Thursday's Final Takeaways: Softness in Software & Productivity in Focus

Group 1: Software Sector Performance - Software stocks are experiencing a significant selloff, with the IGV tech software sector ETF dropping about 5%, marking its worst day since last April, and down almost 14% month-to-date, on track for its worst month since October 2008 [1] - Investor skepticism is overshadowing strong earnings, as Service Now's stock fell nearly 10% despite better-than-expected quarterly results, and Microsoft also dropped 10% due to slowed cloud growth and softer operating margin guidance [2] Group 2: AI Investment Developments - Major tech companies Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon are reportedly in discussions to invest between $60 billion to $100 billion in OpenAI, potentially one of the largest private funding rounds in tech history, with Nvidia possibly contributing up to $30 billion [3][4] - If these investments materialize, OpenAI's valuation could exceed $830 billion, reflecting the surging demand for AI technologies [5] Group 3: Trade Balance and Economic Indicators - The trade balance nearly doubled in November, with the deficit growing 95% to $56.8 billion, following the lowest level since 2009, driven by a 5% increase in imports and a 3.6% decrease in exports [6][7] - The Atlanta Fed's GDP estimate dropped from 5.4% to 4.2%, influenced by the extreme trade numbers that have skewed economic fundamentals [7][8] Group 4: Earnings and Market Reactions - There is a notable trend where both earnings misses and beats are leading to stock declines, indicating a shift in market sentiment compared to previous quarters [10] - Exxon Mobil is anticipated to report flat EPS growth of $1.65 per share on declining revenue of approximately $82 billion, with a historical track record of beating EPS estimates 88% of the time [11][12] - Apple shares have shown a retail uptick ahead of its earnings report, with a focus on margins and memory stories, while suppliers in Asia are also being monitored for their performance [14][16]