Core Viewpoint - President Trump is set to announce his choice for the new Federal Reserve chair, concluding a five-month selection process to replace Jerome Powell [1][2]. Group 1: Selection Process - The process for selecting Powell's successor began in September with an initial list of 11 candidates, which included past and current Fed officials, economists, and Wall Street professionals [2]. - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent played a key role in narrowing down the candidates, reducing the list to five and then to four [2]. Group 2: Final Candidates - The final four candidates for the Fed chair position are believed to be former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, current Fed Governor Christopher Waller, and BlackRock's chief investment officer for fixed income, Rick Rieder [3]. - Prediction markets have fluctuated in their betting on the candidates, with Warsh recently emerging as an 80% favorite [3]. Group 3: Administration Insights - An administration source indicated that Warsh was present at the White House on the day of the announcement, although a White House official downplayed speculation regarding the selection process [4]. - The White House spokesman emphasized that any reporting on the Fed chair nominations before the official announcement is premature [4]. Group 4: Current Chair's Status - Jerome Powell has not confirmed whether he will remain in his position after his term expires in May, although he has the option to serve the remaining two years of his governor's term [5].

Apple on Thursday evening reported a blowout holiday quarter, driven by a 23% increase in iPhone sales. A strong revenue guide for the current March quarter suggests this strong device cycle will continue. Revenue in Apple's fiscal 2026 first quarter, which ended back on Dec. 27, rose 16% year over year to $143.76 billion, exceeding the $138.48 billion consensus estimate compiled by LSEG. Earnings per share of $2.84 increased 18% year over year, beating the $2.67 consensus estimate, according to LSEG. AAPL ...

Core Viewpoint - Apple reported strong first-quarter earnings and anticipates growth of 13% to 16% in the upcoming quarter, contingent on securing sufficient chip supply to meet iPhone demand [1][2]. Group 1: Earnings and Growth Projections - Apple expects total company revenue for the March quarter to grow by 13% to 16% year over year, factoring in constrained iPhone supply [2]. - The company predicts gross margins to be between 48% and 49% in the March quarter, which would be an increase compared to the December quarter [6]. Group 2: Supply Chain and Component Constraints - CEO Tim Cook highlighted that the main constraint on iPhone production is access to advanced node manufacturing for A-series and M-series chips, produced in collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company [3][4]. - Cook acknowledged that while the current supply shortage is linked to advanced node chip manufacturing, rising memory prices will also impact the company, and Apple is exploring various options to address this issue [5]. Group 3: Strategic Investments and Chip Sourcing - Apple announced plans to invest over $600 billion in the U.S. over five years, with significant funding directed towards companies committed to domestic chip manufacturing, including TSMC [7]. - In 2025, Apple sourced 20 billion chips from the U.S., exceeding its previous target of 19 billion [7].

Core Viewpoint - Investors are fleeing from enterprise software stocks due to concerns about artificial intelligence disrupting traditional business models, making it difficult to assess future earnings potential [1][2]. Group 1: Market Sentiment and Valuation - The price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple is crucial for understanding stock valuations, reflecting how much investors are willing to pay for future profits [2]. - Current market conditions show a compression of P/E multiples across software stocks, indicating reduced investor confidence in future growth [2][3]. - ServiceNow exemplifies this trend, experiencing a significant drop in its stock price despite reporting better-than-expected earnings and a substantial buyback [3]. Group 2: ServiceNow's Performance - ServiceNow's stock has decreased approximately 49% over the past year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of about 15% during the same period [3]. - The company's P/E multiple has dramatically declined from the upper 60s in January 2025 to just under 28 times forward earnings after recent market reactions [4]. - Despite the market's harsh judgment, there is a belief that ServiceNow will continue to deliver earnings, although this does not currently influence its stock price [5].

