Group 1 - U.S. stock futures are trading higher, indicating a positive market sentiment for the day [1] - Microsoft Corp. is expected to report quarterly earnings of $3.97 per share on revenue of $80.27 billion, with shares rising 0.4% to $482.50 in after-hours trading [1] - Packaging Corp Of America reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results, projecting first-quarter GAAP EPS of $2.20, below market estimates of $2.26, leading to a 2.1% decline in shares to $218.99 [1] - Tesla Inc. is anticipated to post quarterly earnings of 45 cents per share on revenue of $24.78 billion, with shares increasing 0.4% to $432.49 in after-hours trading [1] - Starbucks Corp. is projected to report quarterly earnings of 59 cents per share on revenue of $9.73 billion, with shares slipping 0.1% to $95.70 in after-hours trading [1] - AT&T Inc. is expected to report quarterly earnings of 46 cents per share on revenue of $32.87 billion, with shares rising 0.3% to $23.07 in after-hours trading [1]

Investment management company Vulcan Value Partners recently released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. All the strategies of Vulcan Value Partners delivered positive results in the year. The Large Cap Composite (Net) returned -1.5% in Q4 and 7.9% YTD, the Small Cap Composite (Net) gained 3.2% in Q4 and 9.5% YTD, The Focus Composite (Net) retuned 0.1% in Q4 and 7.1% YTD, Focus Plus Composite (Net) returned 0.1% in Q4 and 6.2% YTD and the All-Cap Composite ...

近期 Claude Code 推出的 Excel 功能非常惊艳，我们认为 Excel 可能成为继 Coding 之后，下一个迎来"aha moment"、并快速爆发的高价值领域。 本文是 Altiemeter 合伙人 Freda Duan 对 Coding 和 Excel 这两个 AI 垂直领域的深度解读，原文发布于她的 Substack Robonomics。 简单来说，正如 Coding 凭借庞大的市场规模、向相邻场景自然延展的能力以及以产品驱动的 GTM 模式，迅速崛起为最强势的 AI 应用之一，Excel 也具 备同样的条件： Coding 已经证明了这条路径下的爆发力，而 Excel 很可能是体量更大的下一站。 Intro Coding 以超出所有人预期的表现，成为至今为止最强势的 AI 垂直应用之一。它同时具备三种罕见的特质：极其庞大的 TAM、自然延展到相邻使用场景 的切入口，以及以产品驱动为核心的 GTM 模式，几乎不需要传统的销售和市场推广。 具备这种组合特征的垂直领域非常少，Excel 是其中之一。它的 TAM 甚至更大，从某种角度看，软件行业的很大一部分都可以被视为一层层叠加在 Exce ...

硅谷顶级科技投资基金 Altimeter Capital 合伙人 Freda Duan 最新观点指出，尽管编程已成为迄今为止最强劲的AI应用垂直领域，但在十亿级用户 规模的加持下，Excel（电子表格）具备同样的爆发潜质，有望成为AI下一个真正的"超级垂直领域"。 这一趋势已引发行业巨头的实质性动作。公开消息显示，OpenAI 和 Anthropic 正积极向电子表格和生产力工作流领域扩张。市场分析认为，电子 表格不仅拥有比编程更庞大的潜在市场规模（TAM），其作为应用软件"封装层"的特性，使其具备重塑整个软件行业的潜力。 | Region | Developer Count (M) | | Salary per ($K) | | TAM (SB) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ાટ | | 6.0 | | 150 | 900 | | Europe | | 7.0 | | 70 | 490 | | RoW | | 16.0 | | રૂટ | 560 | | Total | | 29.0 | | | 1,950 | 投资者正密切关注这一逻辑的复现。以编程为 ...

作者：Freda Duan （Partner@Alitmeter） 编译：Haozhen 近期 Claude Code 推出的 Excel 功能非常惊艳，我们认为 Excel 可能成为继 Coding 之后，下一个迎 来"aha moment"、并快速爆发的高价值领域。 本文是 Altiemeter 合伙人 Freda Duan 对 Coding 和 Excel 这两个 AI 垂直领域的深度解读，原文发布 于她的 Substack Robonomics。 简单来说，正如 Coding 凭借庞大的市场规模、向相邻场景自然延展的能力以及以产品驱动的 GTM 模式，迅速崛起为最强势的 AI 应用之一，Excel 也具备同样的条件： • 全球电子表格的 MAU 约为 15–16 亿； • Excel 可以延展至金融、运营、分析等场景，从某种角度看，大部分软件都可以被视为一层层叠加 在 Excel 之上的"Excel wrappers"； • Excel 可以通过用户自助完成快速采用（self-serve adoption）。 Coding 已经证明了这条路径下的爆发力，而 Excel 很可能是体量更大的下一站。 In ...

Welcome back to Pass Market here on the Schwab Network. I'm Diane King Hall alongside Tom White. Time now for our cash tag segment.For that, we want to bring in Andy Swan, co-founder of Likefolio and we are taking a look at Microsoft today. All right, Andy, shares of Microsoft are moving higher today, but it's been a bumpy week. You had that outage, so I'm sure you have a lot of data on sentiment.So, how does sentiment look right now. >> You know, from for Microsoft, it's pretty good. I think this is one of ...

