Google: Alphabet Climbs 10% in a Day, Caps Best Monthly Gain Since 2004

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Google is pursuing Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure in the rapidly expanding public cloud market, where demand for artificial intelligence models and services is soaring.

Revenue for Google Cloud, which includes corporate productivity apps and infrastructure, increased by 63% to $20.03 billion, exceeding StreetAccount’s estimate of $18.05 billion. That is by far the fastest growth rate since Google began disclosing cloud results in 2020.

Google is competing fiercely with OpenAI and Anthropic in the market for AI models in addition to providing a complete infrastructure suite for AI workloads as an alternative to Nvidia’s graphics processing units, or GPUs. The company is also witnessing rapid growth from its in-house tensor processing units, or TPUs.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai stated during the company’s Wednesday webcast with analysts that “our enterprise AI solutions have become our primary growth driver for cloud for the first time.”. According to Pichai, revenue from products developed using Google’s generative AI models increased by 800%.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, saw a 10% surge on Thursday, making April the stock’s best month since the internet search company went public in 2004. Amazon posted a gain of 0.8%. Microsoft experienced a 4% decline. The market leader in cloud infrastructure, AWS, saw a 28% increase in revenue to $37.6 billion.

Nearly $1 billion less was the consensus among analysts surveyed by StreetAccount. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated during his company’s earnings call that AWS customer spending on the Bedrock service for creating AI agents and applications increased by 170% from the fourth quarter, consuming more tokens in the first quarter than in its history.

The findings were released the day after AWS announced that OpenAI models would be available on Bedrock and that a new Bedrock service would allow customers to create complex agents that are integrated with their current infrastructure. Jassy stated, “OpenAI has reported that they’re already seeing unprecedented demand for this new product, and we’re seeing heavy customer interest as well.”.

Apple Delivers Upbeat Revenue Outlook as iPhone and Mac Sales Surge

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Apple released a better-than-expected revenue forecast for the current period after outperforming on sales and earnings in the fiscal second quarter. During prolonged trading, the stock increased by roughly 3%. The only notable figure in Thursday’s report that fell short of expectations was iPhone sales, which missed projections for the second time in three quarters.

According to Apple, revenue increased by 17% from $95.4 billion in the previous year. It was the company’s first encounter with Wall Street since Tim Cook announced last week that he would leave his position as CEO after 15 years. During the earnings call, Apple stated that revenue for the June quarter will rise by 14% to 17% over the same period last year.

Analysts anticipated growth of 9.5 percent to $103 billion. The company announced a cash dividend of 27 cents per share, an increase of 4%, and approved an additional $100 billion in stock repurchases. Compared to a year ago, iPhone sales increased by 22% during the quarter.

Apple, like other manufacturers of consumer electronics and devices, confronted with supply chain issues, primarily because of the scarcity of memory chips caused by rapidly increasing demand for artificial intelligence. On Wednesday, Meta and Microsoft announced that their higher capital expenditure projections for the year

Cook informed investors that the memory crunch is not going away, despite providing optimistic revenue projections.

According to him, the impact was “minimal” in the December quarter and somewhat greater in the March period. Cook stated that “we expect significantly higher memory costs” in the current quarter. Beyond that, he stated, “we believe memory costs will drive an increasing impact on our business,” which will prompt the business to “look at a range of options.”.

Apple unveiled several new products in March, such as the iPhone 17e, an upgraded iPad Air laptop with an M4 chip available in 11- and 13-inch sizes. Additionally, it introduced the MacBook Neo, a low-cost laptop targeted at students and consumers on a tight budget that costs $599.

Wall Street’s top concern is what to anticipate from incoming CEO John Ternus, even though device sales are always crucial to Apple’s performance. Ternus will take over for Cook, who will become executive chairman in September, according to an announcement made by Apple

One of the first things Ternus needs to determine is Apple’s AI strategy. Apple declared early in the quarter that it would collaborate with Google to power its Siri product with its Gemini AI model. Cook stated that “the collaboration with Google is going well” and that the company is “happy with where things are, and we’re happy with the work that we’re doing independently as well” during the Q&A portion of the earnings call. The quarter’s services revenue increased by roughly 16% from $26.65 billion in the same period last year.

