Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is included in our list of the 13 Best Extremely Profitable Stocks to Invest in Now. Alphabet (GOOGL)’s Legal Ruling Limits Damages, Analysts Remain Constructive On January 30, 2026, it was reported by Reuters that Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Google managed to convince a federal judge in San Francisco to dismiss a $2.36 billion penalty. The case relates to the company’s past collection of app activity data from users who had turned off a tracking feature. By refusing to ...

In this article, we will discuss 13 High Growth Cloud Stocks to Buy.Investing in cloud computing stocks offers exposure to one of the most important and fastest-growing pillars of the modern digital economy. Cloud computing has moved beyond being an emerging technology and is now a significant part of the core infrastructure for enterprises worldwide, powering everything from remote work and e-commerce to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. The global cloud computing market is projected to expand fro ...

Core Viewpoint - Alphabet Inc. is experiencing significant growth in its advertising and cloud sectors, leading to an optimistic price target of $420, representing a 26% increase from its current price of $333.34 [1][6] Financial Performance - The company reported an 18% increase in revenue and a 31% growth in earnings per share for Q4 2025, exceeding market expectations [2][6] - The Cloud segment achieved a remarkable 48% rise in revenues, with margins increasing to 30% [2] Capital Expenditure and Strategic Initiatives - Alphabet announced a substantial increase in its capital expenditure forecast for 2026, estimating between $175 billion and $185 billion, aimed at enhancing its competitive edge in AI technologies [3][6] - CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the commitment to responsibly scale infrastructure to meet the growing demand for AI [3] Challenges and Investments - Despite strong performance, Alphabet faces near-term challenges such as power, land, and supply chain issues [4] - The company is investing in custom chips, specifically tensor processing units (TPUs), to address the rising demand for AI technologies [4] Stock Performance - The current stock price of GOOG is $333.34, reflecting a decrease of 2.16% or $7.36, with a market capitalization of approximately $4.02 trillion [5]

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Company Performance - Microsoft shares dropped by 10.0 percent, reaching their lowest closing level in nine months due to slowing cloud computing growth and disappointing third quarter operating margin guidance [2][3] - Meta Platforms saw a significant increase of 10.4 percent after reporting better than expected fourth quarter results and forecasting first quarter revenues above analyst estimates [5] - IBM Corp. shares surged after exceeding expectations on both top and bottom lines in its fourth quarter results [5] Sector Performance - The Dow Jones U.S. Software Index fell by 7.7 percent, marking a nine-month closing low, largely influenced by Microsoft’s decline and a 9.9 percent drop in ServiceNow shares despite its better than expected fourth quarter earnings [5][6] - Airline stocks increased significantly, with the NYSE Arca Airline Index rising by 2.3 percent, contributing to the overall market recovery [7] - Gold stocks experienced continued weakness, as indicated by a 3.8 percent slump in the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index, despite a recovery in gold prices [6] Market Overview - The major averages showed a recovery attempt after an early nosedive, with the Dow ending up 55.96 points or 0.1 percent at 49,071.56, while the S&P 500 closed down just 9.02 points or 0.1 percent at 6,969.01 [1] - The tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 172.33 points or 0.7 percent at 23,685.12, having previously tumbled by as much as 2.6 percent [2] - Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region mostly moved higher, with Japan's Nikkei 225 Index closing marginally higher and China's Shanghai Composite Index edging up by 0.2 percent [8] Economic Indicators - The yield on the benchmark ten-year note fell by 2.4 basis points to 4.227 percent, indicating a recovery in the bond market following previous pullbacks [9] - Upcoming earnings news from Apple may influence trading, with the tech giant set to report its fiscal first quarter results [10]

U.S. stocks are struggling, hitting a one-week low around midday amid souring sentiment on software companies. Microsoft, one of the "Magnificent 7" megacap tech companies with considerable weight in major stock indexes, tumbled despite beating earnings and revenue forecasts in its fiscal second quarter as investors focused on slower-than-expected growth in its cloud computing business and higher-than-expected spending on data centers and other AI infrastructure. Shares in the Redmond, Washington-based ...

