Any negative Nellie can find things to dislike about Amazon (AMZN 2.77%). The stock remains down by a double-digit percentage below its previous high. The company could face a bumpy road if the Trump administration's steep tariffs remain in place. The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general are going after Amazon in court for alleged monopolistic practices. However, I think Amazon's positive Pollys have a stronger case than the negative Nellies. The e-commerce and cloud services giant's over ...

Core Insights - Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai addressed concerns regarding AI potentially making half of the company's 180,000 workforce redundant, emphasizing the company's commitment to growth through at least next year [1][2] - Pichai described AI as an "accelerator" that enhances engineer productivity by automating tedious tasks, allowing them to focus on more impactful work, thus creating demand for more employees rather than replacing them [2] Workforce and Layoffs - Alphabet has undergone several layoffs in recent years, with targeted cuts in 2025 being less severe than previous years; less than 100 employees were laid off in the cloud division earlier this year, and hundreds more in the platforms and devices unit [3] - In contrast, the company laid off 12,000 employees in 2023 and at least 1,000 in the previous year, indicating a trend of more significant cuts in earlier years [3] Innovation and Future Ventures - Pichai highlighted Alphabet's expanding ventures, including Waymo autonomous vehicles, quantum computing initiatives, and the growth of YouTube, which has 100 million channels and 15,000 channels with over one million subscribers in India alone, as evidence of ongoing innovation opportunities [4] AI Development and Concerns - While acknowledging fears about job displacement, Pichai respected concerns raised by industry leaders regarding AI's potential to erode half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years [5] - Pichai expressed optimism about future progress in AI development but noted that predicting a clear path to artificial general intelligence (AGI) is uncertain, as technology often experiences temporary plateaus [6]

Core Viewpoint - SoftBank has posted its first annual profit in four years, with a net income of 1.15 trillion yen ($7.8 billion) for the year ended March, overcoming a previous loss of $1.5 billion, signaling a potential turnaround for the company as it invests heavily in AI [1][2][3]. Financial Performance - The fourth quarter saw a 124% year-on-year increase in quarterly profit, driven by a significant rise in Alibaba shares, which have increased over 55% this year, and profits from its telecom unit, including T-Mobile [2]. - The overall profit recovery provides relief for CEO Masayoshi Son, who has faced criticism for past losses, including a disastrous investment in WeWork and significant losses in the Vision Fund [3]. AI Investment Strategy - Masayoshi Son is heavily investing in AI, believing it will surpass human intelligence by 2035, and is making high-risk moves to achieve this vision [4]. - SoftBank has become a key backer of OpenAI, leading a $40 billion funding round and investing a total of $2.2 billion, viewing OpenAI as the closest partner to achieving artificial general intelligence [5]. - The company is also focusing on the necessary computing power for AI development, with Son serving as chairman of Stargate, a $500 billion infrastructure project in the US [6]. Broader AI Initiatives - In addition to OpenAI, SoftBank holds a majority stake in AI chip firm Arm and has established a new holding company, Robo HD, for its robotics investments [7]. - However, these investments come with risks, including legal challenges faced by OpenAI and uncertainties surrounding the Stargate project due to external factors like tariffs [8]. Market Concerns - There are concerns regarding the long-term demand for AI chips, as evidenced by Arm's decision not to provide full-year revenue guidance, leading to an 11% drop in its shares after earnings [9].

While a rising tide lifts all boats, an ebbing tide causes boats to move lower. A similar effect is seen with the stock market. When the major market indexes decline, so do most stocks. However, one positive side effect is that these stocks become more attractively valued. We've seen this happen in 2025 with the so-called "Magnificent Seven" stocks. Every member of this once- high-flying group has taken a hit during the overall market sell-off, with their valuations falling as a result. Google parent Alphab ...

Core Insights - Microsoft aims to develop a personalized AI companion that integrates seamlessly into daily life, marking a significant shift in its product offerings as it celebrates its 50th anniversary [2][3][4] Group 1: AI Product Development - Mustafa Suleyman, head of Microsoft's AI division, envisions a future where every user has a unique AI companion that adapts to their preferences and needs [3][5] - The flagship AI product, Copilot, combines chatbot functionality with Microsoft’s suite of tools, aiming to create a meaningful relationship with users [5][6] - New features, such as "visual memory" capabilities, are being rolled out to enhance user interaction with the AI [7] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - The AI personal assistant market is highly competitive, with major players like Google, Meta, and Amazon also enhancing their AI capabilities [10][11] - Microsoft views the development of Copilot as foundational to its future, committing to this direction for decades [11] Group 3: Challenges and Limitations - Despite advancements, generative AI technology still faces challenges, such as inaccuracies in information and limitations in common-sense reasoning [13][14] - Concerns exist regarding the potential overreliance on AI, which could inhibit critical thinking skills among users [16] Group 4: Future of Work - The integration of AI is expected to transform the nature of work, reducing administrative tasks and allowing knowledge workers to focus on more creative endeavors [18] - Personal AI assistants are anticipated to automate various mundane tasks in both professional and personal settings, enhancing overall efficiency [18]

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg holds a smartphone as he makes a keynote speech at the Meta Connect annual event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25, 2024.Meta's head of artificial intelligence research announced Tuesday that she will be leaving the company. Joelle Pineau, the company's vice president of AI research, announced her departure in a LinkedIn post, saying her last day at the social media company will be May 30. Her departure comes at a challenging time for Meta. CEO Mar ...

