Apple-Alibaba AI Partnership Fuels Growth for Tech Giants

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has partnered with Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) to advance its AI strategy in China, marking a significant milestone, according to Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives. The collaboration, along with Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), paves the way for Apple’s AI services launch in China by early May, potentially boosting iPhone upgrades in a market where 100 million devices are due for replacement. Apple Intelligence, debuting with the iPhone 16 and later the iPhone 17, is expected to drive demand and expand Apple’s AI reach globally, with 25% of the world’s population predicted to access AI via Apple devices in the coming years. Apps built on Apple Intelligence could generate new revenue streams and encourage more upgrades.

Meanwhile, Phillip Securities downgraded Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) from Buy to Accumulate despite strong Q4 earnings, citing recent price strength. Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains a key growth driver with a 19% YoY revenue increase and improved margins. The firm slightly reduced FY25 estimates but remains optimistic about Amazon’s potential in generative AI and cloud migration.

Barclays (LON:BARC) warned that the AI-driven power stock rally faces risks after DeepSeek's R1 LLM, which requires fewer resources than models from OpenAI, Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Meta (NASDAQ:META). This triggered a sell-off in power stocks like Vistra (NYSE:VST) and Constellation (NASDAQ:CEG), prompting Barclays to recommend hedging against further shocks.

Needham maintained a Hold rating on Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), calling it “expensive,” with growth from FSD, Robotaxi, and Robotics already priced in. Projections for 2032 include 31 million Teslas with 56% FSD adoption and $100 billion in Robotaxi bookings, but competition poses challenges.

Lynx Equity sees upside for Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) after raising its price target to $60, citing improved financials, manufacturing capacity, and capital market access. SMCI’s expansions and deployment of Nvidia’s H100 and H200 chips support revenue growth and margins despite potential delays in Blackwell chip rollouts.