February 8, 2026 08:23 PM GMT WeRide Inc | Asia Pacific Strategic Robotaxi Expansion with Uber in Mideast and Beyond Key Takeaways WeRide/Uber expand robotaxi rollout: Following the launch of driverless robotaxi service last November, WeRide announced it would team up with Uber further to deploy 1.2k+ L4 robotaxis across three major Mideast cities by 2027, vs. about 200 now, and further extend the collaboration to extra 12 cities across Asia/Europe. An important business milestone to scale up and out: We se ...

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Market Overview - The major indices showed mixed performance with the North Stock 50 up by 0.90%, while the Shanghai Composite Index decreased by 0.25%, the Shenzhen Component Index fell by 0.33%, the Sci-Tech Innovation 50 dropped by 0.71%, and the ChiNext Index declined by 0.73% [1] - The TMT sector led the gains with SW Communication Cables and Accessories up by 4.40%, SW Robotics increasing by 2.24%, and SW Printed Circuit Boards rising by 1.58% [1] - Conversely, the TMT sector also saw declines with SW LED down by 3.07%, SW Marketing Agencies falling by 2.74%, and SW Communication Network Equipment and Devices decreasing by 2.69% [1] Domestic News - TSMC plans to notify the Japanese government about changing the production focus of its JASM second wafer factory from 6nm logic semiconductors to 3nm, which the Japanese government believes will not compete with the ongoing 2nm project by Rapidus [2] - The Chinese government procurement website announced that China Mobile Guangdong Company won a bid for a project worth 155 million yuan, which includes Huawei's temperature-controlled data backup storage equipment priced at 44.5986 million yuan [2] - A national supercomputing internet core node has officially started trial operations, deploying three sets of the Sunway TaihuLight scaleX 30,000-card supercluster system, becoming the largest domestic AI computing pool in operation [2] - ASE Group indicated that its revenue growth in 2026 will be driven by advanced solutions, AI proliferation, and semiconductor market recovery, with revenue expected to double from 1.6 billion USD in 2025 to 3.2 billion USD [2] International News - Forge Nano, Inc. successfully demonstrated high-speed, defect-free atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings on semiconductor structures with a 1000:1 aspect ratio, maintaining good conformality at production scale [3] - Amazon plans to invest approximately 200 billion USD by 2026, driven by strong demand for its existing products and services, as well as opportunities in AI, chips, robotics, and near-Earth orbit satellites [3] - Infineon announced the acquisition of ams Osram's non-optical analog/mixed-signal sensor product portfolio, enhancing its offerings in automotive and industrial sensors and expanding its product matrix in healthcare applications [3] - Sunic System signed a contract worth approximately 97.786 million yuan with Hongxi Technology for the supply of evaporation equipment for mass production of OLEDoS displays [3] AI Insights - The world's first South China Sea air-sea coupled intelligent model "Feiyu-1.0" has been released, expected to play a significant role in marine environmental protection, resource development, and climate change response [4] - The MiniCPM-o 4.5 has been released, featuring a native full-duplex architecture that allows for parallel input and output without blocking, capable of capturing audio and visuals simultaneously [4] - Anthropic released the Claude Opus 4.6 model, introducing an "Adaptive Thinking" mechanism that improves its ability to solve complex problems, achieving a score of 53.1% in the Humanity's Last Exam (HLE) test, significantly higher than previous versions [4] - Pony.ai has received a commercial operation license for robotaxi services across Shenzhen, marking it as the first major city globally to open L4 autonomous driving commercial operations [4] Industry Tracking - China successfully launched a reusable experimental spacecraft using the Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, aimed at providing technical verification for peaceful space utilization [5] - Dongyi Technology released PHYBOTC2, a robot capable of carrying 5kg with a movement speed of 4m/s, applicable in various scenarios such as commercial guidance and education [5] - A Chinese team has made significant breakthroughs in developing a three-dimensional conical carbon-based flexible brain cortex electrode array, addressing key challenges in the industry and completing the first international space environment technology verification [5] - Baosteel's large roller cladding flux-cored wire has successfully launched, providing quality material support for cost reduction and efficiency improvement in industries like metallurgy and mining [5]

Core Viewpoint - Investors are focusing on Tesla's autonomous future, particularly its robotaxi expansion, despite current weak automotive revenue [1][3] Group 1: Robotaxi Expansion - Tesla is preparing to scale its robotaxi fleet in multiple cities this year, which could lead to a rise in stock prices [1][4] - The Cybercab, designed without a steering wheel or pedals, is set to enter production this year, indicating rapid scaling of the robotaxi service [4] - Tesla plans to launch its robotaxi service in seven new cities in the first half of 2026, including Las Vegas and Miami [7] Group 2: Data and Demand - Tesla car owners are generating the equivalent of 500 years' worth of driving data daily, enhancing the full-self-driving (FSD) system [3] - The number of Tesla owners using FSD increased by 38% year over year in Q4, surpassing 1.1 million users [3] Group 3: Regulatory Hurdles - The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) currently limits annual sales of vehicles without steering wheels to 2,500 units, which could hinder Tesla's Cybercab production plans [5] - The NHTSA is considering modernizing these rules due to advancements in driverless technology, but until the cap is lifted, it may delay expansion [5] Group 4: Financial Outlook - Analysts project Tesla's earnings to grow at a 35% annualized rate over the next few years as higher margins from robotaxis begin to materialize [8]

Uber (UBER) stock slipped in early trade after investors soured on the ride-hailing giant's profit outlook, even with the CEO's bullish comments on the autonomous opportunity. Uber forecast first quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in a range of $0.65 to $0.72, missing estimates of $0.77, as compiled by Bloomberg. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter of $2.37 billion to $2.47 billion also missed the midpoint of analyst estimates. In addition, Uber named Balaji Krishnamurthy as its next CFO, replacing Pr ...