The AI giant will receive $10 billion in initial funding – with SoftBank and its CEO Masayoshi Son to contribute $7.5 billion and the rest of the money coming from a group of investors that includes Microsoft, Thrive Capital, Altimeter Capital and Coatue Management, Bloomberg reported. The additional $30 billion is set to be dispersed at the end of the year, with $22.5 billion coming from SoftBank and $7.5 billion from other investors. Sam Altman's OpenAI has raised $40 billion in a new funding round led by ...

Core Viewpoint - Michael Burry's top holding, Alibaba, has received a significant price target increase from Wall Street, driven by its potential in artificial intelligence [1][5][6] Group 1: Stock Performance - Alibaba's stock has experienced increased volatility, closing at $132.43 on March 28, down 2.36%, but remains one of the best-performing stocks year-to-date with over 55% gains [2] - The stock broke key levels around $104.40 and $109.10, leading to gains of over 20%, and is currently consolidating within a strong uptrend [5] Group 2: Analyst Upgrades - Mizuho Securities raised its price target for Alibaba from $140 to $170, a 20% increase, maintaining an 'Outperform' rating and naming it a top pick in the Asia internet sector [5][10] - Citi and Benchmark also maintain bullish ratings with price targets of $170 and $190 respectively, citing Alibaba's advancements in AI and growth in e-commerce and cloud computing [10][11] Group 3: AI and Growth Potential - Mizuho's analyst highlighted Alibaba's strong positioning in the AI landscape as a key driver for the upgrade, particularly after the announcement of its new AI model, QwQ-32B [6][7] - The company is expected to scale AI models toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) and provide end-user solutions across various industries, which are seen as bullish catalysts [7][8] Group 4: Financial Outlook - Mizuho increased its fiscal year 2026 cloud revenue growth forecast from 13% to 17% year-over-year, reflecting a stronger product roadmap and improving sentiment around enterprise IT spending in China [9] - Alibaba's fundamentals are strong, with expectations of double-digit growth in e-commerce as retail sales recover in the Chinese economy [12] Group 5: Corporate Stability - Investor confidence is returning as Alibaba's leadership has solidified its corporate strategy, reversing previous plans to spin off key businesses, which enhances long-term optimism [13]

Group 1: Alibaba's AI Investment Strategy - Alibaba plans to invest at least 380 billion yuan (approximately $52 billion) in AI and cloud computing over the next three years, which is more than its total investment in the last decade [2] - The company aims to pursue artificial general intelligence, which is designed to think and reason at or above human levels [2] - CEO Eddie Wu emphasized the importance of extending the boundaries of intelligence to create more opportunities in AI applications [3] Group 2: Industry Trends and Comparisons - Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai expressed concern over the scale of AI investments in the U.S., estimating that major tech firms are expected to spend at least $320 billion on AI efforts this year [3] - Tsai noted that the current investment levels may be ahead of actual demand, suggesting a potential bubble in the technology sector [1] - Goldman Sachs is also scaling its AI capabilities across its business, focusing on productivity and efficiency gains [4]

Core Viewpoint - The Nasdaq Composite index is currently in correction territory, and while this could lead to a bear market, historical trends suggest that such corrections often resolve quickly, presenting opportunities to invest in high-quality companies [1][3][4] Group 1: Market Context - The Nasdaq has experienced six corrections in the past decade, averaging once every 1.67 years, indicating that corrections are a regular part of market behavior [3] - The current pullback may be influenced by upcoming tariffs from the Trump administration, with uncertainty surrounding their potential impact on the market [4][5] Group 2: Investment Opportunities - High-quality stocks from the "Magnificent Seven" group, which includes Microsoft, are considered attractive for long-term investment during this market dip [2][5] - Microsoft is highlighted as a particularly strong candidate due to its robust financial position, including $71.6 billion in cash and $45 billion in debt, alongside significant free cash flow generation [9] Group 3: Microsoft’s Performance and Potential - Microsoft has underperformed relative to its peers recently, with an 8.2% decline over the past year, despite a solid revenue growth of 12% and operating profit growth of 17% last quarter [10][11] - The stock is currently trading at 31.5 times trailing earnings, which is at the lower end of its five-year range, suggesting potential for future outperformance [12] Group 4: Catalysts for Growth - A recent 43% price increase for Microsoft 365 consumer subscriptions could boost revenue, although this segment accounts for only 3% of total revenue [13][14] - The commercial Microsoft 365 products, which represent 31% of total revenue, may also see price increases, especially if the consumer price hike proves successful [15][16] - Microsoft has been a major purchaser of Nvidia GPUs, indicating significant investment in AI, but it is expected to scale its own custom AI chip program, which could lead to cost savings and improved margins [18][23][24] Group 5: Long-term Outlook - The combination of recent underperformance, lower valuation, upcoming price increases, and potential cost savings in AI positions Microsoft favorably for growth in 2025, making it a strong candidate for long-term investors [25]