Apple leverages its enormous customer base to sell subscriptions to entertainment services. With more than 2.5 billion active devices on the market,, iCloud, Apple Pay, and AppleCare. Apple’s profit margins have increased due to the expansion of its services. Apple’s gross margin, which has been stuck in the high 30s for a long time, has been gradually increasing over the past few years, rising from 48.2 percent to 49.3 percent in the most recent quarter

Meta Plunge Most in Six Months After Raising 2026 Spending Outlook

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Meta shares fell the most in six months after the company increased its spending outlook for the year, rekindling concerns that Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg’s historic levels of investment to catch up in the artificial intelligence race won’t pay off.

The social media behemoth predicted full-year capital expenditures of $125 billion to $145 billion, surpassing analysts’ projections and representing roughly a 7.4% increase over the company’s January projections.

Chief Financial Officer Susan Li stated on a call with investors on Wednesday that Meta is dealing with “higher component pricing” and additional data center costs, while maintaining its conviction that its AI strategy is working.

Zuckerberg stated that his company would invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure by the end of the decade, before a shortage of memory chips drove up costs. Meta has announced deals worth billions of dollars.

Wall Street had predicted $55.51 billion in first-quarter sales, but Meta reported $56.3 billion. Sales for the current quarter were estimated between $58 billion and $61 billion, which is about in line with expectations. The number of daily active users on all of Meta’s social media platforms decreased slightly to 3.56 billion in the first quarter.

The business mentioned Russia’s limitations on WhatsApp access and internet outages in Iran. Since the company started using that metric, that was the first decline.

S&P 500,Nasdaq Futures Surge as US Stocks Hit Fresh Highs

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

US equity-index futures increased, suggesting that the rally that drove Wall Street gauges to all-time highs amid robust megacap tech earnings may still be ongoing.

The yen slightly declined, reversing some of the gains brought by Japan’s intervention. Contracts for the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500 Index increased by 0.2 percent after the underlying gauges closed at all-time highs on Thursday.

Apple shares increased in extended trading amid a robust revenue forecast, even though it warned of rising memory-chip costs. The yen, which had risen as high as 155.57 on Thursday, was marginally weaker at about 157.18 per dollar. Before Japan’s government intervened, the currency was close to the 161 level

. The nation’s Nikkei stock index increased by 0.7 percent while several Asian markets were closed for a holiday.

April presented traders with a challenge, as oil prices skyrocketed because of the unresolved Middle East crisis. US stocks recorded their best month since 2020, thanks to a rebound in technology shares and the trade in artificial intelligence. In the upcoming weeks, investors will test that story to see if momentum driven by AI can counteract price pressures and geopolitical risks.

Chris Zaccarelli of Northlight Asset Management stated, “We can see higher stock prices even in the face of higher energy prices and inflation as long as the economy continues to grow and companies can grow earnings.” The massive increase in AI business investment caused US GDP to grow during the first quarter; it also revealed that inflationary pressures increased dramatically in March as a result of the war-related spike in gas prices.

Meta Shares Below $600 in play on Escalating Fears Over Massive AI Capex

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg rekindled concerns that the historic levels of investment he’s making to catch up in the artificial intelligence race won’t pay off.

This possibility caused shares to plummet. The social media behemoth predicted full-year capital expenditures of $125 billion to $145 billion, surpassing analysts’ projections and representing roughly a 7.4% increase over the company’s January projections.

Zuckerberg stated that his company would invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure by the end of the decade. Meta has revealed deals worth billions of dollars.

Wall Street did not share Zuckerberg’s “confidence” in the decision to increase AI spending. The CEO’s failure to explain how Meta intends to generate a return on its investments infuriated investors, causing shares to drop as much as 7% during prolonged trading.

Meta wasn’t the only significant tech company to increase expenditures. Amazon. Com revealed quarterly capital expenditures on increasing data center capacity that exceeded analysts’ expectations. Google increased its capital expenditures for the entire year to $190 billion.

Google sparked a rally despite beating on quarterly revenue and profit, indicating confidence in the company’s AI bets. Meta beat Wall Street’s estimate of $55.51 billion with first-quarter sales of $56.3 billion. Sales for the current quarter were estimated between $58 billion and $61 billion, which is about in line with expectations. The number of daily active users on Meta’s social media platforms decreased slightly to 3.56 billion in the first quarter.

