Alphabet Option Alert: Jan, 2027 $55 Calls Sweep (3) near the midpoint: 100 vs 97 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Jan, 2027 $55 Calls Sweep (3) near the midpoint: 100 @ $108.867 vs 97 OI; Ref=$160.075

Alphabet Option Alert: Nov 21 $190 Calls Sweep (4) near the midpoint: 2500 vs 1582 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Nov 21 $190 Calls Sweep (4) near the midpoint: 2500 @ $4.94 vs 1582 OI; Ref=$159.6

Alphabet Option Alert: Jun, 2026 $160 Calls Sweep (14) near the Bid: 292 vs 3097 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Jun, 2026 $160 Calls Sweep (14) near the Bid: 292 @ $23.14 vs 3097 OI; Ref=$159.2816

Alphabet Option Alert: Jun, 2027 $160 Calls at the Ask: 2990 vs 151 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Jun, 2027 $160 Calls at the Ask: 2990 @ $33.45 vs 151 OI; Ref=$157.43

Alphabet Option Alert: Jan, 2027 $140 Puts at the Bid: 450 vs 3344 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Jan, 2027 $140 Puts at the Bid: 450 @ $12.9 vs 3344 OI; Ref=$158.88

Alphabet Option Alert: Aug 15 $145 Puts at the Bid: 1500 vs 5129 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Aug 15 $145 Puts at the Bid: 1500 @ $6.55 vs 5129 OI; Ref=$153.59

Alphabet Option Alert: Fri $150 Puts Sweep (172) near the Ask: 2534 vs 4024 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Fri $150 Puts Sweep (172) near the Ask: 2534 @ $2.135 vs 4024 OI; Ref=$150.42

Alphabet Option Alert: Jun 20 $160 Puts Sweep (40) near the Ask: 2781 vs 18594 OI

Alphabet Option Alert: Jun 20 $160 Puts Sweep (40) near the Ask: 2781 @ $5.1 vs 18594 OI; Ref=$163.06

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) 주식

ALPHABET INC-CL A

Alphabet

Alphabet is a holding company that wholly owns internet giant Google. The California-based company derives slightly less than 90% of its revenue from Google services, the vast majority of which is advertising sales. Alongside online ads, Google services houses sales stemming from Google's subscription services (YouTube TV, YouTube Music among others), platforms (sales and in-app purchases on Play Store), and devices (Chromebooks, Pixel smartphones, and smart home products such as Chromecast). Google's cloud computing platform, or GCP, accounts for roughly 10% of Alphabet's revenue with the firm's investments in up-and-coming technologies such as self-driving cars (Waymo), health (Verily), and internet access (Google Fiber) making up the rest.

Jensen,Huang,Nvidia's,Founder,,President,And,Ceo,Gestures,During,A

News

Tech

Media

GOOGL

MSFT

NVDA

ORCL

지난 한 주 동안 기술 업계는 인공지능(AI) 관련 뉴스의 소용돌이였다. AI의 경제적 잠재력에 대한 마크 앤드리슨의 낙관적인 전망부터 기업 도입에 대한 마크 큐반의 회의론까지 AI에 대한 논의가 뜨겁게 달아오르고 있다.그 와중에 오라클은 엔비디아의 AI 칩에 대규모 투자를 단행하고, 알파벳은 구글 검색 우위를 위해 AI를 활용하고 있으며, 마이크로소프트와 엔비디아는 슈퍼컴퓨팅 동맹을 강화했다. 한편 일론 머스크의 그록(Grok) AI가 정부 기관에 배포되었다고 한다. 주요 기사는 다음과 같다. 

주간 인공지능 뉴스: 머스크 AI 그록의 정부 기관 배포, 오라클의 엔비디아 투자, 구글의 검색 지배력 등

Pune,,India,-,February,19,,2024.,Apple.inc,Logo,On,The

Analyst Color

Price Target

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

Trading Ideas

AAPL

GOOG

골드만삭스 애널리스트 마이클 응(Michael Ng)은 6월 9일로 예정된 애플의 WWDC 2025를 앞두고 수요일(21일) 애플(NASDAQ:AAPL)에 대한 매수 등급과 253달러 목표주가를 유지했다.

WWDC 2025 앞둔 애플의 목표주가 253달러 유지, 제미나이의 아이폰 통합 발표 전망 - 골드만삭스

Close,Up,Of,The,Google,Logo,Sign,On,The,Building

알파벳(NASDAQ:GOOGL)(NASDAQ:GOOG) 주가는 목요일(22일)에도 상승세를 보였다. 이번 주에 열린 구글의 연례 I/O 개발자 컨퍼런스에서 AI 비디오 생성 도구에 대한 비오 3(Veo 3) 업그레이드를 공개했기 때문인 것으로 보인다.

알파벳, 연례 개발자 컨퍼런스 이후 주가 상승세

Alphabet Inc

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei thinks that the first billion-dollar company staffed by exactly one human will appear as early as 2026.
What Happened: At the Anthropic's Code with Claude developer summit, Amodei was specifically asked when the first billion-dollar company with one human employee would happen, to which he confidently responded, &#8220;2026.&#8221; The answer intrigued a crowd of founders, betting that large-language-model agents can replace whole departments.
Amodei's one-person-unicorn claim landed moments after he unveiled Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, the firm's most powerful models yet. Anthropic, a startup backed by both Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) and Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), says Opus 4 can sustain multi-hour coding sprints, reason across sprawling research briefs and even beat vintage Pokémon games.
See also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/05/45581252/marvel-delays-robert-downey-jr-starrer-avengers-doomsday-and-secret-wars-to-december-2026-but-disney-has-a-summer-blockbuster-in-store">Marvel Delays Robert Downey Jr. Starrer &#8216;Avengers: Doomsday&#8217; And &#8216;Secret Wars&#8217; To December 2026, But Disney Has A Summer Blockbuster In Store</a>
Amodei also shrugged off concerns that hallucinations will derail lean startups, telling reporters the latest Claude family "probably hallucinate less than humans, but they hallucinate in more surprising ways," responding to a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/22/anthropic-ceo-claims-ai-models-hallucinate-less-than-humans/">query</a> by TechCrunch. Still, according to a <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-new-model-launch-claude-4/">report</a> by WIRED, Anthropic classed Opus 4 as an ASL-3 safety-level model and said it cut reward hacking behavior by 65 percent versus earlier releases, acknowledging the risks of handing so much autonomy to software.
Why It Matters: If Amodei is right, revenue-per-employee ratios could dwarf anything seen in the dot-com or mobile eras, upending how investors value headcount. The Anthropic CEO has already warned his own staff that AI will "change how they work" long before it replaces them, claims Bloomberg, mirroring the disruption he predicts for the wider labor market.
Amodei's forecast aligns with moves by rivals: OpenAI's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43186741/openai-debuts-operator-ai-agent-that-performs-web-tasks-but-early-error-has-sam-altman-scrambling-for-a-quick-fix">Operator agent</a> promises "hands-free" workflows, while Google just put its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44487389/sundar-pichai-shows-off-googles-most-intelligent-ai-ever-with-a-dinosaur-video-game-that-even-you-could-make-with-a-simple-prompt">Gemini 2.5 Pro</a> model inside Chrome for end-to-end task automation. Venture backers see these rollouts as confirmation that an economy of &#8216;agents&#8217; is around the corner.
Photo Courtesy: Gorodenkoff on Shutterstock.com
Read next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45581375/microsoft-executive-says-companies-might-be-naming-ai-chiefs-but-they-risk-losing-momentum-in-the-artificial-intelligence-age-if-they-rely-on-individuals">Microsoft Executive Says Companies Might Be Naming &#8216;AI Chiefs&#8217; But They Risk Losing Momentum In The Artificial Intelligence Age If They Rely On Individuals</a>

AMZN

Jeff Bezos-Backed Anthropic's CEO Says The First Billion Dollar Company Staffed By One Person Will Appear Next Year — Hallucinations Unlikely To Delay Lean Startups

