Tesla's European sales plunged in January, falling 45% compared with the same month in 2024.The decline came despite a rise in EV sales in Europe, with Tesla falling behind China's SAIC Motor.Elon Musk has waded into European politics in recent months, backing far right-wing German party AfD.Tesla sales in Europe plunged in January, falling 45% compared with the same month last year, while overall sales of electric vehicles increased. Elon Musk's automaker sold 9,945 vehicles last month in the European Unio ...

Core Insights - Shopify is actively engaging in acquihiring to enhance its AI talent pool amid a competitive market for engineers with AI expertise [1][9] - The company completed six small acquisitions in the past year, focusing on acquiring teams rather than just technology [1][9] - Shopify's strategy includes hiring founders of acquired startups into leadership roles within its product organization [2][5] Acquihiring Strategy - Shopify's CFO highlighted that the recent acquisitions were tactical and aimed at securing AI talent, with a focus on being judicious with cash [2] - Notable hires include Nicolas Grasset from Peel Insights and Ray Reddy from Ritual, both of whom now hold significant positions within Shopify [2][3][4] - The company has also brought in teams from startups like Stellate and Threads, further strengthening its engineering capabilities [5][6] Market Context - The current market for AI talent is described as "white-hot," making traditional hiring methods less viable compared to acquihiring [5] - Shopify's growth has primarily been organic, with previous significant investments in its fulfillment network rather than large-scale acquisitions [8] Future Plans - Shopify plans to continue making strategic investments in startups that develop technology beneficial to its merchants, including participation in early-stage funding rounds [11] - The company has recently appointed Mikhail Parakhin as its new CTO, who has a strong background in AI advancements [10]

Nvidia finally has a chance to tell investors why their violent reaction to DeepSeek was a mistake.The chip giant's Wednesday earnings are the first since DeepSeek's AI sparked market panic.Key areas to watch are data center revenue, Blackwell's ramp-up, inference demand, and policy.When Nvidia reports earnings on Wednesday, the chip giant will have the chance to tell investors why it thinks their intense reaction to the rise of DeepSeek was a mistake — or change the subject entirely. Heading into 2025, Nvi ...

Core Insights - Starbucks is simplifying its menu by removing less popular items and those that are time-consuming to prepare, aiming to focus on fewer, more popular offerings [1][2] - The company plans to reduce its menu by approximately 30% by September, which will allow for innovation and improve customer experience [2][3] - The changes are part of a broader strategy to address declining sales, including the layoff of 1,100 corporate employees to streamline operations [4][5] Menu Changes - Starbucks will remove 13 items from its menu on March 4, including nine Frappuccino drinks and other less popular items [5][6] - The specific items being removed include Iced Matcha Lemonade, various Frappuccino flavors, and Honey Almondmilk Flat White [6] Corporate Restructuring - The new CEO, Brian Niccol, is implementing changes to create smaller, more efficient teams and reduce complexity within the organization [4] - The layoffs will not affect store employees, focusing instead on corporate staff to enhance operational efficiency [4]

Core Viewpoint - Microsoft has canceled leases for some US data centers, indicating potential lower demand for AI than previously expected, leading to a slight decline in its stock price [1][7]. Group 1: Data Center Operations - Analysts from TD Cowen reported that Microsoft has canceled leases in the US totaling "a couple of hundred MWs" with at least two private data center operators [2]. - The company has also pulled back on converting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) to leases and reallocated a significant portion of its international spending to the US [2][3]. - These actions suggest a potential oversupply of data center capacity relative to Microsoft's new forecasts [3]. Group 2: Market Dynamics - The analysts noted a shift in incremental OpenAI workloads to Oracle and SoftBank, with a significant increase in Oracle's requirements over the past three months [4]. - Microsoft is still active in the data center market, but its current demand is lower compared to the rapid leasing pace observed in 2023 and the first half of 2024 [5]. - Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion in AI data centers this fiscal year, despite the recent adjustments in leasing [5][6]. Group 3: Company Statements - A Microsoft spokesperson stated that their spending remains on track to meet customer demand, emphasizing that they are well-positioned due to significant past investments [6]. - CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the importance of aligning supply and demand in the AI sector, cautioning against overhyping supply without understanding customer value [8]. Group 4: Market Observations - Wall Street is closely monitoring Nvidia's upcoming earnings release for indications of softening AI spending, which could impact the broader market [9].