Core Insights - Tech giants Meta Platforms Inc and Microsoft Corp reported strong earnings results, but their stock movements diverged sharply in the market [1] Group 1: Meta Platforms Inc (META) - META's stock rose by 7.7% to $719.96, reaching its highest level since October and on track for its largest single-day percentage gain since July [2] - The company announced better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and revenue, along with an increase in current-quarter sales guidance [2] - META plans to nearly double its AI spending by 2026, indicating a strong commitment to technology investment [2] Group 2: Microsoft Corp (MSFT) - MSFT's stock fell by 11.3% to $427.01, marking its lowest level since May 2025 and potentially its worst single-day percentage loss since the Covid-19 crash [3] - Despite reporting better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results, the stock is negatively impacted by higher capital spending and slower growth in cloud computing [3] - A soft operating margin outlook is also contributing to the downward pressure on MSFT shares [3] Group 3: Options Activity - Both META and MSFT are experiencing significantly higher trading volumes in the options market [4] - The most popular options for META are the weekly 1/30 750-strike call, while for MSFT, it is the March 435 call, with new positions being opened for both [4]

Company Earnings - Meta Platforms (META) reported better than expected fourth quarter results and forecast first quarter revenues above analyst estimates, leading to a 9.2% spike in pre-market trading [2] - IBM Corp. (IBM) also exceeded expectations on both top and bottom lines in its fourth quarter results, resulting in a sharp increase in pre-market trading [2] - Tesla (TSLA) reported better than expected fourth quarter results, which may contribute to an upward movement in its stock [2] Market Reactions - Microsoft (MSFT) shares dropped by 6.3% in pre-market trading after reporting slowing cloud computing growth and disappointing third quarter operating margin guidance [3] - Major U.S. stock indexes ended the previous session mixed, with the S&P 500 down 0.57 points, the Dow up 12.19 points, and the Nasdaq up 40.35 points [4] - Gold stocks surged by 2.7% to a new record closing high amid rising gold prices, while computer hardware stocks also saw a 2.6% increase [8][9] Economic Indicators - The U.S. trade deficit widened significantly to $56.8 billion in November from a revised $29.2 billion in October, driven by a 5.0% spike in imports and a 3.6% drop in exports [26][27] - Initial jobless claims decreased to 209,000, down 1,000 from the previous week's revised level, while the four-week moving average increased to 206,250 [25][26]

Group 1: Amazon - Amazon is cutting 16,000 corporate jobs to streamline operations and eliminate middle management, aiming to increase ownership among employees [3][23][24] - This job cut is part of a larger trend, with a total of 30,000 jobs eliminated recently, marking one of the largest layoffs in Amazon's history [26][27] - The company's stock has shown volatility, recently down by 0.7% following the announcement of these layoffs [3][23] Group 2: ASML - ASML plans to cut 1,700 roles as part of a strategy to streamline its organization, despite reporting record bookings driven by AI demand [4][6] - The company reported earnings of $13 billion in a single quarter, indicating strong growth and demand from clients like Micron and SK Hynix [6][10] - Analysts predict that 2026 will be a significant year for ASML, with expectations of continued strong revenue growth [6][8] Group 3: SoftBank and OpenAI - SoftBank is in discussions to invest up to $30 billion more into OpenAI, reinforcing its position as a major backer in the AI sector [37][39] - OpenAI is reportedly targeting a valuation between $750 billion and $850 billion in its current funding round [41][42] - The investment landscape for OpenAI includes potential contributions from sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East [41] Group 4: Texas Instruments - Texas Instruments has provided a robust forecast for the first quarter, indicating that customers are returning to purchase analog chips after working through inventory [17][19] - The company is viewed as a bellwether for the economy, with its performance reflecting broader trends in industrial and automotive sectors [18][20] - Despite some concerns about consumer electronics, Texas Instruments is seeing improvements in orders and overall business conditions [21][19] Group 5: Market Trends and Economic Indicators - The S&P 500 briefly surpassed the 7,000 mark, reflecting momentum in AI and technology sectors, but there is nervousness surrounding upcoming Federal Reserve meetings [2][46] - Capital expenditures in the tech sector are expected to remain stable or increase, with significant investments anticipated in AI and related technologies [58][60] - Analysts are closely monitoring the impact of geopolitical tensions and trade relationships, particularly between the U.S. and South Korea, on the tech industry [30][31]

Core Viewpoint - Amazon is undergoing a significant workforce restructuring, cutting approximately 16,000 corporate jobs globally, with a potential total of 30,000 white-collar roles eliminated by mid-2026 as part of a long-term organizational reset following rapid pandemic-era expansion [1][4]. Group 1: Job Cuts and Rationale - The job cuts will affect teams across key units including cloud computing, retail, human resources, and media, reflecting a broader trend of layoffs in the tech industry [2][5]. - Amazon's leadership has indicated that the restructuring aims to reduce bureaucracy and improve decision-making speed, framing the layoffs as a necessary long-term adjustment rather than a short-term cost-cutting measure [4][5]. - The internal memo confirmed that the reductions will impact approximately 16,000 roles, with an emphasis on support for affected employees [3][4]. Group 2: Employee Support and Transition - Amazon will provide a 90-day internal transfer window for most US-based employees to seek new positions within the company, a practice common among large tech firms during layoffs [6]. - For employees who do not secure new roles or opt not to look internally, Amazon will offer transition support, including severance pay, outplacement services, and health insurance benefits [7].