The past week in tech has been a whirlwind of AI-related news. From Marc Andreessen&#8217;s optimistic outlook on AI&#8217;s economic potential to Mark Cuban&#8217;s skepticism about corporate adoption, the conversation around artificial intelligence is heating up. In the meantime, Oracle is making big investments in Nvidia&#8217;s AI chips, Alphabet is leveraging AI for Google Search dominance, Microsoft and Nvidia are deepening their supercomputing alliance, and Elon Musk&#8217;s Grok AI is raising eyebrows in government agencies. Here&#8217;s a recap of the top stories.
Andreessen&#8217;s AI Optimism Meets Cuban&#8217;s Corporate Realism&nbsp;&#8211; Venture capitalist&nbsp;Marc Andreessen&nbsp;has previously touted AI as a potential economic catalyst, a viewpoint that billionaire entrepreneur&nbsp;Mark Cuban&nbsp;has challenged, citing corporate resistance to freely allowing AI to flourish.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45560085/marc-andreessen-once-predicted-that-ai-could-save-the-economy-but-mark-cuban-thinks-corporations-will-fight-to-keep-profits-high">Read the full article here.</a>
Oracle&#8217;s $40 Billion AI Investment &#8211; Tech giant Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) is reportedly planning to spend a whopping $40 billion on 400,000 of Nvidia Corp.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) GB200 AI &#8220;superchips&#8221; for a new data center in Texas, part of a massive AI infrastructure project. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45599854/oracle-to-spend-40-billion-on-nvidia-gb200-chips-for-openais-texas-data-center-report">Read the full article here.</a>
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/25/05/45582499/gary-black-slams-teslas-unsupervised-autonomous-driving-ahead-of-austin-robotaxi-launch-i-have-warned" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gary Black Slams Tesla&#8217;s Unsupervised Autonomous Driving Ahead Of Austin Robotaxi Launch: &#8216;I Have Warned&#8230;&#8217;</a>
Alphabet&#8217;s AI-Driven Google Search Dominance &#8211; Analysts are optimistic about the potential impact of new products and features from Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) following the company&#8217;s I/O developer conference, seeing AI disruption as a tailwind for the tech giant. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/05/45548615/alphabet-well-positioned-for-google-search-dominance-analyst-says-can-navigate-the-shift-to-ai-search">Read the full article here.</a>
Microsoft and Nvidia&#8217;s Supercomputing Alliance &#8211; Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Nvidia Corp. are expanding their supercomputing partnership, with CEOs Satya Nadella and Jensen Huang touting a &#8220;40x speed-up&#8221; in Azure-powered AI infrastructure. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45510847/jensen-huang-satya-nadella-tout-40x-speed-up-in-azure-powered-ai-as-microsoft-nvidia-deepen-supercomputing-alliance">Read the full article here.</a>
Musk&#8217;s Grok AI Raises Privacy Concerns&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Elon Musk&#8217;s&nbsp;AI chatbot, Grok, is reportedly being deployed across U.S. government agencies, raising concerns about potential privacy law breaches and conflicts of interest.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45599514/elon-musks-grok-ai-is-quietly-being-deployed-across-us-government-agencies-experts-warn-it-could-breach-privacy-laws-and-create-serious-conflicts-of-interest-report">Read the full article here.</a>
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45599817/apple-would-rather-absorb-a-25-iphone-tariff-than-move-production-to-the-us-says-analyst-no-guarantee-the" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Would Rather Absorb A 25% iPhone Tariff Than Move Production To The US, Says Analyst: &#8216;&#8230;No Guarantee They Won&#8217;t Face Repeated Tariff Threats During His Term&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/Rounak-Jain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rounak Jain</a>
Photo courtesy: jamesonwu1972 / Shutterstock.com

Musk's Grok Scrutinized, Oracle Bets Big On Nvidia, Google Doubles Down On Search: This Week In Artificial Intelligence

Benzinga examined the prospects for<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> many investors' favorite stocks</a> over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.
U.S. markets experienced heightened volatility this week as President Donald Trump intensified trade tensions by threatening a 25% tariff on foreign-made Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) products and announcing a 50% tariff on European Union imports starting June 1. These announcements led to a decline in major indices, with the S&amp;P 500 falling 0.7%, the Dow Jones dropping 0.6%, and the Nasdaq decreasing by 1%. Apple shares were particularly affected, losing 3% in value.
Investor concerns over the U.S. fiscal outlook grew as the 30-year Treasury yield briefly surpassed 5.15%, reflecting apprehensions about rising deficits and debt sustainability. A weak 20-year Treasury auction further exacerbated these fears, indicating diminished demand for long-term U.S. debt.
Looking ahead, market participants are closely monitoring upcoming U.S.-China trade negotiations and potential adjustments to existing tariffs. The Federal Reserve's stance on interest rates remains a focal point, especially as real borrowing costs rise, tightening broader financial conditions. Additionally, corporate earnings reports and economic indicators will continue to influence market dynamics in the coming weeks.
Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/05/45544614/google-could-smart-glasses-smart-speech-spark-the-stocks-next-big-leap">"Google: Could smart glasses, speech spark the stock's next big leap?"</a>, by Surbhi Jain, reports that Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) is gaining investor attention as its partnership with Warby Parker to develop AI-powered smart glasses and advancements in speech recognition technology signal a potential new growth narrative beyond search.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/05/45574763/goldman-sachs-defense-stock-golden-dome">"Goldman Sachs: Golden Dome is big win for this defense stock"</a>, by Piero Cingari, reports that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>) analyst Noah Poponak reiterated a Buy rating on L3Harris Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LHX#NYSE">LHX</a>), highlighting its potential to secure billions in contracts from the Trump administration's $175 billion "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45531583/amd-nvidia-shares-jump-after-musk-highlights-xais-gpu-needs-we-expect-to-still-buy-a-lot">"AMD, Nvidia shares jump after Musk highlights xAI's GPU needs: ‘We expect to still buy a lot'"</a>, by Adam Eckert, reports that Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) and NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) shares rose after Elon Musk stated that Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) and xAI plan to purchase "a lot" of GPUs from both companies to support AI initiatives like robotaxis and the Optimus robot.
For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45541780/d-wave-quantum-stock-extends-rally-as-momentum-builds-following-launch-of-new-quantum-system">D-Wave Quantum Stock Extends Rally As Momentum Builds Following Launch Of New Quantum System</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45517783/magnificent-7-stun-the-street-with-the-best-earnings-beat-since-2021">Magnificent 7 Stun The Street With Best Earnings Beat Since 2021</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45540768/medtronic-beats-q4-forecasts-hikes-dividend-plans-diabetes-spinoff">Medtronic Beats Q4 Forecasts, Hikes Dividend, Plans Diabetes Spinoff</a>

The Bears
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/05/45568107/solar-energy-stocks-drop-as-house-approves-major-rollback-of-climate-incentives">"Solar energy stocks drop as House approves major rollback of climate incentives"</a>, by Erica Kollmann, reports that Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RUN#NASDAQ">RUN</a>) shares fell after the House passed President Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill," which rolls back key climate incentives, leaving the solar industry facing uncertainty as the bill moves to the Senate.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45540759/target-stock-slips-as-q1-earnings-miss-estimates-fy2025-outlook-cut-amid-slowing-sales">"Target stock slips as Q1 earnings miss estimates, FY2025 outlook cut amid slowing sales"</a>, by Nabaparna Bhattacharya, reports that Target Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TGT#NYSE">TGT</a>) shares fell after the company missed Q1 earnings expectations and lowered its FY2025 outlook, citing a 3.8% drop in comparable sales driven by tariffs, weakened consumer sentiment, and backlash from scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/rumors/25/05/45555558/wolfspeed-stock-plunges-59-on-bankruptcy-fears-options-traders-cash-in">"Wolfspeed stock plunges 59% on bankruptcy fears: Options traders cash in"</a>, by Erica Kollmann, reports that Wolfspeed Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOLF#NYSE">WOLF</a>) shares plummeted 59% to $1.28 after reports emerged that the company is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with options traders profiting from heavy put activity ahead of the news.
For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/05/45554854/health-care-stocks-like-unitedhealth-cvs-tank-on-wednesday-heres-why">Health Care Stocks Like UnitedHealth, CVS Tank On Wednesday: Here's Why</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45567780/hims-hers-health-stock-is-tumbling-thursday-whats-happening">Hims &amp; Hers Health Stock Is Tumbling Thursday: What's Happening?</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45532892/legendary-investor-jeremy-grantham-warns-of-50-stock-market-crash">Legendary Investor Jeremy Grantham Warns Of 50% Stock Market Crash</a>

Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following <a href="https://twitter.com/Benzinga" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a><a href="http://twitter.com/Benzinga" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> on X</a>.
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Markets

Hims & Hers Health, Inc. Class A Common Stock

HIMS

QBTS

TSLA

WOLF

Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Alphabet, L3Harris, Target — And Latest Tariff News Roils Markets

At its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/05/45573921/alphabet-shares-gain-following-annual-developer-conference-whats-going-on">annual developer conference</a> this week, Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google unveiled Veo 3, the latest upgrade to its AI video generation tool developed by Google DeepMind.
What Happened: The new model doesn't just generate high-resolution, cinematic visuals — it also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45560919/everyones-losing-their-minds-over-googles-veo-3-ai-videos-and-everyones-also-annoyed-they-cant-actually-use-it-yet-here-are-some-wild-examples-of-the-magic-this-model-can-create">includes realistic audio</a>, such as ambient sound, effects, and even spoken dialogue, setting it apart from competing tools.
Unlike OpenAI's Sora, Meta Platforms, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) MovieGen, or Runway's Gen-4, none of which currently offer audio support, Veo 3's ability to merge visuals with synchronized sound has sparked a wave of viral clips that left many online users questioning whether they were seeing AI or reality.
"It's kind of mindblowing how good Veo 3 is at modeling intuitive physics," said Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, on Friday, adding that this progress could offer crucial insights into the computational complexity of the universe.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45486639/sundar-pichai-reveals-google-parent-once-super-intensely-debated-about-buying-netflix-in-a-world-of-butterfly-effects" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sundar Pichai Reveals Google-Parent Once Super Intensely Debated About Buying Netflix: ‘In A World Of Butterfly Effects…&#8217;</a>
In response, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk replied, saying, "It is awesome. Nice work." Musk <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42525899/elon-musk-reacts-after-sundar-pichai-shares-veo-2-as-google-looks-to-challenge-openais-sora-in-ai-video-race-looks-impressive">expressed admiration</a> for Google's Veo 2 last year.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">It is awesome. Nice work.
&mdash; Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1926064002703999037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It's Important: While Musk has been praising Google's video models, he has previously voiced concerns about Google's Gemini, which he accused of being biased following widespread backlash over its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37258050/elon-musk-pushes-xais-grok-ai-chatbot-after-google-gemini-comes-under-fire-truth-never-been-more-ess">inability to generate accurate images</a>.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, it was reported that Musk's AI venture, xAI, is gearing up for a major investment that could significantly benefit Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>). xAI intends to deploy <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45534923/elon-musks-xai-plans-3040-billion-gpu-buy-near-memphis-nvidia-set-to-be-the-biggest-winner-says-top-analyst">1 million GPUs near Memphis</a>.
Price Action: Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s Class A shares slipped 1.40% on Friday, with Class C shares down 1.39%, based on <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Alphabet holds a growth score of 88.68%. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to see how it stacks up against other companies</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/24033759/Screenshot-2025-05-24-at-7.03.26%E2%80%AFAM-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-926828" /></a></figure>
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45599346/why-googles-demis-hassabis-disagrees-with-co-founder-sergey-brin-on-when-agi-will-arrive-and-sets-a-much-higher-bar">Why Google&#8217;s Demis Hassabis Disagrees With Co-Founder Sergey Brin On When AGI Will Arrive: &#8216;I Have Quite A High Bar&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Elon Musk Praises Google DeepMind's Veo 3 AI Video Model, Says 'It Is Awesome'

Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has offered a more cautious outlook on the arrival of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/04/44975360/geoffrey-hinton-ex-openai-insiders-and-top-ai-experts-sound-alarm-on-openais-restructuring-warn-it-could-strip-public-of-oversight-betray-agi-mission">artificial general intelligence</a> (AGI) than the tech giant's co-founder, Sergey Brin. 
What Happened: In a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/podcasts/google-ai-demis-hassabis-hard-fork.html">conversation</a> on the Hard Fork podcast by the New York Times this week, the interviewer pointed out that Brin thinks AGI will come before 2030, while Hassabis says just after 2030.
This raised an intriguing question: given that both individuals likely have access to similar data, roadmaps, and insights into the state of AI development, what accounts for their differing forecasts on AGI's arrival? What is one seeing that the other is not?
In response, Hassabis said that he is sticking to a timeline he's maintained since DeepMind's founding in 2010.
"We thought it was roughly a 20-year mission, and amazingly, we're on track," Hassabis said. "It's somewhere around there, I would think."
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45486639/sundar-pichai-reveals-google-parent-once-super-intensely-debated-about-buying-netflix-in-a-world-of-butterfly-effects" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sundar Pichai Reveals Google-Parent Once Super Intensely Debated About Buying Netflix: ‘In A World Of Butterfly Effects…'</a>
Earlier, Brin jokingly accused Hassabis of "sandbagging"—intentionally downplaying timelines to later overdeliver. However, during the interview, Hassabis stood by his reasoning, pointing to the complexity of defining AGI itself.
"I have quite a high bar," he said. "It should be able to do all of the things that the human brain can do, even theoretically. And so that's a that's a higher bar than, say, what the typical individual human could do, which is obviously very economically important."
When asked whether AGI would emerge through steady improvements or sudden breakthroughs, Hassabis said both are likely necessary. "We push unbelievably hard on the scaling," he said, while also investing in "blue sky" research like AlphaEvolve.
Why It's Important: Last year, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/11/41928832/anthropic-ceo-says-ai-similar-to-human-intelligence-could-be-around-the-corner-well-get-there-by-2026-or-2027">AGI could become a reality</a> as early as 2026 or 2027, though he cautioned that unforeseen external factors might delay its development.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously said that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/42867568/openai-ceo-sam-altman-predicts-agi-will-arrive-during-the-trump-presidency-says-chips-act-not-effective-enough">AGI could arrive during</a> Donald Trump's presidency.
In 2022, Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood also suggested that AGI could become a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/05/27339602/cathie-wood-has-cure-for-sagging-gdp-growth-sees-this-technology-accelerating-annua">major driver of economic growth</a>.
The definition of AGI itself remains fluid. As <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/chatgpt/sam-altman-claims-agi-is-coming-in-2025-and-machines-will-be-able-to-think-like-humans-when-it-happens">noted</a> by Tom's Guide, while some define AGI as human-level competence across all domains, others focus on its capacity to learn, adapt, and perform tasks in ways that mirror human cognition, requiring the system to go beyond its initial training data and generate truly autonomous output.
Price Action: Alphabet Inc.'s Class A shares fell 1.40% on Friday, while Class C shares declined 1.39%, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings assigns Alphabet a growth score of 88.68%. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to see how it compares to other companies</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/23213419/Screenshot-2025-05-24-at-7.03.26%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-926680" /></a></figure>
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/45090992/mark-zuckerberg-warns-of-serious-disadvantage-as-chinas-data-center-blitz-could-let-deepseek-leapfrog-us-ai-labs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Zuckerberg Warns Of ‘Serious Disadvantage&#8217; As China&#8217;s Data-Center Blitz Could Let DeepSeek Leapfrog US AI Labs</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com

Why Google's Demis Hassabis Disagrees With Co-Founder Sergey Brin On When AGI Will Arrive: 'I Have Quite A High Bar'

