CNBC Daily Open: Alphabet could more than double its capex in 2026, unsettling investors

Group 1: Alphabet's Performance - Alphabet's fourth-quarter earnings and revenue exceeded Wall Street expectations, with its cloud unit achieving a nearly 48% increase in revenue year-over-year [1] - The company anticipates capital expenditure for 2026 to be between $175 billion and $185 billion, which would more than double from the previous year at the higher end [1] - Following the announcement, Alphabet shares fell as much as 3% before recovering to a loss of 0.39% in extended trading [1] Group 2: Market Reactions - Shares of Broadcom rose over 6% in extended trading, benefiting from Alphabet's news as the firm manufactures custom chips for the tech giant [2] - Broadcom's gains helped it recover some losses from the regular trading session, where it had lost 3.8% [2] - The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined by 1.51%, while the S&P 500 retreated by 0.51%, marking its fifth negative session in six [3] Group 3: Broader Market Sentiment - Investor confidence in AI-related stocks has been affected, but optimism remains for South Korean chipmakers like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, as noted by CNBC's Jim Cramer [4] - In Europe, BNP Paribas reported fourth-quarter earnings that surpassed estimates and raised its net income target for 2025 to 2028, while Shell missed its fourth-quarter profit targets [5] - The European Central Bank and the Bank of England are expected to maintain their current monetary policy without any rate changes [5]