For more information visit SWEPCO.com/ready or the NLEP project site NLEP.org/AWS SHREVEPORT, La., Feb. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) announced a new data center investment from Amazon that company leaders describe as the most significant economic development win Northwest Louisiana has seen in a generation. This investment brings new utility infrastructure upgrades that will deliver meaningful, longterm benefits for SWEPCO customers while also supporting Amazon's data c ...

An aerial view of an Amazon Web Services Data Center known as US East 1 in Ashburn, Virginia, U.S., October 20, 2025.Amazon said Monday it plans to spend $12 billion on new data center campuses in Louisiana and the infrastructure to power artificial intelligence and cloud computing.The campuses will be built in the Caddo and Bossier Parishes, in northwestern Louisiana. Amazon said it expects to create 540 full-time jobs at the data centers and support about 1,700 other roles that will serve the sites, such ...

Google Stock (NASDAQ:GOOG) trades around $314 USD per share, with a 52-week range of $142.66–$350.15 USD and a market value near $3.82 trillion USD. The stock sits on a trailing P/E of ~29x and a dividend yield of about 0.27%, essentially priced at the S&P 500's ~29x earnings while delivering far stronger growth and return metrics than the index average. 2025 revenue broke above $400 billion USD, with Q4 sales at $113.8 billion USD, up roughly 18% year on year, and growth accelerating from low double digits ...

Core Viewpoint - Alphabet has significantly outperformed its peers in the "Magnificent Seven" over the past year, with a year-over-year increase of over 75%, while other major companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon have seen declines [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance and Analyst Ratings - Alphabet's stock is currently trading higher, up 1.21% to approximately $315 [2]. - Wells Fargo has upgraded Alphabet, raising its price target to $387, which is considered optimistic compared to the average analyst targets of $350 to $370, implying a potential upside of 10% to 20% [5][6]. - The consensus among analysts remains strong, with no significant sell ratings noted [5]. Group 2: AI and Capacity Analysis - Wells Fargo emphasizes Alphabet's leadership in key AI traits: customer data, disruption, distribution, and compute capacity, suggesting that Alphabet can leverage these advantages for consumer and enterprise AI products [3]. - Alphabet's project to expand compute capacity to 35 gigawatts by 2028 from 15 gigawatts by the end of 2025 is highlighted as a significant competitive edge [4]. Group 3: Market Context and Competitive Landscape - The overall market sentiment is bearish, particularly regarding heavy AI capital expenditures, which may dampen near-term margin expansion for tech companies [9]. - Alphabet is viewed as a steady performer, with diverse revenue streams beyond just Google Cloud, providing more resilience compared to competitors like Meta [11][12].

Core Insights - Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) is expected to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on February 25, with a focus on the impact of its investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud products on financial performance [1] Group 1: Financial Performance Expectations - For the fiscal fourth quarter, Salesforce anticipates total revenues between $11.13 billion and $11.23 billion, with a midpoint of $11.18 billion, reflecting an 11.7% increase from the previous year's quarter [6][11] - The company projects non-GAAP earnings per share in the range of $3.02 to $3.04, indicating a 9% increase from the year-ago quarter [9][11] Group 2: Market Position and Growth Drivers - Despite a challenging macro environment, demand for digital tools remains strong, positioning Salesforce well with its subscription-based software and AI features [2] - Salesforce's cloud-based model aligns with the current work environment, making it a strong player in enterprise software [3] - AI is identified as a key growth lever, with analytics and generative AI tools helping clients automate workflows and improve customer targeting [4][5] Group 3: Cost Management and Profitability - Salesforce has focused on improving profitability through cost-cutting measures and operational improvements, allowing for increased earnings despite slower revenue growth [7] - The company's ability to control costs positions it favorably for profit growth, even with potential reductions in deal sizes [8]