Everybody "knows" that value investing doesn't work anymore. It's in all the headlines.
Investing today is about technology, everyone says. It's about artificial intelligence. It's about quantum computing, about the rebirth of nuclear energy.
Some of this is true, some isn't, but what's really not true is that value investing doesn't work. In fact, it still works better than just about any other investing approach.
The reason people say otherwise is because they've got value all wrong. "Value," they think, is just another word for "cheap." But most cheap stocks are cheap because they're bad investments.
Here's how to invest in value the right way using just two metrics – and beat the markets handily.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What People Get Wrong About Value</h2>
There are a couple of problems with the way people define value investing. First, we need to address the fact that the sound of it is boring.  Value investing sounds like a professor with tweed elbow patches smoking a pipe in an old dusty office in some brick and ivy university somewhere up in Vermont or Maine during a snowstorm. It just sounds boring.
Perhaps if we could call it vulture investing, market pillaging, or some other equally interesting name, it would attract more attention.
But then again, since we seem to have a corner on it, do we really want to attract all that much attention?
Second, let's talk about the way people track value. For instance, the Russell Value Index is supposed to represent value. When you compare it, growth has outperformed value for several hundred consecutive years, according to the literature.
That may be a slight exaggeration, but you get the point.
When you examine the Russell 1000 Value index, it's allegedly the bottom half of the Russell 2000 weighted by value components.
The top holdings include Berkshire Hathaway, Cisco Systems, McDonald&#8217;s, Walt Disney, Raytheon, and Caterpillar. These are all great companies.
What they are not is value companies.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Truth About Value</h2>
When we really look at the hard data, the truth is that absolute value never stopped working. When you look at companies that are trading at discounts to asset value, low multiples of the cash produced by the business, and low multiples of liquidation value, which is still one of my favorites, the truth is that they have continued to work and work very well.
The key thing that most people leave out is they will run a list of companies trading below book value and will say, &#8220;Look, these underperformed the market.&#8221; That is, in fact, true.
More than half of those companies are unprofitable and overleveraged, and their products are going completely out of style. You know, they are CD-ROM manufacturers or buggy whip makers in the business of making something we are never going to use again.
Many of the companies that trade below book value, in all honesty, do so for a reason. They are headed for the garbage pile.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Making Value Work: Financial Strength</h2>
How do we get rid of those? You have to adjust for a couple of factors:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>You want strength in the financial statements.</li>
<li>You want the ability to survive, and you prefer that they are profitable.</li>
</ul>
Two papers, with several follow-ups, have come out in the last twenty-five years that show us how to do this.
One of these is Joseph Piotrowski&#8217;s publication &#8220;Value Investing: The Use of Historical Financial Statement Information to Separate Winners from Losers.&#8221; The F-score is based on that paper.
Value plus the F-score crush the market. When we add value plus the F-score plus credit scores, I prefer the Altman Z score—then you annihilate the market.
The key variable here is profitability and financial strength.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Missing Factor: Profitability</h2>
The other paper, which very few people seem to have read, is important.
In 2013, an economist, Robert Novy-Marks, published a paper that should have but didn&#8217;t redefine the entire playing field for investing. It is called &#8220;The Other Side of Value: The Gross Profitability Premium.&#8221;
Basically, they found that highly profitable companies outperform, no matter how cheap or expensive they may look. It is a single idea that gross profitability is the missing dimension, the missing factor.
It has found its way into some of the academic models. Novy-Marksed followed up on it with &#8220;Profitability Retrospective: What Have We Learned?&#8221;
This is key because many people today will tell you that quality matters. We have got to buy these quality companies. Everyone has a 16, 17, or 18-factor model that supposedly helps us identify truly high-quality companies.
Novy-Marks has found in both the original 2013 study and the retrospective today that you only need one factor to identify quality. That factor is profitability, which is defined in the original paper as gross profits as a percentage of assets.
The higher that is, the better the company is.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quality Simplified</h2>
It explains all of the excess returns from so-called quality investing. When you ask what exactly we are looking for here, it turns out it all boils down to one simple measure.
You can use an 18-factor model, or you can use just gross profitability as a percent of assets. When you look at the largest cap companies that are in the upper end of the range: Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), Meta (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Walmart (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>), Visa (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>), Eli Lilly (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>), MasterCard (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>), Oracle (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), Procter &amp; Gamble (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PG#NYSE">PG</a>), UnitedHealth (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>), T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) &#8211; all of the same companies that would show up if we use that super sophisticated, 18-factor quality model for which you will pay a massive premium to have access to the data – it turns out you can get the same list using just gross profitability.
Gross profitability also explains all of the defensive strategies.
All of the defensive low beta stocks are just highly profitable companies that also are growing their asset base slowly. They are doing very conservative investing. They are not de-worsifying the business. They are not trying to grow at a high rate.
They are just ridiculously profitable companies that are willing to sit in place and do what they are good at and continually pile up profits and cash.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Unifying Factor</h2>
Profitability explains quality. It explains the low beta and low volatility phenomena.
Many investors have looked for new ways to define value. Cash flow to price, earnings forecast, intangible adjusted tangible book value, adjust for a lot of different factors in R&amp;D. These are going to "fix" value's alleged shortcomings in a day and age of high technology.
The truth is that all these newer value strategies sneak in profitability as a factor in addition to value. Profitability by itself delivers market-beating returns.
Profitability plus value, whether that is price to book or a different model that works, like enterprise value to earnings before interest and taxes, beats the market even more.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why Value Appears to Have Underperformed</h2>
When we look at the underperformance of "value" since 2007, the truth is that it's because we junked up the value universe. We put a lot of garbage in there. There are many stocks trading below book value that are biotech startup companies. They are below the cash balance on the balance sheet, but they are burning cash at a rapid rate and will soon be out of money. The book value will, in fact, disappear.
There are all these companies that look cheap but are wildly unprofitable. They are burning through money.
Then you have a lot of garbage that came in through the two SPAC movements in 2007 and then again in 2020 when companies that were still basically at the garage stage of existence suddenly went public.
We really junked up the value universe with a lot of garbage.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Foundation of Investment Success</h2>
Profitability is not just another factor but another tool.
It is a foundational tool that unifies multiple styles. It is part of quality, defensive value, and even some growth stocks.
Profitability explains a lot of the strategies that people use without relying on complicated, expensive 18-factor models.
If we take low-volatility companies and buy the most profitable, we are going to outperform the market.
If we just buy the most profitable companies, we are going to outperform the market.
If we buy the most profitable companies that are trading at low multiples of the cash produced by the business, we are going to absolutely crush the markets.
This is not a day trading system or a short-term trading system. It is the single best way to build long-term portfolios that beat the market and produce lasting wealth.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Unified Theory of Investing</h2>
Profitability explains almost everything that happens in the market. If you have a great business, it is wildly profitable.
If you are a quality company with high returns on equity, low leverage, and earning stability, you are a very profitable company.
If you are a defensive company with low volatility and lower beta, all of the outperformance of these strategies is because they are profitable companies that are not reinvesting in the business to rapidly grow the asset base.
You have low-investment, profitable companies. There is your entire defensive strategy.
The underperformance of value investing over the last fifteen years or so is entirely because of the addition of so many unprofitable companies. If we use F-scores and profitability to screen out just the profitable undervalued companies, performance goes through the roof.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Simple Path to Success</h2>
Most people won't do it because it doesn't make you rich by next Tuesday. It is not the absolute most exciting strategy on the planet. What it does is give you a very easy, quick way to uncover opportunities.
Two scores.
That is all you have to check. You can put together a universe of companies that can crush the market.
Basically, no folks, value investing is not dead.
If anything, if you understand that financial strength and profitability are the key to making value investing go from boring to the most exciting thing you can possibly do with your money, value investing is very much alive and still very successful.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Want to Trade the Next Reversal? Start Here</h2>
Matt Maley is watching one ultra-liquid ETF that surges when the market pulls back. He's used it time and time again—and this Wednesday at 6 PM ET, he'll be live to show you how to time it with precision. It's perfect for short-term traders looking to get ahead of the next move. Register <a href="https://events2.benzinga.com/matt-maley-webinar-wed-may28-2025-registration/?utm_campaign=webinar052825&amp;utm_adType=sponsorad&amp;utm_ad=RD052725">HERE</a> for this free masterclass now.
Editorial content from our expert contributors is intended to be information for the general public and not individualized investment advice. Editors/contributors are presenting their individual opinions and strategies, which are neither expressly nor impliedly approved or endorsed by Benzinga.
Photo: Shutterstock

