobbered by a broad rotation taking place in 2026, and the latest sell-off in software stocks has only added to the pain. Yet, on the other end of that pain has been a $24 billion gain for short-sellers. The software rout took off this week, but some of the biggest names in tech have been struggling all year, battling both micro and macro forces that have hurt demand for high-flying AI plays.For short-sellers betting against these stocks, the last six weeks have been a windfall. A report fro ...

Core Viewpoint - Workday is laying off approximately 400 employees, representing about 2% of its workforce, to realign resources and focus on top priorities [1] Group 1: Layoffs and Workforce Changes - The layoffs will primarily impact non-revenue-generating roles within the global customer service team [1] - Workday plans to continue hiring in strategic areas and locations despite the layoffs [1] Group 2: Market and Investor Sentiment - Recent developments in artificial intelligence have negatively affected investor outlook for many software companies, including Workday [2] - Shares of Workday have decreased by about 34% compared to a year ago [3] Group 3: Legal Issues - Workday is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination in its AI hiring practices based on race, age, and disability, which the company denies [3]

With names like Nvidia, Oracle, and CoreWeave down double digits in the last few months, the AI trade appears to be stuck in a rut. But far from a temporary blip, the diminished fortunes of the market's tech leaders might represent a much more dire reassessment of the technology among investors, a top AI researcher says. The latest volatility began with Anthropic's debut of its new plugins for its Claude AI agent, which sent legal tech stocks into a nosedive that quickly spurred volatility into the broade ...

Core Insights - US layoffs reached a 17-year high in January, with 108,435 job cuts announced, marking a 118% increase from the previous year [1][2] Group 1: Job Cuts Data - The total number of job cuts in January is significantly high, indicating a concerning trend for the labor market [2] - Major companies like Amazon and Citi are among those reducing their workforce this year [1] Group 2: Employer Sentiment - The high number of layoffs suggests that many of these plans were established at the end of 2025, reflecting a pessimistic outlook for 2026 among employers [2]

Core Point - Amazon is closing approximately 60 Amazon Fresh stores in the US, leading to significant job losses for employees in the grocery business [1][2] Group 1: Store Closures and Employee Impact - The closure of Amazon Fresh stores will affect thousands of employees, with around 3,900 workers impacted in California alone due to the shutdown of roughly 20 stores [2] - Amazon Fresh employees will receive their normal pay and benefits for 90 days following the announcement, or until April 28, whichever comes first [4] - Employees will have the opportunity to apply for open roles within Amazon and will receive career transition services to assist in finding new positions [5] Group 2: Severance and Transfer Options - If employees do not secure a new job within Amazon by late April, they will receive severance pay calculated at one week of pay for every six months of service, with a minimum of four weeks' pay and a potential maximum of 20 weeks [6] - Workers interested in transferring within Amazon are encouraged to look for similar positions at Whole Foods or Amazon grocery warehouses through the internal A to Z portal [6] Group 3: Employee Compensation - Grocery associates at Amazon Fresh typically earned between $16 and $20 per hour, according to data from job search site Indeed [7]