Alphabetの空売り状況は、投資家がAlphabetの株価下落に賭けている度合いを知ることができます。空売りデータは2週間ごとに更新されます。

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) 株価情報, 空売り情報

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.

Alphabet Inc

Kodiak Robotics, a U.S.-based autonomous trucking startup, will go public following its announcement on Monday of a merger with Ares Acquisition Corporation II (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AACT#NYSE">AACT</a>), a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC).
What happened: In an official statement, the company, which has logged over 2.6 million autonomous driving miles in &#8216;real-world conditions,&#8217; announced its intention to go public. The transaction now fetches Kodiak a pre-money valuation of over $2.5 billion.
The company says it will receive about $551 million in cash held by Ares, and has announced commitments of $110 million from Ares, Soros Fund Management, founded by George Soros, and ARK Investments, led by CEO Cathie Wood. The company says the decision will help Kodiak address a $4 trillion global market opportunity.
The merger is expected to go through in the latter half of 2025, according to the statement. The company will then be called Kodiak AI, Inc. and will be traded under the KDK and KDK WS tickers, pending approval from the applicable exchange.
&nbsp;"This is a remarkable milestone for the Kodiak team and reinforces our confidence in the significant value proposition we see in our differentiated driverless technology,&#8221; said Kodiak founder and CEO Don Burnette.
Atlas Energy Solutions (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AESI#NYSE">AESI</a>), Kodiak&#8217;s strategic partner, has committed itself to an initial order of 100 trucks.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/04/44806539/jim-chanos-shrugs-off-elon-musks-25-trillion-optimus-projection-short-seller-quips-he-thought-doge-would-save-1-2-trillion">Jim Chanos Shrugs Off Elon Musk&#8217;s $25 Trillion Optimus Projection, Short Seller Quips, &#8216;He Thought DOGE Would Save $1-2 Trillion&#8217;</a>
Why it matters: The decision comes at a time when the autonomous driving sector has seen development through major companies like 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>) Waymo as well as Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)
Waymo has logged over 20 million driverless miles, while Tesla recently shared its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/44787364/tesla-deploys-unsupervised-fsd-at-giga-texas-to-move-cars-from-factory-to-lot">developments in Unsupervised Full Self-Driving</a> tech for its vehicles. However, the company still lags behind Waymo, which uses a LiDAR system in contrast to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44529187/elon-musk-says-tesla-doesnt-need-lidar-because-people-dont-shoot-lasers-out-of-their-eyes-yet-his-ev-company-quietly-spent-over-2-million-on-the-technology-in-2024-as-china-takes-global-lead">Tesla's camera-based system.&nbsp;</a>
Automation in transport is seeing more applications as companies adopt self-driving tech in their operations. Earlier in April, Serve Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SERV#NASDAQ">SERV</a>) and Uber Technologies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>), in partnership with Uber Eats, announced a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/contracts/25/04/44630746/serve-robotics-and-uber-eats-launch-self-driving-delivery-service-in-uptown-dallas">self-driving delivery service</a> in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility">following this link.</a>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44806252/trump-tariffs-could-put-ford-gm-at-high-risk-of-negative-ratings-report">Trump Tariffs Could Put Ford, GM At &#8216;High Risk&#8217; Of Negative Ratings: Report</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Markets

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AACT

AESI

GOOG

GOOGL

SERV

TSLA

UBER

George Soros, Cathie Wood-Backed Autonomous Trucking Firm Kodiak Robotics Set To Go Public Via SPAC Merger To Tap $4 Trillion Market

