There are a few different ways to tap into the coming quantum computing revolution. You can invest in a pure-play stock like Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT) and hope that it is among the ones that break out and don't get gobbled up by a bigger fish or go out of business. Think of all the dot-coms there were before things started consolidating. Another option is to find an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in a pool of cutting-edge quantum computing stocks for that diversification and active, ...

Baidu's chip unit files for Hong Kong IPO, Trump delays tariffs on furniture, Google shakes up home listings sector, and more news to start your day. ...

Market Overview - Asian markets started the new year with gains, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng rising 2.2% to 26,189.79, driven by a strong rally in tech shares [1] - South Korea's Kospi increased by 1.5% to 4,277.94, while the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia edged up 0.2% to 8,727.30 [2] - Expectations of growth in artificial intelligence are boosting demand for computer chips and infrastructure [2] Company Highlights - Alibaba's shares climbed 3.2% following the announcement of plans to spin off its AI computer chip unit Kunlunxin, which is set to list in Hong Kong in early 2027, pending regulatory approvals [1] - Baidu's stock surged 7.5% after the same announcement regarding Kunlunxin [1] Economic Indicators - Recent manufacturing data in the region has been weak, but trade remains resilient, with exports from most countries surging in recent months [3] - The near-term outlook for Asia's export-oriented manufacturing sectors is considered favorable [3] US Market Performance - The S&P 500 futures rose by 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures increased by 0.3% [4] - The S&P 500 closed 2025 with a 16.4% gain, setting 39 record highs, while the Nasdaq and Dow gained 20.4% and 13% respectively [5] - Strong corporate profits and three interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve contributed to market gains [7] Commodity Prices - US benchmark crude oil prices increased by $0.35 to $57.77 per barrel, while Brent crude rose by the same amount to $61.20 per barrel [9] - Silver prices gained 3.5% after a previous decline, closing the year with a 140% increase, while gold rose by 1.1% with a 63.7% annual gain [8]

Funding - Lore 公司融资 110 万美元，用于构建个性化的粉丝文化搜索引擎 [1]

Digital China Plan - In May 2025, China released its Digital China Plan, focusing on "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Plus" applications and data infrastructure development [1] - The goal is to increase China's computing power and grow the digital economy's share of GDP beyond 10% [1] - This initiative creates a favorable environment for leading tech firms to scale their platforms [1] Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) - In 2Q 2025, TME reported a revenue growth of nearly 18% YoY to approximately US$1.2 billion [2] - Net profits increased by 43.2% YoY to US$336 million [2] - Revenue from online music services surged by 26.4% YoY to US$957 million, with music subscription revenue climbing 17.1% YoY to US$611 million [3] - Successful product innovations, particularly for Super VIP customers, contributed to this growth [3] - TME's acquisition of Ximalaya, a leading online audio platform, is expected to enhance its long-form audio services [4] - A renewed strategic partnership with Galaxy Arena supports TME's live entertainment segment growth [5] NetEase Inc. - In 2Q 2025, NetEase reported a revenue increase of 9.4% YoY to US$3.9 billion [7] - Net profit rose by 27.3% YoY to US$1.2 billion, driven by gaming services revenue growth of 13.7% YoY to US$3.2 billion [7] - The educational technology segment, Youdao, saw a revenue increase of 7.2% YoY to US$198 million, attributed to AI integration [8] - The announcement of Blood Message, a AAA single-player title, positions NetEase competitively in the global gaming market [9] Baidu Inc. - In 2Q 2025, Baidu reported revenue of US$4.6 billion, a decline of 4% YoY, but net profits increased by 33% YoY to US$1 billion [10] - The profit increase is linked to successful AI initiatives, including the AI transformation of Baidu Search [10] - Monthly active users of the Baidu App rose by 5% YoY to 735 million [11] - Non-online marketing revenue, including Baidu AI Cloud and Apollo Go, grew by 34% YoY to US$1.4 billion [11] - Strategic partnerships with Lyft and DeepX aim to expand Baidu's AI capabilities and market access [12]

The bloc’s antitrust regulators say the search giant may need to divest parts of its business https://t.co/asAUcS8Y8k ...

Alphabet shares hit an all-time high Wednesday, a day after a federal court ruling that the company didn't have to divest its Google search engine over concerns it was a monopoly. https://t.co/jnM6PJkQOb ...