Starbucks is laying off 1,100 corporate employees this week, the company said.The coffee chain will notify affected employees by midday Tuesday.CEO Brian Niccol is trying to turn around results at the Seattle-based chain.Starbucks is laying off 1,100 corporate employees this week and will halt hiring for hundreds of open roles. Employees whose jobs are being eliminated will hear from Starbucks by midday Tuesday, the company said."We are simplifying our structure, removing layers and duplication and creating ...

Core Viewpoint - Apple is preparing to defend its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies against shareholder criticism at its annual meeting, where a vote on a motion to cease DEI efforts is expected [1][7] Group 1: Shareholder Meeting and Proposals - The National Center for Public Policy Research has proposed a motion to end Apple's DEI initiatives, citing legal concerns from US Supreme Court cases [2] - Apple plans to oppose this motion, arguing it restricts the company's operational management [2][7] - Shareholder proposals against ESG policies, including DEI, have historically received little support in votes over the past three years [6] Group 2: Industry Context and Comparisons - Other tech companies, such as Meta, Google, and Amazon, have recently rolled back their DEI initiatives, citing changes in the legal and policy landscape [3][4] - Apple's commitment to DEI stands out as it continues to support these initiatives while many peers are stepping back [5] Group 3: Future Plans and Investments - Apple announced plans to hire approximately 20,000 employees over the next four years as part of a broader investment commitment exceeding $500 billion [5]

Group 1 - Apple plans to hire approximately 20,000 people over the next four years as part of a $500 billion investment commitment [1][2] - The investment will focus on initiatives related to AI, skills development, and manufacturing [1] - Tim Cook emphasized the company's commitment to American innovation and manufacturing through this investment [2] Group 2 - The investment includes doubling the Advanced Manufacturing Fund and building advanced technology facilities in Texas [2]

Core Insights - Alibaba is focusing on artificial general intelligence (AGI) as its primary goal, aiming to develop models that extend the boundaries of intelligence [1][8] - The company reported an 8% increase in revenue for the quarter ending in December, amounting to 280.2 billion yuan ($38.6 billion), with profits rising to 48.9 billion yuan, surpassing analysts' expectations [2][8] - Alibaba plans to invest at least 380 billion yuan ($53 billion) in cloud computing and AI infrastructure over the next three years to compete with US tech giants [4][8] Industry Context - Other US-based companies pursuing AGI include OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, indicating a competitive landscape [2] - The potential of AGI is highlighted by studies suggesting it could replace or achieve 80% of human capabilities, which could significantly impact global GDP [3] - The recent rise of Chinese tech companies in AI, particularly following the emergence of DeepSeek, has shifted investor focus towards them [5][6] Market Reaction - Alibaba's shares have increased by 70% year-to-date, driven by developments in AI and partnerships, such as working with Apple [5] - The meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and top tech leaders, including Alibaba's co-founder Jack Ma, is perceived as a sign of improved relations between the government and the private sector [6][7] - Despite recent gains, Alibaba's shares experienced a 2.5% decline on a particular day due to broader market pressures [7]

Core Insights - Amazon's investment in Anthropic has significantly increased, with the fair value of its stake rising from $8 billion to $14 billion, representing a 75% gain since the initial investment in 2023 [1][2] - The total investment in Anthropic amounts to $8 billion, with structured investments including convertible notes that can be converted into equity [2][3] - Anthropic is currently valued at $60 billion, a substantial increase from its previous valuation of $18 billion [5] Investment Details - Amazon's initial investment of $1.25 billion in Anthropic occurred in September 2023, followed by an additional $2.75 billion in early 2024 and $1.3 billion later that year [2] - An agreement for an additional $2.7 billion investment by the end of 2025 has also been established [2] - The investments are classified as "available-for-sale" and categorized as "Level 3" assets, indicating reliance on unobservable inputs for valuation [3][4] Partnership Dynamics - Amazon and Anthropic have developed a close partnership, with Anthropic committing to utilize Amazon's cloud computing services and AI chips [6] - Anthropic plans to leverage a new AI supercomputer built from Amazon's chip clusters [6] Broader Investment Landscape - As of the end of December, Amazon's total investment value in public and private companies reached $22.1 billion, with only $4.6 billion allocated to publicly traded companies [7] - Other private companies in which Amazon has invested include Scale AI, Hugging Face, and X-energy [7]