On Monday, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a Washington, D.C., courtroom.
What Happened: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Meta opened arguments in a trial that could lead to the forced divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-antitrust-trial-ftc-boasberg/">reported</a> CBS News.
"There's nothing wrong with Meta innovating," said Daniel Matheson, the FTC's lead attorney, in opening statements. "It's what happened next that is a problem."
Zuckerberg was the first witness called to testify. He defended Facebook's 2012 decision <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/04/38163559/if-you-invested-1000-in-meta-platforms-when-mark-zuckerberg-acquired-instagram-for-1b-in-2012-he">to acquire Instagram</a>, saying the company had struggled to compete with mobile-first platforms at the time.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44778760/netflix-debuts-openai-backed-search-engine-that-lets-you-discover-movies-and-tv-shows-based-on-emotions-not-just-titles" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Netflix Debuts OpenAI-Backed Search Engine That Lets You Discover Movies And TV Shows Based On Emotions, Not Just Titles</a>
Meta attorney Mark Hansen countered that Instagram and WhatsApp flourished under Meta's stewardship and that Meta offers its services for free—evidence, he argued, that it does not function as a monopoly.
"How can the FTC maintain this monopolization case when [Meta] has never charged users a cent?" Hansen asked the court.
Zuckerberg is set to resume his testimony in court on Tuesday morning.
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 Matters: The case is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/04/44781970/star-trek-quoting-judge-boasberg-once-targeted-by-trump-could-decide-if-mark-zuckerbergs-meta-gets-to-keep-instagram">being heard by U.S. District Judge</a> James Boasberg and is expected to last several weeks. Testimony from former Meta executives Sheryl Sandberg and Mike Schroepfer, as well as Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, is anticipated.
The FTC is also asking the court to require Meta to notify the government before any future acquisitions.
A Meta spokesperson dismissed the FTC's claims as outdated and out of touch.&nbsp;
"The evidence at trial will show what every 17-year-old in the world knows: Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp compete with TikTok, YouTube, X, iMessage, and many others," the spokesperson said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
YouTube is owned by 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. X was formerly known as Twitter but changed its name after Elon Musk acquired it in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/03/44404525/elon-musk-paid-high-price-for-twitter-but-after-years-of-declining-value-x-is-once-again-worth-44-billion">October 2022 for $44 billion</a>. iMessage is Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) secure messaging service.
Meta earned more than $164 billion in revenue in 2024 and has a market capitalization of $1.37 trillion. 
Price Action: On Monday, the company's shares dropped 2.22%, reaching $531.48, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Meta boasts a robust growth score of 74.90%, according to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. <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</a> Apple, Alphabet, and other companies.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/META"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/14215617/Screenshot-2025-04-15-at-7.26.11%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-871180" style="width:894px;height:auto" /></a></figure>
Photo Courtesy: Frederic Legrand &#8211; COMEO on Shutterstock.com
Read More:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/news/25/04/44735140/most-people-dont-have-the-balls-to-do-it-says-mark-cuban-praising-musk-for-going-all-in-with-his-own-money-f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘Most People Don't Have The Balls To Do It,' Says Mark Cuban, Praising Musk For Going ‘All In' With His Own Money For His Startups</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Legal

Media

AAPL

Mark Zuckerberg Defends Meta In Landmark Trial As FTC Seeks To Decouple WhatsApp, Instagram

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>META</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$530.00</td>
<td>$28.0K</td>
<td>3.0K</td>
<td>6.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NMAX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$30.00</td>
<td>$100.0K</td>
<td>145</td>
<td>305</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NFLX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/25/25</td>
<td>$930.00</td>
<td>$45.0K</td>
<td>297</td>
<td>302</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DJT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$18.00</td>
<td>$36.6K</td>
<td>557</td>
<td>164</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GOOG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$31.3K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
<td>148</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
<td>$40.8K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
<td>129</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GOOGL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$83.6K</td>
<td>807</td>
<td>90</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TTD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$70.0K</td>
<td>655</td>
<td>58</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TMUS</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$240.00</td>
<td>$36.3K</td>
<td>162</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For META (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 3 day(s) on April 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 25 contract(s) at a $530.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.0K, with a price of $1120.0 per contract. There were 3043 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 6289 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding NMAX (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NMAX#NYSE">NMAX</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 32 day(s) on May 16, 2025. Parties traded 250 contract(s) at a $30.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 25 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $100.0K, with a price of $400.0 per contract. There were 145 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 305 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding NFLX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 11 day(s) on April 25, 2025. Parties traded 10 contract(s) at a $930.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $45.0K, with a price of $4500.0 per contract. There were 297 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 302 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For DJT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DJT#NASDAQ">DJT</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 32 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 159 contract(s) at a $18.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 27 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.6K, with a price of $233.0 per contract. There were 557 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 164 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For GOOG (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 32 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 20 contract(s) at a $150.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.3K, with a price of $1565.0 per contract. There were 1943 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 148 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding EA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EA#NASDAQ">EA</a>), we observe a put option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 67 day(s) on June 20, 2025. Parties traded 120 contract(s) at a $130.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $40.8K, with a price of $340.0 per contract. There were 1979 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 129 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding GOOGL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 3 day(s) on April 17, 2025. Parties traded 44 contract(s) at a $140.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $83.6K, with a price of $1900.0 per contract. There were 807 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 90 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding TTD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TTD#NASDAQ">TTD</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 641 day(s) on January 15, 2027. Parties traded 50 contract(s) at a $55.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $70.0K, with a price of $1400.0 per contract. There were 655 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 58 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding TMUS (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 123 day(s) on August 15, 2025. Parties traded 11 contract(s) at a $240.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.3K, with a price of $3300.0 per contract. There were 162 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 16 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

