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 ...

Elon Musk announced his new company xAI which he says has the goal to understand the true nature of the universe.Tesla sold $430 million worth of its giant backup batteries called Megapacks to xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup, in 2025, according to a filing on Thursday. The sales to xAI accounted for around 3.4% of Tesla's energy business revenue, which climbed 27% to $12.8 billion last year from $10.1 billion in 2024, the filing said. Tesla's energy division, which sells solar photovoltaics ...

Market Overview - The stock market experienced a sharp pullback, particularly in the software sector, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq recovering slightly from their worst levels during the session [1] - Microsoft shares declined by 12%, with management indicating that better allocation of compute resources towards Azure could improve revenue growth [1] - If Microsoft had allocated all new GPUs to Azure, year-over-year cloud revenue growth could have reached 40% instead of the constrained 38% [1] Software Sector Analysis - The decline in Microsoft is part of a broader trend affecting enterprise software as a service (SaaS) companies, with ServiceNow dropping 12% despite better-than-expected results [1] - Salesforce shares fell by approximately 7% following ServiceNow's earnings reaction, indicating a market revaluation of SaaS companies and compressing price-to-earnings multiples [1] - SAP's shares also fell significantly after its cloud backlog increased less than anticipated, reflecting the overall negative sentiment in the software sector [1] Cybersecurity Companies - Cybersecurity firms like CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks saw significant stock declines despite their business models being less affected by AI advancements [1] - The importance of cybersecurity solutions is expected to grow as AI-related threats become more sophisticated, yet both companies trade at high price-to-earnings multiples [1] - CrowdStrike's stock, trading at about $438, is viewed as a potential buying opportunity, while Palo Alto's weakness is also seen as an opportunity [1] Upcoming Earnings Reports - Apple is set to report earnings, with a focus on iPhone demand and management's comments on margins amid rising memory costs [1] - Other companies scheduled to report include SanDisk, Western Digital, Deckers, and Stryker, with American Express, Verizon, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Sofi, Colgate Palmolive, and Air Products & Chemicals reporting before Friday's open [1]

Apple CEO Tim Cook joins Apple employees at the Apple store as customers line up for the release of Apple new iPhone 17 models in New York on Sept. 19, 2025.Apple has acquired Israeli artificial intelligence startup Q.ai, a company representative confirmed on Thursday. No purchase price was disclosed.Q.ai was secretive and had not publicly shared a product, but its website suggests it was working on something related to audio. The startup was led by CEO Aviad Maizels, who previously sold PrimeSense to Apple ...

Core Viewpoint - American Airlines is set to resume flights to Venezuela for the first time since 2019, marking a significant development in U.S. airline operations in the region following recent political changes [1]. Group 1: Company Actions - American Airlines will be the first U.S. airline to restart services to Venezuela, which had been isolated due to previous airline service cuts amid unrest [1]. - The airline plans to provide more details about its return to service in the coming months, as it collaborates with federal authorities for necessary permissions and security assessments [2]. Group 2: Industry Context - Prior to American Airlines' announcement, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines had suspended their services to Venezuela since 2017 and did not provide immediate comments regarding the situation [3].

Apple CEO Tim Cook gestures as he departs after a business leaders reception with the US President on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 21, 2026.Apple reported fiscal first-quarter earnings on Thursday that surpassed expectations, with revenue soaring 16% on an annual basis.  Shares of the company were up as much as 3% in extended trading. Here are the results versus what Wall Street was expecting according to LSEG consensus estimates for the quarter ending i ...

Core Viewpoint - Waymo's driverless vehicle was involved in an incident where it struck a child near an elementary school, prompting an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [1][2]. Incident Details - The collision occurred on January 23, within two blocks of an elementary school during school drop-off hours, with other children and a crossing guard present [2]. - The child ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV and sustained minor injuries [1][2]. Investigation Focus - NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigations will evaluate whether the Waymo vehicle exercised appropriate caution given its location and the presence of young pedestrians during school hours [3]. - The investigation will analyze the intended behavior of Waymo's driverless vehicles in school zones, particularly during pick-up and drop-off times, as well as the company's response after the incident [3]. Waymo's Response - Waymo stated that their technology detected the child as they emerged from behind a stopped vehicle, and the vehicle braked hard, reducing its speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact [4].

Industry Overview - Software stocks are experiencing a significant sell-off, with the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) dropping approximately 5% in morning trading, marking its largest one-day decline since last April [2] - The ETF is now down about 21% from its recent high, indicating that the software industry has entered bear-market territory [2] Company Performance - ServiceNow reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations, yet its shares fell more than 11% on the day of the announcement [2] - Analysts from Morgan Stanley commented that while ServiceNow's performance was good, it was not sufficient to change the negative narrative surrounding incumbent application vendors [3] Market Sentiment - Investor concerns regarding the potential impact of artificial intelligence on traditional software business models are overshadowing positive earnings reports [3] - The sell-off has also affected major tech companies, with Microsoft experiencing a 10% decline after reporting a slowdown in cloud growth and providing softer-than-expected guidance for operating margins [4]

Core Viewpoint - The earnings season highlights contrasting performances of major companies in the AI sector, with Meta Platforms benefiting from AI investments while Microsoft faces challenges in justifying its spending [1]. Group 1: Meta Platforms - Meta Platforms' shares surged by 8% following strong guidance and plans to invest between $115 billion and $135 billion in AI this year, nearly doubling its spending from 2025 [2]. - The company reported a 24% year-over-year revenue growth, primarily driven by online advertising, alleviating previous investor concerns regarding its ambitious spending [3]. - CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicated that the investments would support the development of new products and the mission of "building personal super intelligence" [3]. Group 2: Microsoft - Microsoft shares declined as the company struggled to justify its recent spending plans to investors and reported a slowdown in its cloud segment [1].

Core Insights - Starbucks is reintroducing a tiered loyalty program in North America to encourage more frequent visits from coffee drinkers as part of its broader turnaround strategy [1] - The loyalty program, Starbucks Rewards, has been a significant contributor to the company's revenue, accounting for 60% of total revenue in fiscal 2025 [2] - The previous two-tiered system was eliminated in 2019 to engage new members, but the company now believes it did not adequately reward its most loyal customers [3] Company Strategy - The tiered loyalty program will be reintroduced on March 10, featuring three levels to better reward frequent customers [4] - The company aims to balance enticing rewards for members while maintaining profit margins [3] - Executives are sharing plans to drive future sales growth and profitability, emphasizing the importance of the loyalty program [1]