Core Insights - The key takeaway from the post-earnings reactions of Microsoft and Meta Platforms is that investors should not abandon hyperscalers based on a single quarter's performance [1] Group 1: Microsoft - Microsoft shares fell nearly 10% due to concerns over slowing cloud growth and a weak response regarding AI spending [2] - The market's reaction to Microsoft highlights the volatility in investor sentiment, which can change significantly from quarter to quarter [4] Group 2: Meta Platforms - Meta's stock rose approximately 10% as its AI investments were seen to accelerate revenue growth, alleviating concerns about high spending [2] - Meta's advertising business constituted 97% of its overall revenue for the quarter, showcasing its strong market position [3] - Despite the positive outlook for Meta, previous earnings reports have shown that the market can quickly shift, as seen when Meta's stock tumbled in October due to AI spending concerns [4] Group 3: Alphabet - Alphabet's stock has experienced a turnaround, with positive news regarding its AI technology, particularly the Gemini large language models, boosting investor confidence [5] - The market's perception of Alphabet has shifted from concern over competition from OpenAI to optimism about its AI capabilities [5] - Expectations are high for Alphabet's upcoming earnings report, with predictions that it will be recognized as a winner in AI search [6] Group 4: Nvidia - Nvidia is positioned strongly in the AI chip market, maintaining a significant market share that is difficult for competitors to challenge [6] - The company is viewed as a leader in the AI space, with a stable market position compared to other tech giants [6]

In this articleTSLAElon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris on June 16, 2023.Gonzalo Fuentes | ReutersAt Tesla's factory in Fremont, California, the automaker plans to make robots instead of its older cars, as it gears up to spend $20 billion this year to fund what it views as a business transformation."Forget the Tesla you knew," wrote analysts at Canaccord Genuity, in a note following Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings re ...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gestures as he speaks during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20, 2026.Microsoft shares slid about 10% on Thursday following an earnings report that disappointed some investors, prompting the stock's sharpest daily decline since March 2020. The move trimmed the technology company's market cap by $357 billion, leaving it at $3.22 trillion by the end of Thursday trading.The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector exchange-traded fund tumbled 5% on Thurs ...

Core Viewpoint - Amazon is in discussions to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI, indicating strong confidence in the AI sector and OpenAI's potential [1][2]. Group 1: Investment Details - The investment talks involve direct discussions between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, with a potential term sheet expected to be signed in the coming weeks [2]. - The final investment amount is still subject to change, reflecting the fluid nature of the negotiations [2]. Group 2: Company Background - OpenAI, founded in 2015 as a nonprofit research lab, gained significant attention in 2022 with the launch of its generative chatbot ChatGPT, leading to its rapid growth [3]. - OpenAI's valuation reached $500 billion in October 2023 following a secondary share sale, marking it as one of the largest commercial entities globally [3]. - Discussions between Amazon and OpenAI regarding a potential investment have been ongoing since the previous year, with the deal possibly including the use of Amazon's AI chips [3].

Company Overview - York Space Systems began trading publicly on the New York Stock Exchange, opening at $38, which is an 11.7% increase from its offering price of $34, valuing the company at $4.75 billion [1] Core Project - The company is positioned as a key contributor to President Trump's 'Golden Dome' project, which aims to integrate disparate systems for better communication [2] - York Space Systems has already delivered low-earth orbit satellites for the U.S. Space Development Agency, successfully launching 21 satellites in September [2] Industry Trends - The space technology sector has been gaining momentum, with expectations for significant growth in 2026, following several IPOs in the previous year, including companies like Firefly Aerospace, Voyager Technologies, and Karman Holdings [3]

Waymo driverless taxi parks in lower Manhattan in New York City, U.S., Nov. 26, 2025.Waymo is starting to take San Francisco passengers to the airport.The Alphabet-owned company said in a blog post Thursday that it is opening up San Francisco International Airport access to a select number of customers, and will gradually welcome all riders over the coming months. Pickups and drop-offs will initially take place at the airport's rental car center, and will eventually expand to additional locations like termi ...