NFLX

NMAX

TMUS

9 Communication Services Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) has revealed that its Giga Texas production facility utilizes Unsupervised FSD (Full Self-Driving) to deliver cars to the outbound logistics lot from the production line.
What happened: Taking to the social media platform X, Tesla's official AI handle showcased how Tesla vehicles, including the Model Y as well as the Cybertruck, made their way to the outbound logistics lot using unsupervised FSD functionality.
<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">Giga Texas production now uses FSD Unsupervised to deliver cars from end of line to the outbound logistics lot. Over 50,000 driverless miles have been accrued between California and Texas factories so far <a href="https://t.co/79zKY0U6Ox">pic.twitter.com/79zKY0U6Ox</a>
&mdash; Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tesla_AI/status/1911525549920620580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The company says that between California and Texas factories, Tesla's FSD has accumulated over 50,000 ‘driverless' miles. The post showcases sped up videos of a Model Y traveling for 1.4 miles on a route shared with &#8216;semi-trucks, pedestrians, construction equipment and traffic', according to the company. The Cybertruck is also shown traveling over 0.6 miles underneath a busy freeway and tackling a ‘steep' 17% incline on FSD.
Why it matters: The news comes in as Elon Musk's EV giant is teasing a launch of its Cybercab autonomous driving ride-hailing services in Austin, Texas. However, that has come <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/03/44444272/there-are-many-ways-to-fake-a-robotaxi-service-former-waymo-ceo-casts-doubt-on-teslas-upcoming-robotaxi-launch">under scrutiny of experts</a>.
It's worth noting that Tesla's FSD utilizes a camera-based system, which is believed to be less accurate than a LiDAR system, used by the likes of 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>), Waymo.
Waymo has also clocked significantly more Unsupervised FSD miles, coming in at over 20 million. However, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/04/44730939/jeremy-clarksons-trolley-problem-question-about-driverless-cars-from-ages-ago-continues-to-pose-a-moral-dilemma-for-auto-makers">self-driving debate </a>continues to pose a problem for companies. On the other hand, Tesla's FSD capabilities have been <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44068902/tesla-fsd-like-a-12-year-old-driving-compared-to-waymo-says-ross-gerber-warning-uber-has-got-to-be-hurting">criticized by experts</a> for lagging behind Waymo.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility">following this link.</a>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/44784842/teslas-spring-ota-update-brings-new-features-to-model-3-s-x-y-and-cybertruck-heres-what-to-expect">Tesla&#8217;s Spring OTA Update Brings New Features To Model 3, S, X, Y And Cybertruck: Here&#8217;s What To Expect</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock

General

Tesla Deploys Unsupervised FSD At Giga Texas To Move Cars From Factory To Lot

CNBC&#8217;s Jim Cramer believes that heavily shorted stocks, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), are likely to rally before the short sellers initiate further downward pressure on them immediately.
What Happened: According to Cramer, X post, the short sellers will wait for the stocks to increase in price before attempting to drive them down again.
This strategy, according to the host of &#8216;Mad Money,&#8217; is the only viable way for the short sellers to &#8220;get out of this mess,&#8221; because by allowing a rally, they create an opportunity to cover their short positions at a potentially lower price after a subsequent decline.
Cramer thinks that short sellers are in a &#8220;mess&#8221; because of the recent rally in the stock prices, which can potentially create a short squeeze, forcing the short sellers out at a higher price.
This stems from the goal of a short seller to sell high and buy low. Therefore, they want to &#8220;cover&#8221; their short positions, which is to buy back the shares, at a price lower than the price at which they initially sold them. This difference is their profit.
<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">Nvidia and Apple are so heavily shorted that i don&#39;t think the shorts are going to play their hands first. They are going to let them rally and hit them again. That&#39;s the only way they can get out of this mess because they can cover after they drive them down a bit. That said,…
&mdash; Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcramer/status/1911713913265172960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/04/44783093/mark-cuban-examines-trumps-tariff-exemptions-rationale-on-electronics-thats-billions-of-revenue-for-the-usa">Mark Cuban Examines Trump&#8217;s Tariff Exemptions Rationale On Electronics: &#8216;That&#8217;s Billions Of Revenue For The USA&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: The Magnificent 7 stocks, which have declined on a year-to-date basis, have advanced over the last few sessions after President Donald Trump&#8217;s pause on the reciprocal tariffs.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stocks</td>
<td>Monday&#8217;s Premarket</td>
<td>Friday&#8217;s Performance</td>
<td>YTD Performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)</td>
<td>3.16%</td>
<td>3.12%</td>
<td>19.80%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)</td>
<td>5.81%</td>
<td>4.06%</td>
<td>-18.74%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)</td>
<td>0.75%</td>
<td>1.86%</td>
<td>-7.20%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)</td>
<td>1.17%</td>
<td>2.01%</td>
<td>-16.05%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)</td>
<td>1.22%</td>
<td>2.59%</td>
<td>-16.38%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>)</td>
<td>1.18%</td>
<td>-0.50%</td>
<td>-9.29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)</td>
<td>1.58%</td>
<td>-0.04%</td>
<td>-33.48%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The premarket advance was also followed by President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44778464/trump-administration-grants-tariff-reprieve-to-tech-industry-apple-and-nvidia-among-beneficiaries">temporarily exempting</a> smartphones, computers, and semiconductors from new U.S. reciprocal tariffs on Friday. A 20% tariff remains on all Chinese goods, reversing part of a recently imposed 145% tariff. 
Meanwhile, the Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated these electronics exemptions are temporary, and further tariffs could follow soon. However, Trump also said on Sunday that he would reveal the tariff rate on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44782569/trump-to-unveil-semiconductor-tariff-plan-this-week-signals-flexibility-on-tech-exemptions">imported semiconductors</a> in the coming week 
Price Action: After a recovery on Friday, the Nasdaq 100 index was 15.9% lower than its previous high of 22,222.61 points. The S&amp;P 500 index was down 12.75% from its record of 6,147.43 points, and the Dow Jones declined 10.78% from its 52-week high of 45,073.63 points.
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, were higher in premarket on Friday. The SPY was up 1.18% to $540.26, while the QQQ advanced 1.41% to $460.81, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
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MSFT

