Tesla's Daring Move

Tesla - Tesla reported earnings per share of $0.50 for the quarter, beating estimates but down 63% from the same period last year, marking the lowest fourth-quarter earnings since 2020 [1] - The company announced plans to more than double its annual capital spending to $20 billion by 2026, with significant investments in AI and robotics, including a $2 billion investment in Elon Musk's xAI [1][2] - Tesla will discontinue production of its S and X models to repurpose its Fremont plant for building Optimus robots, as these models account for less than 5% of overall vehicle sales [1][2] - The shift in Tesla's mission statement to focus on creating a world of abundance aligns with its push towards autonomy and robotics [1][2] Competition and Market Dynamics - Tesla's auto segment revenue declined by 11% in the fourth quarter due to increased competition in the EV market, particularly from GM and other automakers [2] - The discontinuation of the Model S and X was anticipated as these aging vehicles had not seen significant updates since their introduction [2] - Concerns were raised about Tesla's ability to deliver on its ambitious timelines for autonomous robots and robotaxis, with skepticism regarding the feasibility of mass production within the next two years [3][4][5] Meta and Microsoft - Meta's shares rose by approximately 9% after beating revenue expectations and announcing a significant increase in capital expenditures to $115-135 billion for 2026, nearly double its 2025 CapEx [8] - Microsoft shares fell by 12% following a slowdown in growth for its Azure Cloud computing unit, despite a nearly doubled future sales backlog driven by investments in OpenAI [8][10] - The contrasting market reactions to Meta and Microsoft's capital expenditure announcements highlight investor sentiment towards AI investments and the perceived return on investment [8][10] Investment Sentiment - Investors are increasingly scrutinizing capital expenditures, questioning the return on investment, especially in light of high spending figures exceeding $100 billion annually [10] - Meta's aggressive spending is seen as a bet on future ad revenue growth, while Microsoft faces concerns over its reliance on OpenAI for a significant portion of its backlog [10][11] - The evolving narrative around AI investments suggests that companies may experience fluctuating investor confidence based on their capital allocation strategies and growth prospects [11]