Group 1 - Wall Street's tech sector experienced a significant decline, erasing over $500 billion in market value across 10 major companies, with both software and legacy hardware firms affected [1] - The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (NYSE:IGV) fell more than 3% on Thursday, marking a year-to-date decline of over 20% [2] - Cisco's earnings report was a key catalyst for the broader tech slump, as the company saw an 11% drop in stock price despite reporting earnings of $1.04 per share, exceeding the $1.02 consensus, and revenue of $15.35 billion, above estimates of $15.11 billion [2] Group 2 - Cisco's gross margin guidance for the fiscal third quarter was 65.5%-66.5%, which fell short of the 68% consensus, attributed to a heavier hardware mix and rising commodity costs [3] - Cisco's networking revenue grew 21% year over year, with orders accelerating above 20%, indicating strong demand despite margin pressures [3] - Lenovo, a major player in the tech industry, acknowledged the risk of declining PC shipments due to worsening memory shortages, with the CEO stating the company aims to maintain profitability amid these challenges [4]

About this content About Emily Jarvie Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, ...

Very rarely do some artificial intelligence (AI) stocks go on sale. However, there are excellent buying opportunities right now that investors shouldn't miss. At the top of my shopping list are two solid AI stocks that will be OK, even if the market is a bit bearish on them right now. These two stocks are Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Each has been an incredible long-term investment, but they are trading significantly off of their all-time highs right now. With Microsoft down 23% and ...

Market Overview - The US stock market experienced a significant decline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 581 points to 49,540, the S&P 500 dropping 1.15% to 6,861, and the Nasdaq Composite sliding 1.56% to 22,707 due to fears surrounding artificial intelligence disruption [1][18] - Major technology and AI-linked stocks faced pressure, including NVIDIA Corporation, which hovered near $190 on heavy volume, Intel Corporation falling over 2%, Netflix, Inc. dropping more than 4%, and Palantir Technologies Inc. sliding more than 6% [1][18] Triggering Factors - The catalyst for the market crash was a press release from Algorhythm Holdings, claiming its AI freight platform could scale shipping volumes by 300% to 400% without increasing headcount, which raised concerns about margin pressure and job displacement in logistics and transportation sectors [3][18] - This reaction is part of a broader trend where each new AI announcement is perceived as a potential threat to existing business models across various industries [5][18] Sector Impact - Semiconductor stocks, previously viewed as major beneficiaries of AI, are now undergoing valuation reassessment, with NVIDIA trading near $190, below its 52-week high of $212, as investors question the sustainability of peak AI demand [6][18] - Intel's stock fell over 2% to around $47, reflecting a broader weakness in the chip sector as investors shifted towards defensive and cyclical stocks [7][18] - Palantir shares dropped over 6%, indicating a reassessment of disruption risks even among leading AI platform providers, as commoditization of AI platforms could diminish pricing power across the sector [8][18] Broader Market Sentiment - The iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF remains approximately 30% below its recent highs, signaling ongoing weakness in enterprise software stocks [9][18] - Streaming and e-commerce stocks also declined, with Netflix falling more than 4% to near $76 and Amazon dropping over 2% to around $199, reflecting both AI fears and macroeconomic pressures [10][18] - The market is currently facing dual pressures from AI disruption risks and higher interest rates, leading to a lack of dip-buying support that has characterized previous tech selloffs [11][12][18] Future Outlook - Investors are closely monitoring upcoming Consumer Price Index data, with expectations of a 0.3% monthly rise in both headline and core CPI, which could influence Federal Reserve rate cut decisions and further impact tech stocks [13][18] - The overall sentiment in the market is dominated by uncertainty regarding who will benefit from AI advancements and who may face disruption, suggesting that volatility in AI-related stocks like NVIDIA, Intel, Netflix, and Palantir is likely to persist [15][18]

Recent Events - Nvidia's potential investment of up to $100 billion in OpenAI has not been finalized, leading to stock price fluctuations. CEO Jensen Huang reiterated the company's significant investment intentions but did not confirm specific amounts, indicating that the market will continue to monitor the transaction's progress and its financial and strategic implications [2]. Company Status - In February 2026, Nvidia plans to moderately adjust GPU supply for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 (starting late January 2026), with an expected reduction of approximately 30% in overall supply to the Chinese mainland market. This adjustment is primarily due to tight DRAM market supply and rising PC memory prices affecting demand, which may impact business performance [3]. Business and Technology Development - At the 2026 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Nvidia announced that its next-generation AI platform, Rubin, has entered full-scale production. This platform includes several new chip models, with Microsoft and CoreWeave expected to be among the first deployment customers in the second half of 2026. This technological advancement may enhance Nvidia's competitiveness in the AI infrastructure sector [4].