Opinion

TMUS

Value Investing Is Not Dead - It Just Got Smarter

On May 7, the Ninth Circuit <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/ftc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">affirmed the decision</a> of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, FTC versus Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), denying the Commission&#8217;s application for a preliminary injunction to block Microsoft&#8217;s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc.  
The Commission has now determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/2210077-microsoftactivision-blizzard-matter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in this case</a>.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45541908/supermicro-eyes-texas-mississippi-for-ai-server-growth-as-microsoft-amazon-increase-spending" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Supermicro Eyes Texas, Mississippi For AI Server Growth As Microsoft, Amazon Increase Spending</a>
Microsoft sold the Xbox gaming console and offered a video game subscription service called Xbox Game Pass and a cloud-based video game streaming service. The agency alleged that the deal would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription and cloud-gaming business. The Commission withdrew the matter from adjudication in July 2023 and returned it to adjudication on Sept. 26, 2023. 
Recently, the FTC also dropped a lawsuit against PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PEP#NASDAQ">PEP</a>) for allegedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/05/45582935/ftc-scraps-pepsico-price-discrimination-case-in-3-0-vote-marking-major-shift-as-trump-era-leadership-reverses-biden-crackdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering preferential pricing</a> to major retailers like Walmart Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>). The case marked broader Biden administration efforts to target price discrimination.
The FTC also paused cases against CVS Health Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>), Cigna Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CI#NYSE">CI</a>), and UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>) over pharmacy benefit manager practices, citing commissioner shortages after President Donald Trump&#8216;s personnel changes.
President Trump named FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/12/42428224/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-mirror-stock-declines-ahead-of-crucial-inflation-data-release-top-analyst-says-buy-the-dip-predicts-275k-btc-target" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his choice</a> for FTC chair last December, replacing Lina Khan. This could potentially reshape the agency&#8217;s approach to tech regulation and antitrust enforcement.
Under Khan&#8217;s leadership, the federal firm has aggressively targeted tech giants, including&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>),&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), and&nbsp;Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>).
Price Action: MSFT stock is down 1.06% at $450.31 at last check Friday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45565087/cramer-backs-marvell-again-as-ai-deals-with-amazon-microsoft-fuel-stock-surge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cramer Backs Marvell Again As AI Deals With Amazon, Microsoft Fuel Stock Surge</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Legal

Microsoft Clears Major Hurdle As FTC Ends Effort To Block Activision Merger

BofA Securities on Thursday noted two key recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/ai" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced AI scale-up</a> interconnect protocols: Nvidia Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) NVLink Fusion and the Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) backed open-standard Ultra Accelerator Link (UALink). The analyst noted that both are critical scale-up techs connecting AI accelerators (GPUs, ASICs) via fast, low-latency, and shared-memory networking, enabling the scaling of accelerators into large rack-scale systems.
The analyst said UALink is the industry&#8217;s latest effort to catch up to Nvidia&#8217;s proprietary NVLink technology, the chip maker&#8217;s key advantage in creating large rack-level systems.
UALink is an open-standard initiative formed by a consortium of industry leaders including AMD, Broadcom, Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>), MediaTek, Alibaba (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), Alphabet Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and Arm Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>). 
Its primary goal is to provide an open alternative to Nvidia&#8217;s proprietary NVLink for AI scale-up interconnects. The UALink Consortium, founded in May 2024, now includes more than 70 member companies.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45572904/nvidia-powers-big-gains-for-quanta-pegatron-as-ai-demand-explodes" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia Powers Big Gains For Quanta, Pegatron As AI Demand Explodes</a>
While UALink generally remains 1-2 generations behind NVLink, the analyst noted UALink as a significant step forward for the non-Nvidia ecosystem in potentially tackling the chipmaker&#8217;s dominance in AI scale-up from 2027 onward. The analyst now views Nvidia as the chip, software, and system leader.
Meanwhile, Nvidia&#8217;s NVLink Fusion partially opened up NVLink IPs to some of its ecosystem partners (excluding Broadcom and AMD), opening up ~$12 billion in networking TAM that Nvidia previously did not have access to, the analyst noted.
The analyst said AMD is a founding member of the UALink Consortium and has since contributed to creating this industry standard and its surrounding ecosystem.
With the MI400 generation targeted for the second half of 2026, AMD aims to begin designing rack-level AI systems with its ZT Systems tech. According to the analyst, UALink could provide its much-needed accelerator-to-accelerator and switching capabilities intra-rack.
Still, the analyst highlighted that the latest UALink 1.0 standard only supports up to 800GB/s bandwidth per accelerator, less than half the rate of the latest NVLink 5.0, 1.8TB/s.
Given that UALink compatible systems will likely ramp from 2027, Nvidia would ramp its NVLink 6.0-based Rubin systems, which implied that Nvidia would likely maintain its 1-2 generation advantage in AI scale-up networking, per the analyst.
Meanwhile, NVLink Fusion could expand Nvidia&#8217;s TAM in networking that is attached to custom accelerators. The analyst assumed custom silicon represents ~15% of ~$500 billion AI compute TAM, or ~$75 billion, by the calendar year 2029-30, and AI networking represents 15% of that, or ~$11 billion.
Similarly, NVLink Fusion opens up opportunities in non-Nvidia-based ARM CPU systems (such as from Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qcom#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>)), or ~$1 billion of networking TAM (15% of ~$5-6bn ARM CPU TAM), as per the analyst.
The analyst added that with NVLink Fusion, every end customer (hyperscalers) will have a choice between pairing their silicon with NVLink and UALink, an incremental benefit for Nvidia.
Nvidia&#8217;s NVLink, even with the partial openness of NVLink Fusion, is poised to remain the leading AI scale-up interconnect for the foreseeable future, driven by its technological lead and established ecosystem.
However, the analyst asserted that UALink&#8217;s emergence as an open standard backed by major industry players is a crucial development. The analyst added that it provides a viable alternative that could challenge Nvidia&#8217;s long-term dominance by fostering greater innovation and competition in the AI interconnect space.
The analyst stated that the coming years, particularly 2026 and beyond, will be critical in observing how UALink&#8217;s adoption accelerates and how Nvidia further evolves its proprietary technology.
Price Action: NVDA stock is trading lower by 2.05% to $130.11 at last check Friday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/05/45548891/amd-could-see-eps-upside-by-2027-despite-nvidias-over-80-market-share-analyst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AMD Could See EPS Upside By 2027 Despite Nvidia&#8217;s Over 80% Market Share: Analyst</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock

AVGO

BABA

INTC

MRVL

QCOM

Emergence Of UALink As A Viable Alternative Could Challenge Nvidia's Dominance, Analyst Asserts

JMP Securities analyst Andrew Boone reiterates Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) from Market Perform to Market Perform.