Industry Overview - The artificial intelligence (AI) sector, bolstered by the rapid growth of cloud computing and data centers, is experiencing a robust demand scenario, particularly for AI-powered data center capacity to manage and store vast amounts of data [1] - The "magnificent 7" stocks are set to invest $650 billion in 2026 for AI infrastructure development, representing a significant 71.1% year-over-year increase in capital spending on the AI ecosystem [2] Company Insights Amphenol Corp. (APH) - Amphenol holds a Zacks Rank 2 and benefits from a diversified business model, commanding an estimated 33% market share in AI-powered data center interconnects [7] - The company is experiencing triple-digit organic growth in its IT datacom segment, driven by high-speed and power interconnect products [8] - Amphenol's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 34.9% and 29.3%, respectively, with a 1.9% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 30 days [12] Western Digital Corp. (WDC) - Western Digital, with a Zacks Rank 1, is witnessing strong demand for high-capacity hard disk drives (HDD) amid intensified cloud and AI demand [13] - The company is collaborating closely with hyperscale customers to deliver reliable, high-capacity storage solutions, with an expected revenue growth rate of -6.3% and earnings growth rate of 81.7% for the current year [16] Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT) - Vertiv, holding a Zacks Rank 2, benefits from a diverse product portfolio and is strategically expanding capacity to support AI-enabled pipelines [17] - The company has a partnership with NVIDIA to co-develop an 800-volt DC power architecture, ensuring its infrastructure solutions remain relevant as power requirements scale [19] - Vertiv's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 34% and 46.9%, respectively, with a 15.3% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 30 days [20] Lumentum Holdings Inc. (LITE) - Lumentum, with a Zacks Rank 1, designs and manufactures optical technologies essential for AI and cloud computing, experiencing significant revenue growth driven by demand for AI infrastructure connectivity solutions [21][22] - The company has a strong collaboration with NVIDIA for developing silicon photonics, positioning it as a key supplier to hyperscale customers [23] - Lumentum's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 76.7% and over 100%, respectively, with a 34.6% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 30 days [24] EMCOR Group Inc. (EME) - EMCOR, holding a Zacks Rank 2, is a leading provider of critical infrastructure to AI-powered data centers, focusing on electrical infrastructure and cooling systems [25] - The company is gaining traction in the data center construction market, which is contributing to its expanding remaining performance obligations (RPOs) [26] - EMCOR's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 5.4% and 8.6%, respectively, with a slight improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 30 days [28]

Artisan Partners, an investment management company, released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter for “Artisan Mid Cap Fund”.  A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Fund seeks to invest in companies that possess franchise characteristics, with strong earnings trajectories, and are trading at a discount to the estimated private market value. US equities ended a record year with robust fourth-quarter gains. The Fund’s Investor Class, ARTMX, delivered -0.44%, the Advisor Class, APDMX, delivered - ...

A tenant representing roughly 2% of annual revenue — approximately $200 million — has defaulted on payments. Consensus estimates still project 6.5% AFFO per share growth.That $2.47 estimate follows a quarter in which American Tower reported continued operating expansion across both its tower and data center segments.In the third quarter of 2025, attributable AFFO per share reached $2.78, representing approximately 10% year-over-year growth. Consolidated revenue increased approximately 8% year over year to $ ...

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) analyst Ken Gawrelski apparently took Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Friday, February 20 rally as a sign it was time to alter the previously-neutral rating for the technology giant’s equity.Specifically, the Wall Street expert elected to raise his recommendation for GOOGL shares from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Buy’ on Monday, February 23, while simultaneously raising his 12-month price target from $353 to $387.With Google stock trading at $315 following a 0.05% decline year-to-date (YTD) and a 5-day ra ...

Core Insights - Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) has seen its shares decline by 4% over the past year and remain flat year-to-date, indicating a challenging market environment [2] - The company recently announced a partnership with NVIDIA to utilize its GPUs for enhancing core business operations and AI training, which may signal a strategic shift towards developing its own web services [2][5] - Meta's fourth quarter earnings reported $59.9 billion in revenue and $8.88 in earnings per share, surpassing analyst expectations of $58.35 billion and $8.19, driven by Christmas traffic and AI-led efficiency improvements [2] Company Developments - The partnership with NVIDIA is aimed at boosting Meta's AI capabilities and overall business operations, suggesting a focus on technological advancement [2] - There are indications that Meta is diversifying its product offerings, including the development of a new application for sending one-time photos [2] - Jim Cramer has expressed that Meta's capital expenditure concerns may be alleviated by this partnership, hinting at a potential move towards establishing a cloud computing business [2][5]