Federal judge rules Meta is not an illegal monopoly, shooting down arguments from the FTC that it should be forced to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp. https://t.co/5UMc1PZEsX ...

Core Points - A federal judge ruled against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its lawsuit against Meta, stating that the FTC did not prove that Meta formed a monopoly through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp [1] - The judge concluded that Meta does not hold a monopoly in the relevant market of personal social networking services [1] - The FTC's lawsuit, initiated in 2020, claimed that Meta's ownership of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook allowed it to illegally dominate the market [1] Market Definition - The judge found the "personal social networking services" market to be poorly defined, noting that the competitive landscape, including Meta's apps and its rivals, has been evolving [2] - The ruling highlighted that the absence of mention of TikTok in previous opinions indicates the shifting nature of competition in the market, with TikTok now being a significant competitor to Meta [2]

RT Elon Musk (@elonmusk)The reason government programs are so inefficient is that, unlike a commercial company, the feedback loop for improvement is broken, because they have a state-mandated monopoly and can’t go out of business if customers are unhappy.No matter how bad the service is at your DMV (sorry to pick on DMVs), you still have to use your DMV, because it’s a monopoly. ...

The reason government programs are so inefficient is that, unlike a commercial company, the feedback loop for improvement is broken, because they have a state-mandated monopoly and can’t go out of business if customers are unhappy.No matter how bad the service is at your DMV (sorry to pick on DMVs), you still have to use your DMV, because it’s a monopoly. ...

jito controls 97.87% of solana's validator stake weight with 17m sol staked on their block builder. firedancer integration in december brings 4-5x faster execution. harmonic raised $6m from paradigm to compete but they're attacking a monopoly that's about to get faster. jito earning $22m annually, 100% going to buybacks. infrastructure wars are won by whoever locks in validators first ...

Big Tech's Dominance and AI - Big tech companies have entrenched their power, especially in the AI age, raising concerns about their potential to dominate the economy and limit opportunities for others [2][3] - The central question is whether AI will threaten tech platforms or be used by them to solidify their dominance [5] - Government scrutiny is needed to prevent big tech companies from controlling AI challengers and insulating their monopolies [9][10] Antitrust and Competition - The costs of monopolies are increasing extraction from various sectors, such as advertising and Amazon sellers [7][8] - Government should provoke competition among big tech giants to foster innovation and progress [8] - Reverse acquisitions by big tech companies of AI companies require closer examination [9] - Natural monopoly is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and challenging dominant companies is crucial for prosperity and innovation [11][12] AI Investment and Circularity - There are concerns that giant investments in AI are primarily aimed at insulating monopolies rather than improving products [12] - The circularity of investments, where companies reinvest excess cash into their customers, needs further examination as it may inhibit competition [13][14][15] National Security and China - Competition at home is the most important industrial policy for the United States, making companies stronger when facing Chinese competitors [21] - Worshipping monopoly sacrifices the United States' own competitiveness [22]

Group 1: Market Trends and Stock Performance - US stocks reached new record highs, with the S&P 500 closing above 6,800 for the first time [19] - Major indices ended the day higher, driven by optimism surrounding a potential trade deal with China [2] - The market showed broad strength, with significant gains in sectors such as technology and small caps [20] Group 2: OpenAI and AI Industry Insights - OpenAI reported 800 million weekly active users, with projections to reach 1 billion by year-end, although most users are on the free version [5][6] - OpenAI is expected to generate $13 billion in revenue this year, but faces $650 billion in computing costs from deals with Nvidia and Oracle [8] - Concerns about OpenAI's market dominance and potential antitrust issues have been raised, but experts argue it does not yet qualify as a monopoly [4][6] Group 3: Labor Market and Economic Conditions - The labor market is complicated by government shutdowns and economic uncertainty, leading to employers holding off on hiring and expansion [29][31] - Businesses are described as "paralyzed" due to instability in the policy environment, affecting long-term workforce confidence [30][34] - There is a growing sentiment that AI could impact labor demand, as companies explore how to integrate AI tools to boost productivity [40][41]

ASML 公司分析 - ASML 股价上涨 3%，超过每股 1000 美元，管理层语气比上季度乐观[1][16][34] - ASML 的垄断性体现在其技术独特性和与供应商的独家协议上[9][10] - ASML 的安装基础管理业务在过去 12 个月内增长了 39.75%，是公司投资组合中最重要的方面[24] - ASML 回购了 1.48 亿股股票，总计 59 亿美元，但预计 120 亿美元的回购计划不会在 2025 年底完成[25][26] - ASML 预计 2026 年的销售额不会低于 2025 年的总销售额，暗示销售额将增长[31][32] AI 行业观察 - 市场对人工智能是否存在泡沫的讨论很多，但 Brad Gersonner 认为不一定存在泡沫，Howard Marks 也曾表示在泡沫出现之前人们就已经在讨论泡沫了[41][42][44][48] - Palantir 的估值（市销率超过 100）远高于其他公司，甚至超过了互联网泡沫时期的公司[63][64] - OpenAI 的 Agentic commerce 正在改变市场动态，通过与 Uber、Booking Holdings、Expedia 等公司合作，降低客户获取成本[2][70][75] 其他公司动态 - Waymo 计划于 2026 年在伦敦推出完全自动驾驶的乘车服务[77] - Salesforce 与 OpenAI 扩大了 AI 合作，但股价却下跌，反映出市场对该公司前景的担忧[79][80]

Market Definition - Defines what constitutes a monopoly [1] - Explores different types of monopolies [1] Regulatory Landscape - Understands regulations managing monopoly market impact [1] - Ensures fair competition and consumer protection [1]

Market Manipulation & Monopoly Concerns - The market is perceived as being manipulated, specifically the modification of K-lines [1] - The market is considered near-monopolistic, with the dominant player actively pursuing further monopolization [1] - The company's strategy involves aggressively imitating and eliminating competitors [1] Risk Assessment - There is concern about potential negative consequences ("刀砍下来") affecting individuals within the market [1]