JMP Securities Reiterates Market Perform on Alphabetto Market Perform

<ul>
<li>AAPL</li>
<li>UNH</li>
<li>GLD</li>
<li>TSLA</li>
<li>NVDA</li>
<li>BULL</li>
<li>GOOGL</li>
<li>OKLO</li>
<li>PLTR</li>
<li>QQQ</li>
</ul>
Data from <a href="https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment">https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment</a>
&nbsp;

BULL

OKLO

PLTR

Top 10 Trending Stocks On WallStreetBets As Of May 23, 2025 (Via Swaggy Stocks)

Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) autonomous driving service Waymo's CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, has shared her thoughts on the LiDAR vs Camera-based system debate for autonomous driving.
What Happened: "Asking people to put their children, their families in a Waymo vehicle without a human behind the wheel is a brand new product category," she said in an interview with CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/05/21/waymo-co-ceo-on-10m-driverless-rides-and-teslas-robotaxis.html">on</a> Thursday.
She then said that therefore Waymo has no reason to eliminate aspects that make the experience safer for the passenger. She also outlined that Waymo's focus lies on safety and then cost, rather than it being the other way round.
When asked whether she thinks Tesla Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) camera-based approach is less safe, she said, "You have to be able to see at night. You have to be able to have this vision that&#8217;s better than humans," She said, touting LiDAR&#8217;s better capabilities in low-light conditions.
Mawakana also said that Waymo has taken a "belt and suspenders" approach where the company asks passengers to "relax and unwind" in the backseat and not take over the wheel during a critical moment.
The CEO also said that Waymo wanted competitors to enter the space with safety as their priority. "We have a healthy worry about who the company is," she said because there can "always be an overreaction from the public."
Why It Matters: The news comes in as Waymo recently announced the company reached the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45539621/tesla-robotaxi-rival-waymo-reaches-10-million-paid-rides-milestone-as-robotaxis-step-into-the-spotlight"> ten million paid autonomous rides</a> milestone, doubling the number from five million in five months.
However, the company still isn't<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45559524/gary-black-calls-tesla-rival-baidus-apollo-go-autonomous-ride-leader-following-eleven-million-paid-robotaxi-rides-milestone"> the global leader</a> in terms of autonomous driving as Chinese tech giant Baidu Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>) Apollo Go completed 11 million paid trips, the company shared at its Q1 Earnings call.
Elsewhere, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company's Robotaxi launch in Austin is set for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45529030/elon-musk-confirms-tesla-robotaxi-launch-is-on-track-for-next-month-these-things-happen-slowly-but-then-all-at-once">a late June debut</a> with over 10 cars in the first week, which could be ramped up to 1,000 in a couple of months.
Price Action: GOOGL declined 1.47% in Pre-Market trading, valued at $168.36, according to<a href="http://pro.benzinga.com"> Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility"> following this link.</a>
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45535283/elon-musk-brushes-off-potential-tesla-uber-deal-believes-owners-could-add-their-cars-to-ev-giants-autonomous-fleet-instead">Elon Musk Brushes Off Potential Tesla-Uber Deal, Believes Owners Could Add Their Cars To EV Giant&#8217;s Autonomous Fleet Instead</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock

BIDU

Waymo CEO Takes Aim At Tesla's Camera-Only Approach: 'You Have To Be Able To Have This Vision That's Better Than Humans'

President Donald Trump&#8217;s threat to impose a sweeping 50% tariff on all European Union imports starting June 1 sparked a broad selloff across European markets Friday, triggering fears of a transatlantic trade war just as global <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/tariffs">growth faces renewed pressure.</a>
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the EU&#8217;s "powerful Trade Barriers, VAT Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against American Companies" were to blame for an annual trade deficit exceeding $250 billion, which he called "totally unacceptable."
The proposed tariff would exempt goods manufactured in the United States, potentially creating sharp distortions for EU-based exporters and global supply chains.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">European Benchmarks Tumble</h3>
The fallout was immediate in markets. The Euro STOXX 50 index – as closely tracked by the iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EZU#NYSE">EZU</a>) – dropped 3%, Italy's FTSE MIB sank 2.9%, France's CAC 40 lost 2.6% and Spain's IBEX 35 fell 2.2%. 
Germany's DAX, as tracked by the iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EWG#NYSE">EWG</a>), which is home to many export-heavy firms, slid 2.3%.
Financial stocks bore the brunt of the decline, with Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DB#NYSE">DB</a>) falling 6.1%, Société Générale SA (OTCPK: SCGLY) down 5.3% and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BBVA#NYSE">BBVA</a>) sliding 5%.
 Industrial and luxury exporters also came under heavy pressure, including Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (OTCPK: BMWYY), or BMW (−4.5%), UniCredit SpA (OTCPK: UNCRY) (−4.5%) and EssilorLuxottica SA (OTCPK: ESLOY) (−4.2%).
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Export Exposure To US Trade Is Key</h3>
The tariff threat has placed a spotlight on European companies heavily reliant on U.S. revenues.
In Germany, Adidas AG (OTCPK: ADDYY) derives roughly a third of its revenue from the United States, while SAP SE (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SAP#NYSE">SAP</a>) generates about 40% of its turnover from North America. 
Chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG (OTCPK: IFNNY) is also significantly exposed due to its automotive and electronics customers.
French luxury and tech firms are equally at risk. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (OTCPK: LVMUY) earns close to 25% of its revenue in the U.S., while Dassault Systèmes SE (OTCPK: DASTY) has a strong footprint in North American enterprise software. Hermès International SA (OTCPK: HESAY) pulls about 20-25% of its sales from the American market.
Italian brands like Ferrari NV (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RACE#NYSE">RACE</a>), with over 30% of sales from the U.S., and EssilorLuxottica SA (OTCPK: ESLOY), which owns Oakley and Ray-Ban, are also vulnerable. 
In the Netherlands, tech heavyweight ASML Holding NV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASML#NASDAQ">ASML</a>) earns about 20-25% of revenue from the U.S., and Koninklijke Philips NV (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PHG#NYSE">PHG</a>) maintains a major healthcare business across North America.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">EU Retaliation Risk Grows For US Stocks</h3>
For U.S. corporations with heavy exposure to Europe—particularly in tech, autos, agriculture and aviation—the economic consequences could be significant if the European Union responds in kind.
The 2018 EU countermeasures to Trump&#8217;s steel tariffs included duties on motorcycles, bourbon and orange juice—strategic hits on U.S. swing-state exports.
EU officials may also revisit tech taxation disputes, where U.S. firms like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) are already under regulatory scrutiny.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45584696/trump-threatens-tim-cook-to-manufacture-iphones-in-the-us-or-face-at-least-25-tariffs">Trump Threatens Tim Cook To Manufacture iPhones In US Or Face &#8216;At Least 25%&#8217; Tariffs: AAPL Stock Slides Over 3% In Premarket </a></li>
</ul>
Photo Courtesy: Joshua Sukoff On Shutterstock.com

Macro Economic Events

Sector ETFs

Eurozone

Econ #s

Economics

ETFs

ADDYY

ASML

BBVA

BMWYY

DASTY

ESLOY

HESAY

IFNNY

LVMUY

RACE

SCGLY

UNCRY

Trump Tariff Threat Hits Europe: Stocks Sink As 50% Duties Loom

On Wednesday, Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>) filed a lawsuit against YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google to stop the appointment of former ESPN executive Justin Connolly as its new global head of media and sports, alleging breach of contract, unfair competition and interference with a contractual relationship.
What Happened: The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles state court, claims Connolly signed a three-year contract in November 2024 that committed him to Disney through March 1, 2027, reported Reuters, adding that Connolly had a limited one-time termination option.
YouTube was aware of Connolly's contractual obligations, Disney alleged, seeking a court order to block his employment.
YouTube did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga's</a> request for comments.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It's Important: Connolly had spent over two decades at ESPN and Disney and stepped down earlier this week as head of platform distribution.
YouTube on Thursday confirmed the hire. Connolly will oversee relationships with major media companies and lead its growing live sports portfolio, the report added, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Price Movement: On Thursday, Alphabet Inc.'s Class A shares gained 1.37%, while Class C shares increased by 1.13%. During the same period, Disney shares rose 0.61%, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
As per Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Alphabet boasts a growth score of 88.68%. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to see how it compares to other companies</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/22224557/Screenshot-2025-05-23-at-8.14.58%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-925254" /></a></figure>
Photo Courtesy: Bankrx on Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/45090992/mark-zuckerberg-warns-of-serious-disadvantage-as-chinas-data-center-blitz-could-let-deepseek-leapfrog-us-ai-labs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Zuckerberg Warns Of ‘Serious Disadvantage&#8217; As China&#8217;s Data-Center Blitz Could Let DeepSeek Leapfrog US AI Labs</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Disney Sues YouTube To Block Hiring Of Former ESPN Executive Justin Connolly Amid Sports Streaming Turf War

