ZACKS·2026-01-12 22:25Group 1 - The AI frenzy is expected to continue dominating market headlines in 2026, with a focus on distinguishing real winners from pretenders [1] - Alphabet (GOOGL) and Apple (AAPL) have announced a multi-year collaboration to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology [2][3] - This partnership is seen as a significant development for Apple, which has faced criticism for lagging in the AI race, and aims to enhance user experiences while maintaining privacy standards [3][4] Group 2 - The performance disparity between AAPL and GOOGL has been notable, with GOOGL outperforming AAPL over the past year, partly due to differing excitement levels regarding their AI trajectories [5][8] - Analysts have revised EPS expectations positively for both companies, with GOOGL's EPS estimate increasing by 18% over the last year [6][10] - The collaboration is viewed as beneficial for both companies, with Apple securing its AI foundation and Google reinforcing Gemini's role in AI infrastructure [11]