(Removes paragraph 5 that refers to Waymo being the only operator in the U.S. offering paid robotaxi ​services in February 2 story) Feb 2 (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Waymo ‌said it had raised $16 billion in its latest fundraising round that valued the ‌self-driving car startup at $126 billion, nearly tripling its valuation in less than two years. As one of the most sought-after applications of artificial intelligence, leading autonomous vehicle companies are investing heavily in ⁠commercializing their te ...

Core Insights - Tesla's ambitions in the full self-driving "robotaxi" market could lead to significant financial growth, although success is uncertain [1] - The company has diversified beyond electric vehicles into solar energy, AI robotics, and software, indicating a trajectory towards more advanced technologies [2] Market Potential - If Tesla captures the autonomous vehicle market, its revenue and valuation could increase dramatically, with mega-investor Cathie Wood suggesting it could surpass competitors like Alphabet's Waymo [3] - Industry forecasts predict autonomous vehicle sales could exceed 41 million units by 2029 and reach 58 million units by 2030, with Tesla's stock experiencing a nearly 10% increase following mentions of its robotaxi plans [4] Valuation Projections - Ark Invest estimates Tesla's market cap could reach $5.7 trillion by 2029 if the robotaxi business scales globally, while Morgan Stanley's conservative models suggest an increase of $500 billion to $1 trillion [5] Key Requirements for Success - For Tesla's robotaxi vision to materialize, regulatory approval, improvements in self-driving software, and cost-effective operations are essential [6] - Current operating costs for robotaxis are estimated at $1.34 per mile, with a target of 40 cents per mile unlikely before 2040, and challenges in vehicle deliveries have been noted [7]

Core Insights - Tesla is attempting to redefine itself beyond just an electric vehicle manufacturer, positioning itself as a sustainable energy and AI company [1][2] Financial Performance - In 2025, Tesla generated $94.8 billion in revenue, with $69.5 billion from EV sales and leasing, and $25 billion from energy generation and services [3] - Tesla's profits in 2025 were 46% lower year-over-year, reflecting a decline in EV sales impacting the overall financial health [3] Strategic Shifts - Tesla is increasing its capital expenditures to $20 billion in 2026, which will lead to negative cash flow as the company invests heavily in growth initiatives [4] - The production of the Model S and Model X is being discontinued, which represents about 2% of Tesla's sales volume, marking a significant shift in the company's product lineup [5] Future Plans - Tesla plans to replace the production void left by the discontinued models with Optimus humanoid robots and aims to expand its robotaxi operations in 2026 [6] - A notable investment of $2 billion into xAI is planned, indicating a closer alignment between Tesla and Musk's AI ventures, with potential discussions of merging Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI [7]

Core Insights - Tesla experienced its first-ever revenue decline in 2025, leading to a significant sell-off of its shares, which are down approximately 14% from their 52-week high [1] - The company has projected that capital expenditures for its robotaxi and humanoid robot initiatives will exceed $20 billion this year, more than doubling year-over-year [1][3] - Elon Musk announced the cessation of Model S and Model X production to focus on humanoid robots, indicating a shift from traditional vehicle sales to unproven autonomous technology [4] Financial Performance - In the fourth quarter, Tesla reported a 16% decline in vehicle deliveries year-over-year, raising concerns about the performance of its core EV business despite a headline beat [5] - The company's premium valuation, exceeding 250 times forward earnings, is considered precarious given the speculative nature of its AI pivot [6] Market Sentiment - Analysts express caution regarding Tesla shares, with the consensus rating sitting at "Hold" and a mean target price of approximately $401, suggesting a potential downside of about 4% [8][7] - The post-earnings decline has pushed Tesla's stock below its 100-day moving average, indicating sustained bearish momentum in the near term [6]

Core Viewpoint - Tesla's stock elicits strong emotions among investors, primarily due to its high valuation metrics despite declining sales [1][2]. Valuation Metrics - As of the end of Q3, Tesla had a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 297 and a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 18.5, indicating elevated valuation levels [1]. - Sales for Tesla are declining, with Cybertruck sales down 48% year-over-year, while other models (S, X, Y) also saw volume decreases. Only the Model 3 experienced a slight annual sales increase of 1.3% [2]. Future Growth Potential - Despite declining sales and high valuations, Tesla's investments in autonomous transportation and robotaxis present potential growth opportunities [2][4]. - Enthusiasm for robotaxis remains strong among Tesla supporters, with expectations that declining costs and prices will drive demand. Ark Investment Management believes Tesla has the capacity to build fleets for urban ride-hailing [5]. - The timeline for widespread availability of robot-powered ride-hailing in the U.S. may extend to 2027 or beyond, requiring patience from investors [5]. Leadership and Innovation - CEO Elon Musk's confidence in Tesla's autonomous capabilities suggests that the company could be valued higher than the entire automobile industry [6]. - Tesla's engagement in humanoid robotics could also serve as a significant catalyst for future stock growth, potentially igniting another rally [7].