Regulatory & Legal Landscape - A federal judge's ruling that Google won't be forced to separate from its Chrome browser is positive for Google, Apple, and Meta [1][2] - The adtech case represents approximately 9% of Google's business, with a potential impact of around 5% due to lower profitability [6] AI & Search Technology - Google is making progress in AI overviews and AI mode across its search interfaces [2] - Click-through rates with AI overviews and AI mode are nearing the levels of traditional search from a couple of years ago [12] - Apple could potentially benefit from AI by developing its own AI search product, with Perplexity being a possible acquisition target [7][8] Market Dynamics & Competition - Microsoft's Bing has struggled to significantly increase its search share despite substantial investment over 15 years, remaining at 4% [5] - Google's search share remains above 90% [6] - The market believes Google's valuation had a significant gap compared to other major tech companies (Mag 7), partly due to regulatory concerns and search progress [10][11] Apple-Google Search Deal - Apple currently receives $20 billion annually from the Google search deal, which is renegotiated yearly [6] - The Google search deal accounts for about 15% of Apple's operating income [4]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights four growth stocks that have shown significant historical performance and potential for future growth, suggesting they may be suitable for long-term investment portfolios. Group 1: Nvidia - Nvidia has achieved an average annual growth rate of 56.1% over the past 15 years, turning $1,000 into over $790,000 [2] - The company has averaged annual gains of 116.5% over the past three years [2] - Nvidia's data center business has surged from $3 billion to $115 billion in annual revenue in five years, indicating strong growth potential [3] Group 2: Alphabet - Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is a leader in AI and cloud computing, with a diverse range of products including Google Search and YouTube [4][5] - The company initiated a dividend payout in 2024, recently increasing it by 5% [5] - Alphabet's forward P/E ratio is 20, below its five-year average of 22, suggesting an attractive valuation [6] Group 3: Waste Management - Waste Management has averaged annual gains of 14.4% over the past 15 years, with over 17% gains in the last five and ten years [7] - The company is considered recession-resistant, as demand for waste collection remains stable during economic downturns [8] - The stock has a forward P/E of 30, slightly above its five-year average of 27, and offers a growing dividend yield of 1.4% [9][10] Group 4: Vanguard Information Technology ETF - The Vanguard Information Technology ETF has averaged annual gains of 18.4% over the past five years, with 21.5% and 19.6% over the past decade and 15 years, respectively [12][13] - The ETF includes over 300 tech stocks, with top holdings in major companies like Nvidia and Microsoft [12]

Core Insights - The article discusses the significant impact of AI technologies, particularly ChatGPT, on the traditional SEO industry, which is valued at $75 billion, and how it is transitioning towards a new paradigm known as GEO (Generated Engine Optimization) [1][7][16] Group 1: SEO Industry Overview - SEO has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry focused on improving natural search results and ensuring visibility on search engines like Google [1][2] - The traditional SEO practices are being challenged by AI-driven search engines that provide direct answers to users, reducing the need for users to click through to websites [2][5] - The average query length is expected to increase from 4 words in traditional search to 23 words in AI search by 2025, indicating a shift in user behavior [3] Group 2: Impact of AI on Search Behavior - AI search engines are changing user interaction, with session durations increasing from 30 seconds to 6 minutes, and zero-click results expected to rise from 35% to over 60% [3] - The conversion rate is projected to improve from 2%-3% in traditional search to over 12% in AI search, highlighting the effectiveness of AI in delivering relevant information [3] Group 3: Transition from SEO to GEO - The shift from SEO to GEO emphasizes the need for content to be structured in a way that is easily digestible by AI, focusing on semantic blocks rather than traditional keyword stuffing [7][8] - Companies are encouraged to create content that is easily quotable and structured to improve chances of being referenced by AI models [9][10] - The new metrics for success are shifting from click-through rates (CTR) to reference rates, which track how often a brand is mentioned in AI-generated responses [8][9] Group 4: Industry Response and Future Outlook - The SEO industry is experiencing turmoil, with many professionals facing layoffs as they adapt to the new landscape dominated by AI [6][16] - New startups are emerging, focusing on AI optimization and marketing, raising significant funding to help brands navigate this transition [10][11] - The future of marketing will focus on how well brands can be integrated into AI responses, rather than traditional search rankings [16]