The business mentioned Russia’s limitations on WhatsApp access and internet outages in Iran. Since the company started using that metric, that was the first decline. Meta would have seen positive, according to CFO Li.

Google, Amazon Outpace Facebook in AI Race During Earnings Surge

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Meta Platforms is falling behind while Alphabet’s Google is clearly benefiting from its AI investment. Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon. Com released a plethora of financial data on Wednesday, including the two companies’ results and Microsoft. The four businesses are at the center of an infrastructure build-out anticipated to cost trillions of dollars because they are the biggest spenders on AI data farms

Alphabet’s stock increased by 7% in late trading, outperforming other AI behemoths. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index saw a 0.9 percent increase in futures. It was more difficult for Meta to convince investors. After the company increased full-year capital expenditures to as much as $145 billion, partly due to rising component prices, its shares fell more than 6%. Google and other companies have also raised their spending targets, so Meta is not the only one.

However, Meta doesn’t have as much to show for this enormous investment. Its consumer AI app has taken longer to gain traction than Google’s, and it does not offer cloud computing services.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, stated that he was confident in the choice to increase spending, but his responses to analysts were ambiguous. He stated on a conference call that Meta does not have “a very precise plan” for how each AI product will be developed. Zuckerberg stated, “I think we have a sense of the shape of where things need to be,” although he acknowledged that his responses might not be “fulfilling.

According to Forrester Research Inc., “the companies continue to make those bets, forcing investors and customers alike to assess how their interests are impacted because the potential payoff of AI leadership seems so high.” In a note, analyst Lee Sustar stated.

Revenue from Amazon’s cloud division increased by 28% over the previous year, the fastest growth rate since the second quarter of 2022. That company acts as a gauge for the advancement of AI. Additionally, the company has benefited from investments in two of the top AI startups, OpenAI and Anthropic PBC.

Amazon’s stock increased on Wednesday After News revealed that Anthropic was contemplating a new funding round at a valuation of more than $900 billion.

Microsoft predicted that revenue from cloud computing would rise along with spending. The company projects “modest acceleration” in the second half of the year and a 40% increase in sales in its Azure cloud division in the current quarter. The low proportion of Microsoft Office users who are paying for the company’s Copilot AI tools continues to raise concerns. According to the company, the number of paid Copilot seats increased by 5 million from the previous quarter to 20 million

Microsoft Ends Revenue Share Payments to OpenAI

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Microsoft (MSFT) shares decreased on Monday as the tech giant and OpenAI (OPENAI) announced that their partnership has continued to develop and that OpenAI’s license will become non-exclusive. Microsoft stated on its website, ”

Miss/soft guidance on Copilot slowdown, higher-for-longer CapEx, or AI returns → another leg down, possibly testing $400 or lower (support levels discussed around there). This risk is highlighted in some Reddit and analyst chatter following the stock’s decline below $400 per share.

MSFT stock has faced pressure in 2026 (down significantly YTD from highs), with analysts mixed on AI spending, competition, and growth outlook. Some see the dip as a buying opportunity.

Today, we are announcing an amended agreement to simplify our partnership and the way we work together, grounded in flexibility, certainty, and a focus on delivering the benefits of AI broadly.

The amended agreement’s increased predictability enhances our combined capacity to develop and run AI platforms at scale while giving both businesses the freedom to explore new prospects. Microsoft will be OpenAI’s main cloud partner under the revised agreement, and OpenAI products will launch first on Azure.

A change has been made, though, stating that OpenAI may look elsewhere if Microsoft “cannot and chooses not to support the necessary capabilities.” Julian Lin is the head of the Best of Breed Growth Stock investing group.

Additionally, OpenAI can offer all of its products to clients via any cloud provider, including Amazon Web Services (AMZN). Additionally, Microsoft will have a non-exclusive license to use OpenAI’s intellectual property for its models and products through 2032.

Amazon shares lost 0.8 percent in late morning trading, giving up earlier gains. As part of the revised agreement, Microsoft will no longer give OpenAI a revenue share; however, OpenAI will continue to pay Microsoft revenue shares through 2030.

