AI Risk Is Dominating Conference Calls as Investors Dump Stocks

Group 1 - The core focus of executives and investors has shifted to the threat posed by artificial intelligence, despite strong corporate earnings growth [1] - Mentions of AI disruption in management calls have nearly doubled compared to the previous quarter, indicating heightened concern among companies [1] - The S&P 500 companies are experiencing a 12% increase in fourth-quarter earnings year-over-year, surpassing initial expectations of 8.4% [5] Group 2 - CBRE Group Inc. reported better-than-expected earnings, but comments regarding AI's potential impact on office space demand led to a 20% selloff in its stock [2] - The market has remained stagnant, with the S&P 500 fluctuating between 6,500 and nearly 7,000 since early September due to concerns over AI's effect on earnings [6] - Investors are increasingly differentiating between potential AI winners and losers, with sectors like media, software, and staffing already feeling the impact [7] Group 3 - In Asia, benchmark indexes reached new record highs, driven by companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and SK Hynix Inc., which are integral to AI technology [8]