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) shares are on the rise, trading up by 1.81% to $173.16 on Thursday afternoon. Thursday&#8217;s strength is likely a result of the tech giant&#8217;s annual <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45537306/google-unveils-total-reimagining-of-search-with-chatbot-style-feature-to-compete-with-openai">developer conference</a> this week, where it revealed the Veo 3 upgrade to its AI video generation tool.
The conference also saw Alphabet&#8217;s CEO, Sundar Pichai, announce the launch of a new &#8220;AI Mode,&#8221; a feature that offers a conversational, chatbot-style experience similar to OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT. This update, which is now available for U.S. users across Search and Chrome, signifies Google&#8217;s aggressive push into generative AI.
What To Know: The annual I/O developer conference <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45537306/google-unveils-total-reimagining-of-search-with-chatbot-style-feature-to-compete-with-openai">showcased</a> Alphabet&#8217;s commitment to AI, with the unveiling of several new offerings. These include the AI Ultra Plan at $249.99 per month, Project Mariner for browser automation and Deep Think, a high-level reasoning AI.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/05/45569891/big-tax-cuts-big-deficits-wall-street-winners-and-losers-emerge">Big Tax Cuts, Big Deficits: Wall Street Winners And Losers Emerge</a>
Despite concerns about potential cannibalization of ad revenue, analysts from JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs reiterated bullish outlooks, citing Alphabet&#8217;s leadership in AI and faster product rollout.
Why It Matters: Alphabet&#8217;s AI-centric upgrades, such as Gemini 2.5, real-time translation and media creation, highlight its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45551039/alphabet-stock-is-rallying-wednesday-whats-going-on">long-term vision</a> for AI. With AI now at the heart of its ecosystem, Alphabet is well-positioned to maintain its dominance in the Search sector.
Analysts from Citizens, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/05/45548615/alphabet-well-positioned-for-google-search-dominance-analyst-says-can-navigate-the-shift-to-ai-search">offered their insights</a> on Alphabet&#8217;s new products and features. Citizens analyst Andrew Boone maintained a Market Perform rating on Alphabet with no price target. 
JPMorgan&#8217;s Doug Anmuth reiterated an Overweight rating on the stock with a $195 price target, while Goldman Sachs&#8217; Eric Sheridan reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $200 price target.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45572000/palantir-stock-is-trading-higher-thursday-whats-going-on">Palantir Stock Is Trading Higher Thursday: What&#8217;s Going On?</a>
Boone noted that the I/O conference demonstrated how AI is enhancing every aspect of Google and improving the company&#8217;s digital consumer experience. However, he also expressed concern about increasing competition for search and the U.S. search anti-trust trial&#8217;s impact on Alphabet.
Anmuth, on the other hand, felt &#8220;incrementally positive&#8221; about Alphabet after the Google I/O conference. He pointed out that Google&#8217;s product innovation is &#8220;accelerating&#8221; and new products and experiences are being launched faster than ever.
Sheridan highlighted the acceleration in AI innovation demonstrated in the company&#8217;s I/O keynote. He believes Alphabet is a leader in the AI and machine learning space and is well-positioned across many end-markets.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45559059/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-could-be-3-1-trillion-jackpot-for-affluent-americans-like-elon-musk-and-jeff-be" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s &#8216;Big Beautiful Bill&#8217; Could Be $3.1 Trillion Jackpot For Affluent Americans Like Elon Musk And Jeff Bezos: Report</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How To Buy GOOGL Stock</h2>
By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Alphabet &#8211; be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.
Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-stock-trading-platforms">possible trading platforms here.</a> Many will allow you to buy &#8220;fractional shares,&#8221; which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.
If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to &#8220;go short&#8221; a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock">stock can be found at this resource.</a> Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading &#8211; either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.
According to data from&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>, GOOGL has a 52-week high of $207.05 and a 52-week low of $140.53.
Photo: Shutterstock

Alphabet Shares Gain Following Annual Developer Conference: What's Going On?

Goldman Sachs analyst Eric Sheridan maintained a Buy rating on Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GOOGL/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">price forecast of $220</a> on Thursday.
Sheridan said that expanding upon its recent AI announcements, Google&#8217;s Marketing Live keynote outlined Alphabet&#8217;s vision for launching AI tools and services in the context of digital advertising.
The analyst noted that Google continues to repeat how AI can help increase ad spending performance across its suite of products.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/05/45158118/analyst-cautions-on-snap-as-meta-and-google-benefit-from-ad-spending-shifts" rel="noreferrer noopener">Analyst Cautions On Snap As Meta And Google Benefit From Ad Spending Shifts</a>
With respect to Search, Google continues to showcase how search is evolving with AI and provided disclosures around increasing usage, engagement and monetization of these AI features, the analyst noted.
Further, Google&#8217;s new AI Max for Search Campaigns highlights how AI can enhance advertisers&#8217; reach and conversions in existing search campaigns.
Per the analyst, this progress is a continued positive proof point against heightened investor concerns that AI may disrupt the monetization potential of its legacy formats and platforms over the long term.
For rich media formats, this keynote and Google&#8217;s recent Brandcast Upfront event showcased how Google plans to leverage its scale and position to capitalize on evolving consumer habits and the rise of creator content to introduce new solutions for advertisers.
Specifically, Sheridan noted Google&#8217;s recent announcements around new ad formats, generative AI for ad creative, unique content, and a unique scale of users, highlighting how the company is increasingly well-positioned to capitalize on evolving streaming and digital video trends over the long term.
As outlined in Sheridan&#8217;s recently updated 10 Internet Themes for 2025, digital advertising is one of the few subsectors within his coverage where AI is seeing early adoption and monetization. 
Against this backdrop, the analyst noted Alphabet is well positioned to capitalize on the theme of AI longer-term, given its leading AI capabilities, infrastructure advantage, and benefits of scale concerning both users and advertisers to deploy new AI tools &amp; services over the medium term. He remained constructive on the mix of Alphabet&#8217;s businesses and their operating profile in the coming years.
Sheridan projected fiscal 2025 revenue of $325.8 billion and EPS of $9.21.
Price Action: GOOGL stock is trading higher by 2.85% to $173.36 at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45261116/cisco-unveils-quantum-chip-and-lab-to-push-next-gen-networking" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cisco Unveils Quantum Chip And Lab To Push Next-Gen Networking</a></li>
</ul>
Image by JHVEPhoto via Shutterstock

Google's AI Proves It's Boosting, Not Disrupting, Legacy Ad Monetization: Analyst

Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Ng maintained a Buy rating on Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) with a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AAPL/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">price forecast of $253</a> on Wednesday, ahead of Apple&#8217;s WWDC 2025 Keynote scheduled for June 9.
Ng expects Apple to demonstrate continued progress toward incorporating AI into its operating systems through developer access to its AI models for app development, as well as the potential announcement of Gemini AI integration on iPhones given Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) CEO Sundar Pichai&#8216;s recent comments regarding hopes to finalize a partnership with Apple by mid-2025.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/05/45503796/why-is-alibaba-stock-trading-lower-on-monday" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Stock Slips as US Probes Apple&#8217;s China AI Deal Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions</a>
The analyst notes that Apple will need to demonstrate further success with Apple Intelligence before investors are willing to underwrite it as a demand driver.
Ng expects WWDC iOS updates to primarily feature design updates to standardize operating interface visuals across devices and convenience-oriented feature introductions, like public WiFi access syncing, AI-driven battery optimization, and Gemini integration. Some reported design updates include rounded app icons, a floating tab bar, and more translucent app displays.
Ng believes Apple&#8217;s incremental improvements to the user experience through iOS 19, expectations for AI-enhanced Siri to launch later in 2025/26, and the potential opening of Apple&#8217;s Large Language Models (LLMs) for app developers should help it maintain installed base stickiness and increase competitiveness.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Ng projected fiscal 2025 revenue of $408.99 billion and EPS of $7.16. The analyst believes Apple&#8217;s valuation is appealing, asserting it is attractive compared to its historical multiples, both on an absolute and relative basis and when set against its key technology counterparts.
Most of Apple&#8217;s gross profit growth over the next five years is projected to come from its Services segment. This anticipated surge in Services revenue is expected to signify an inflection point in the segment&#8217;s investment narrative, thereby bolstering AAPL&#8217;s premium valuation, notes Ng.
He also highlights the durability of Apple&#8217;s installed base of devices as a critical factor. Apple&#8217;s robust user base provides significant visibility into future revenue growth, driven by the increasing attachment of more Services and Products. This phenomenon is understood to underpin the concept of recurring revenue, or what Ng refers to as the &#8220;Apple-as-a-Service&#8221; opportunity.
Price Action: AAPL stock is trading lower by 0.48% to $201.15 at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45515826/taiwan-semiconductor-qualcomm-mediatek-team-up-to-power-next-gen-mobile-and-ai-chips" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taiwan Semiconductor, Qualcomm, MediaTek Team Up To Power Next-Gen Mobile And AI Chips</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock

Apple Likely To Open LLMs, Integrate Gemini On iPhone At WWDC: Analyst

Google (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) has been underperforming the other Big Tech stocks lately. This is likely due to falling margins from the AI overview at the top of Google Search pages and Apple&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) inclusion of AI search on its platforms.
This suggests that Google is going to stay weak for the foreseeable future.
Here&#8217;s the option play to enable us to profit from that weakness.
Trade structure &#8211; the long put spread explained &#8211; positioned for short continuation. 
My play here is a long put spread, which positions us for Google to remain weak. A long put spread involves purchasing a long put and financing part of the cost with a short put. 
The stock&#8217;s current relative resistance zone sits right around $176 and support sits below at $157, so our long put spread is going to look like this:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Buy to open 1 GOOG 20Jun 2026 170 puts </li>
<li>Sell to open 1 GOOG 20Jun 2026 160 puts </li>
</ul>
This long put spread held a current debit of $3.22 at this writing, representing the total risk incurred in the trade. The breakeven price of the stock at expiration on this trade is $166.79 less commissions. 
The highest potential profit is $10 (the distance between the $170 and $180 strikes) less the cost of the debt incurred by buying the long put spread, so $10 &#8211; $3.22 = $6.78 minus commissions.
The strategy provides several ways to exit, but here are the main two:
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>To sell the put spread at either the test of $160 or when the profit goal moves into your target parameters – particularly once the middle strike is tested near the expiration time. I often look for a 40%-70% return with these trending trades. </li>
<li>To sell the put spread when your loss threshold is breached. Customarily, this is 30% for me.</li>
</ol>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">This Memorial Day: Turn Market Noise Into Clear, Actionable Buy Signals for 60% Off</h2>
Wall Street's top analysts. Insider moves. Real-time portfolio alerts. With Benzinga Edge, you won't just read about profits… you'll know what to buy, when to buy and why. Get the 60% Deal <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-memorial-day-special/?utm_campaign=mdw-sale&amp;utm_adType=sponsorad&amp;utm_ad=RD052325&amp;el=ResearchDaily&amp;he={{email}}&amp;adt_ei={{email}}&amp;utm_medium=newsletter">HERE</a> Before It's Gone!
Editorial content from our expert contributors is intended to be information for the general public and not individualized investment advice. Editors/contributors are presenting their individual opinions and strategies, which are neither expressly nor impliedly approved or endorsed by Benzinga.
Photo: Shutterstock

My Top Big Tech Option Trade Of The Week

<a href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/ai-machine-learning/anthropics-claude-opus-4-and-claude-sonnet-4-on-vertex-ai/" title="https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/ai-machine-learning/anthropics-claude-opus-4-and-claude-sonnet-4-on-vertex-ai/">https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/ai-machine-learning/anthropics-claude-opus-4-and-claude-sonnet-4-on-vertex-ai/</a>

Update: 'Announcing Anthropic's Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4 on Vertex AI' - Google Cloud

WIIM

Alphabet shares are trading higher. The stock may be rising on continued momentum following the company's annual developer conference earlier this week, during which it unveiled the Veo 3 upgrade to its AI video generation tool.

<a href="https://x.com/anthropicai/status/1925591505332576377?s=46&amp;t=dtUiyC3dUs5yGRgT9qYHWg">https://x.com/anthropicai/status/1925591505332576377?s=46&amp;t=dtUiyC3dUs5yGRgT9qYHWg</a>

General

Anthropic Posts On X " Introducing the next generation: Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4.Claude Opus 4 is our most powerful model yet, and the world's best coding model.Claude Sonnet 4 is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, delivering superior coding and reasoning"

Press Releases

President Trump Unveils $500 Billion AI Infrastructure: Watch AI, PRSO, BBAI Among The Giants

Tech Giants Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Quantum Computing

Meta to Invest Up to $65 Billion in AI Projects in 2025

Coeptis (NASDAQ: COEP) Accelerates Growth with Strategic Partnerships and Innovation

Google Announces Agreement to Acquire Wiz

Small Cap

Quantum Threats Are Accelerating -- These Companies Are Preparing for the Shift

Google's Parent Company Alphabet in Talks to Acquire Wiz for $30 Billion

New Advances in Healthcare AI Could Unlock Billions in Market Opportunity

Circus SE Successfully Acquires Agentic AI Company FullyAI

AMST

AVAI

BBAI

BURU

CLOV

COEP

CSE:SCPE

PANW

PATH

PRSO

SCPCF

WKEY

Autohome Inc. American Depositary Shares, each representing four class A ordinary shares.

Autohome

Baidu, Inc. - American Depositary Shares, each representing 8 ordinary share

Baidu

Bilibili Inc. - American Depositary Shares

Bilibili

KANZHUN LIMITED - American Depository Shares

Kanzhun

CarGurus

Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. - Common Stock

Trump Media & Tech Gr

Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. - Warrants

Grindr

ZoomInfo Technologies Inc. - Common Stock

ZoomInfo Technologies

JOYY

Match Group

Pinterest

Reddit

Rumble

Snap

Taboola.com

Tripadvisor

Weibo Corporation - American Depositary Shares

Weibo

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. - Common stock

Webtoon Entertainment

Yalla Group Limited American Depositary Shares, each representing one Class A Ordinary Share

Yalla Group

Yelp

Ziff Davis

Rosenblatt

WestPark Capital

Tigress Financial

Oppenheimer

Susquehanna

Screenshot 2024-09-24 at 5.32.23 PM

COPJ

COPP

NIKL

SETM

URNJ

URNM

How To Gain Exposure To The Critical Materials Powering Artificial Intelligence And Meeting Growing Energy Demands Through Sprott ETFs

Screenshot 2024-09-03 at 5.56.09 PM

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Date	Put/Call	Strike Price	Exp Date	DTE	Trade Vol	Day Vol	Vol / OI	OI	Trade Type	Sentiment
01:31 PMMay 13, 2025	CALL	$55.00	Jan 15, 2027	598	120	100	124	97	SWEEP	NEUTRAL
10:58 AMMay 13, 2025	CALL	$190.00	Nov 21, 2025	178	4286	2500	271	1582	SWEEP	NEUTRAL
10:41 AMMay 13, 2025	CALL	$160.00	Jun 18, 2026	387	581	292	19	3097	SWEEP	BEARISH
10:03 AMMay 13, 2025	CALL	$160.00	Jun 17, 2027	751	2992	2990	1981	151	TRADE	BULLISH
03:11 PMMay 12, 2025	PUT	$140.00	Jan 15, 2027	598	462	450	14	3344	TRADE	BEARISH
10:04 AMMay 08, 2025	PUT	$145.00	Aug 15, 2025	80	1514	1500	30	5129	TRADE	NEUTRAL
01:40 PMMay 07, 2025	PUT	$150.00	May 09, 2025	-18	60190	2534	1496	4024	SWEEP	BEARISH
09:46 AMMay 06, 2025	PUT	$160.00	Jun 20, 2025	24	621	2781	3	18594	SWEEP	BEARISH

Comments

Alphabet

Unusual Options Activity for

뉴스

파트너 / 기고자

벤징가 글로벌