Core Viewpoint - The investment strategies have shown positive returns for the year, with a focus on long-term performance over short-term results [2][5]. Performance Summary - Large Cap Composite (Gross) returned -1.4% QTD, 8.5% YTD, and 10.4% annualized since inception [3][22]. - Small Cap Composite (Gross) returned 3.4% QTD, 10.3% YTD, and 8.3% annualized since inception [3][31]. - Focus Composite (Gross) returned 0.2% QTD, 7.5% YTD, and 14.3% annualized since inception [3][36]. - All Cap Composite (Gross) returned 1.5% QTD, 11.5% YTD, and 11.1% annualized since inception [3][53]. Market Environment - The current market resembles the late 1990s, with concerns about overvaluation and a focus on AI-related stocks [5][6][7]. - AI is seen as a transformative technology, similar to the Internet, but caution is advised regarding valuations [7][9]. Investment Strategy - The company emphasizes buying only those companies with stable values, often waiting for them to become discounted enough for investment [10][12]. - The portfolio has shifted towards more healthcare and insurance-related businesses, with a focus on smaller companies outside the top 10 largest market capitalizations [11][12]. Notable Holdings - Medpace (MEDP) has shown significant growth, with a stock price increase of over 73% for the year, driven by strong free cash flow and share repurchases [13][14]. - Ryan Specialty Holdings Inc. is highlighted for its robust growth and stable margins, despite facing a short-term pricing cycle [24][25][38]. - TransUnion is recognized for its strong operating margins and successful diversification beyond credit reports [26][38]. Performance Contributors and Detractors - Alphabet Inc. and Salesforce Inc. were significant contributors to performance, while CoStar Group and Microsoft Corporation were notable detractors [37][46]. - Fiserv Inc. was a material detractor due to downward guidance and strategic shifts in its business model [30][46]. Market Trends - The small-cap sector has lagged behind large-cap returns, presenting potential opportunities for investment as it is often overlooked [15]. - The dominance of large-cap stocks in market returns continues, with the top 10 S&P 500 stocks accounting for over 50% of its return in 2025 [16].

Group 1: Technology Stocks Overview - Seven technology stocks to watch include NVIDIA, Micron Technology, Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Palantir Technologies, and Advanced Micro Devices, identified by MarketBeat's stock screener tool [2] - Technology stocks are characterized as growth-oriented and higher-volatility holdings, influenced by innovation, product adoption, competitive dynamics, and regulatory changes [2] Group 2: Company Profiles - **NVIDIA**: Provides graphics, compute, and networking solutions globally, with offerings including GeForce GPUs for gaming, cloud-based visual computing, and automotive platforms [3] - **Micron Technology**: Designs and manufactures memory and storage products, operating through four segments: Compute and Networking, Mobile, Embedded, and Storage, offering high-speed data retrieval and non-volatile memory devices [4] - **Apple**: Designs and markets a range of consumer electronics including iPhones, Macs, iPads, and wearables, with a strong global presence [5] - **Alphabet**: Operates through segments like Google Services and Google Cloud, providing a variety of products including ads, Android, and YouTube [5] - **Microsoft**: Develops software and services, with offerings in productivity and business processes, including Microsoft 365 and Teams [6] - **Palantir Technologies**: Builds software platforms for commercial and government clients, focusing on operational systems [7] - **Advanced Micro Devices**: Operates in the semiconductor industry, offering microprocessors, GPUs, and embedded processors across various segments [8]

Core Insights - The company aims to identify an initial platform acquisition that aligns with its service offerings and requires minimal changes to the tech stack [2] - The firm adopts a CRM-centric approach, utilizing Salesforce as a central hub for client relationship management, integrating various systems for streamlined operations [3] - The company employs Orion for portfolio management and reporting, benefiting from its robust platform and strategic acquisitions [4][6] - The firm invests in both organic growth and inorganic acquisitions, emphasizing the importance of flexible systems for continuity during integration [5] - Microsoft is chosen for document management and office productivity to ensure compatibility with advisory practices joining the firm, avoiding complications associated with different document editors [7]

Core Viewpoint - The article argues that AI will not replace software developers, emphasizing that the future of software development remains in the hands of developers who can translate ambiguous human thoughts into precise computational logic [1][2]. Group 1: Historical Context - The prediction that "programmers will be replaced" has never come true throughout the history of computing, which spans over 43 years [3]. - The author has witnessed multiple technological revolutions, each heralded as the end of programmers, such as the rise of Visual Basic and low-code platforms [4][6]. - Historical cycles show that each wave of technology has led to an increase in the number of programs and programmers, exemplifying the "Jevons Paradox" with a market size of $1.5 trillion [9]. Group 2: Differences with Current Technology - The current wave of Large Language Models (LLMs) differs significantly from past technologies in scale and impact, with LLMs not reliably improving development speed or software reliability [10][11]. - Unlike previous technologies that provided stable and reliable solutions, LLMs often slow down development and create a dual loss situation unless real bottlenecks are addressed [11]. Group 3: Essence of Programming - The core challenge of programming has always been converting vague human ideas into logical and precise computational expressions, a difficulty that persists regardless of the programming tools used [12][17]. - The complexity of programming lies not in the syntax but in understanding what needs to be achieved, a challenge that remains unchanged over decades [17][18]. Group 4: Future Outlook - AI will not eliminate the need for programmers; instead, the demand for skilled developers will continue to grow, especially as companies realize the true costs and limitations of AI technologies [19][20]. - The future of software development will likely see AI playing a supportive role, assisting in tasks like prototype code generation, while the critical decision-making and understanding will still rely on human developers [19][20].