Gulf Sovereign Funds Unite in Paramount–Skydance Bid for Warner Bros Discovery 
SoftBank Shares Slide as Oracle’s AI Spending Plans Fuel Market Jitters 
Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO 
Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee Sale Faces Uncertainty as Talks With TDR Capital Hit Snag 
Evercore Reaffirms Alphabet’s Search Dominance as AI Competition Intensifies 
China Adds Domestic AI Chips to Government Procurement List as U.S. Considers Easing Nvidia Export Curbs 
Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Sparks Global Debate and Early Challenges 
Westpac Director Peter Nash Avoids Major Investor Backlash Amid ASX Scrutiny 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
SK Hynix Considers U.S. ADR Listing to Boost Shareholder Value Amid Rising AI Chip Demand 
U.S. Greenlights Nvidia H200 Chip Exports to China With 25% Fee 
Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns 
EU Court Cuts Intel Antitrust Fine to €237 Million Amid Long-Running AMD Dispute 
Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns 
Trello Outage Disrupts Users as Access Issues Hit Atlassian’s Work Management Platform 
SpaceX Edges Toward Landmark IPO as Elon Musk Confirms Plans 
Four of the largest U.S. technology giants—Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon—announced plans this week to ramp up capital spending, primarily focused on AI and data center infrastructure. Among them, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, stood out as investors expressed greater confidence in its ability to fund expansion through robust cash flow, pushing its shares up by 3% after earnings.
The companies’ rising capital expenditures signal intensified competition in artificial intelligence and cloud computing. However, investors responded differently to each company’s spending outlook. While Meta and Microsoft shares declined—down 11% and 3% respectively—due to concerns over slower returns, Alphabet’s balanced approach between spending and profitability reassured markets. Analysts highlighted that Alphabet’s capital expenditure of $23.95 billion in the September quarter represented just 49% of its operational cash flow, compared to Meta’s 64.6%, Microsoft’s 77.5%, and Amazon’s 90%.
Amazon, despite its high spending rate, saw its stock surge nearly 13% in extended trading after its AWS cloud unit beat expectations with a 20% revenue jump. The performance eased investor fears about competition from Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, signaling that Amazon’s aggressive AI and infrastructure investments are paying off.
Market analysts emphasized that companies with stronger cash flow, like Alphabet, are better positioned to sustain AI infrastructure growth without pressuring free cash flow. Experts, including those from Edward Jones and eToro, noted that Alphabet’s financial flexibility offers investors comfort as AI spending accelerates across the tech sector.
Even as investors grow cautious about the scale and returns of AI investments, industry leaders remain resolute. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reaffirmed their commitment to expanding capacity to meet growing AI demand—underscoring that, in the race for AI dominance, sustained investment is not optional but essential.