Oracle, CoreWeave Back OpenAI After Report Reveals Missed Sales and User Targets

Posted on April 29, 2026April 29, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

Oracle (ORCL) and CoreWeave (CRWV) supported OpenAI on Tuesday after the Wall Street Journal revealed that the AI developer had recently fallen short of user and sales goals, rekindling worries about excessive spending in the industry.

Shares of companies that partnered with the company plummeted following the report, indicating that OpenAI’s business was slowing. Oracle, a major software company, and CoreWeave, a provider of data centers, both experienced closures of about 4% and 5%, respectively

Oracle wrote, “We’re incredibly excited about our partnership with OpenAI and remain focused on building and delivering the capacity they need to support rapidly growing demand.”

CoreWeave expressed a similar sentiment that it had other partners. A CoreWeave representative stated, “OpenAI is a terrific partner, but not our only one.” The company has an “expanding set of customers like Meta Platforms, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Perplexity AI, Jane Street,

OpenAI has been on a spending binge due to CEO Sam Altman’s hasty acquisition of processing power. The missed metrics have rekindled concerns about the company’s rising costs amid intensifying competition.

The report comes at a crucial time because the company was reportedly preparing to go public this year. With commitments totaling $122 billion at $852 billion, OpenAI announced last month that it had closed its most recent funding round. That is more than the $110 billion the company reported raising in February, when its valuation was $730 billion.

Major Blow to Meta — China Forces Reversal of $2B AI Startup Takeover

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

China has decided to prohibit Meta Platforms Inc. from its $2 billion purchase of the agentic AI startup Manus, an unexpected move to end a contentious agreement that has drawn criticism over technology leaks to the US. In a brief statement on Monday, the National Development and Reform Commission issued an order to cancel the agreement.

Without providing further details, the influential state planner stated in a one-line notice that it has decided to forbid foreign investment in the startup in compliance with laws and regulations.

The decision, which surfaced weeks before a high-profile summit between US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping, is expected to send a chill through China’s rapidly developing AI industry. Following the mostly finalized deal, Beijing has increased its scrutiny of important industry companies.

Although domestic critics have since bemoaned the loss of valuable technology to a geopolitical rival, the sale was initially praised as a model for startups with global aspirations.

The founders of Manus began in China, but in 2025, they moved their main office and important employees to Singapore. When the agreement was made public in December, it was unclear whether Beijing would use its power over a transaction that, in theory, happened outside of its borders.

According to Ke Yan, a tech analyst with DZT Research in Singapore, “the Manus block is a clarifying moment.”. “Manus was pulled back even though its founders were based in Singapore and it was incorporated here. Beijing’s message is that the location of the legal entity is not important. “As Meta looks to compete in AI against rivals from Microsoft Corp., the Manus decree may be a setback.” and Alphabet Inc., Google to Anthropic PBC and OpenAI. Manus was meant to assist Meta in taking the lead in the rapidly evolving field of AI agents, or services that employ AI to carry out tasks.

US Government Accuses DeepSeek of Stealing American AI Tech

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Olumide Adesina

The US State Department has ordered a global campaign to draw attention to what it claims are widespread attempts by Chinese businesses, including AI startup DeepSeek, to steal intellectual property from US AI labs.

“Warn of the risks of utilizing AI models distilled from US proprietary AI models, and lay the groundwork for potential follow-up and outreach by the US government,” according to the cable.

Distillation is the process of training smaller AI models using output from larger ones to reduce the cost of training a potent new AI tool. China’s increasing independence in the field was highlighted on Friday when DeepSeek, the Chinese startup whose low-cost AI model stunned the world last year, unveiled a sneak peek of a highly anticipated new model tailored for Huawei chip technology

Chinese AI companies Moonshot AI and MiniMax were also mentioned in the cable. Beijing “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights,” according to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, which referred to the White House’s similar accusations this week as “baseless allegations.”.

The cable instructs diplomatic personnel to discuss “concerns over adversaries’ extraction and distillation of US AI models” with their foreign counterparts. It was sent to diplomatic and consular posts worldwide on Friday.

According to the document, “a separate demarche request and message has been sent to Beijing for raising with China.” The unreported cable indicates that the Trump administration is paying attention to worries about the Chinese distillation of US AI models. “Foreign actors can release products that seem to perform comparably on specific benchmarks at a fraction thanks to AI models developed from covert, unauthorized distillation campaigns.”.