Group 1 - Gold prices experienced a sudden drop, with spot gold falling over 3% and nearly $200 during the day, while spot silver prices dropped over 8% [1] - Major U.S. stock indices saw a collective decline, with the Nasdaq down over 1.5%, the Dow Jones down nearly 1%, and the S&P 500 down 1% [1] Group 2 - Apple shares fell over 3%, resulting in a market value loss exceeding $120 billion (approximately 82 billion RMB), with other tech stocks like Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla, Meta, and Nvidia also experiencing declines [2] - The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index, which tracks Chinese stocks listed in the U.S., dropped nearly 3%, indicating a broader decline in Chinese stocks [4]

Core Insights - Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick received a significant raise, with his compensation package increasing from $34 million to $45 million, marking a 32% rise [1] - The bank reported its strongest year ever in 2025, achieving all-time high earnings per share, which contributed to the increase in Pick's salary [1][2] - Three quarters of Pick's bonus will be deferred over the next three years in equity, linking his compensation to the company's stock performance [2] Compensation Comparisons - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's salary increased by 22% to $96.5 million, with a $17 million raise [3] - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's salary rose to $49.9 million, with a 49% increase in his base salary to $1.5 million, marking his first base salary increase in a decade [3] - JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon reportedly earned around $770 million last year from various compensation sources [3] High-Profile Pay Packages - Elon Musk's potential compensation from Tesla could reach $1 trillion if he meets specific ambitious benchmarks, significantly overshadowing other CEO pay packages [4]

Timothy Arcuri, an analyst at UBS, has called trading conditions for Nvidia (NVDA) stock “favorable” for investors as the company heads into its fiscal Q4 earnings report on Feb. 25. The analyst believes numerous factors are looking positive for the stock, including supply chain issues and a not-so-impressive stock performance. Arcuri expects $76 billion in revenue from the chipmaker in the recently concluded quarter. While analysts have questioned the company’s expected 75% gross margins, Arcuri suggest ...

Market Overview - US stocks experienced a significant decline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling over 500 points, approximately 1%, ending a three-day winning streak [1] - The S&P 500 dropped by 1.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell nearly 2% [1] Earnings and Sector Performance - Investors are closely analyzing earnings reports for insights into sectors at risk from AI disruption, which has negatively impacted software stocks [2] - Cisco Systems saw its stock decline over 11% due to a pessimistic profit outlook despite an increase in sales [2] - Major tech companies like Nvidia and Microsoft both experienced declines of over 1%, while Meta, Amazon, and Apple faced even larger losses [2] Economic Indicators - Attention is shifting towards the upcoming Consumer Price Index report, with expectations that a softer reading could indicate easing price pressures while maintaining economic growth [3] - Recent jobless claims data showed a smaller decline than anticipated, following a nonfarm payrolls report indicating the US economy added twice as many jobs as expected in January [4] - The robust labor market, combined with persistent inflation, is likely to complicate Federal Reserve policy expectations, reducing the chances of near-term interest rate cuts [4] Company Highlights - McDonald's shares increased after reporting earnings that exceeded expectations [5] - Upcoming earnings reports to watch include Coinbase, Applied Materials, and Rivian, all scheduled for release after market close [5]

Market Overview - The broader US tech sector experienced significant pressure, with the Nasdaq Composite dropping over 300 points, or more than 1%, trading at 22,764.90 [1] - The S&P 500 decreased by 0.6% to 6,902.80, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 249.27 points, or 0.50%, to 49,872.10 [1] Company Performance - Cisco's stock plummeted by 11%, while major companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and IBM saw declines of up to 6% [2] - Indian IT stocks faced a steep sell-off, with Infosys' American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) dropping more than 7% to an intraday low of $14.59, and Wipro's ADRs falling by 5.4% to $2.26 [3] - The Nifty IT index in India settled 5.5% lower, with all 10 stocks in the index slipping into negative territory [3]