NVDA

Jim Cramer Warns Nvidia And Apple Shorts May Let Stocks Rally Before Striking Again: 'Only Way They Can Get Out Of This Mess'

The European Union (EU) is contemplating imposing&nbsp;levies on U.S. tech giants like Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Google (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>) if the ongoing tariff negotiations with the Trump administration fail to be resolved.
What Happened: Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission president, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fba18bd9-46f9-4736-89f3-976afe3abf7a">told</a> the Financial Times that the EU is seeking a balanced agreement with Washington during a 90-day pause in additional tariffs. However, if the talks fail, the EU is ready to expand the trade war to services, potentially including a tax on digital advertising revenues.
The measure would involve a tariff implemented uniformly across the single market, unlike digital sales taxes, which are levied separately by individual member states, explained Von der Leyen. 
Von der Leyen warned, &#8220;We are developing retaliatory measures,&#8221; which may involve the first application of the bloc's anti-coercion instrument, which has the authority to target services exports. Depending on how the negotiations unfold, this could lead to tariffs on services trade between the U.S. and the EU.
Last Thursday, the EU Commission suspended its planned response to U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs, citing the necessity of negotiations with Washington. These measures would have impacted approximately €21 billion ($23.90 billion) worth of U.S. imports, including items like orange juice, poultry and yachts.
If negotiations fail, the EU will reinstate retaliatory measures against the steel and aluminium tariffs by the U.S.. Von der Leyen also warned that additional countermeasures could target the U.S.&#8217;s large services trade surplus with the EU.
Why It Matters: This potential move by the EU comes in the wake of ongoing global trade tensions. Kevin O'Leary, of Shark Tank fame, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44706557/kevin-oleary-calls-eu-tariff-proposal-a-huge-opportunity-for-trump-to-find-an-off-ramp-amid-global-market-volatility">had suggested</a> that the EU's "zero-for-zero" tariff proposal on industrial goods offered President Donald Trump a significant opportunity to de-escalate trade tensions.
Furthermore, last week, the EU and China <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44756940/europe-china-eye-ev-price-pact-to-avert-trump-tariff-escalation-after-tesla-ceo-elon-musk-pushes-for-zero-eu-tariffs-amid-declining-sales">agreed to explore </a>setting minimum prices for Chinese-made electric vehicles as an alternative to tariffs imposed last year. This backdrop of events underscores the EU&#8217;s active efforts to negotiate and find alternatives to tariff impositions, highlighting the gravity of the current situation with the US.
READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/25/04/44779863/warren-buffetts-son-sold-his-berkshire-stock-inheritance-to-buy-something-infinitely-more-valuable-than-the-500-million-it-would-be-worth-today" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warren Buffett&#8217;s Son Sold His Berkshire Stock Inheritance To Buy Something &#8216;Infinitely More Valuable&#8217; Than The $500 Million It Would Be Worth Today &#8211; Benzinga</a>
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Economics

EU Threatens Additional Taxes On US Tech Giants Amid Ongoing Tariff War: 'We Are Developing Retaliatory Measures', Says Von der Leyen

As the Federal Trade Commission prepares to face off against Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) in a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/44780047/mark-zuckerbergs-empire-in-jeopardy-as-meta-faces-antitrust-battle-in-court">landmark antitrust case</a>, all eyes are on U.S. District Judge James Boasberg — a figure with a history of high-stakes rulings and headline-making decisions.
What Happened: On Monday, Boasberg will preside over a trial that could reshape the tech industry. The FTC has alleged that Meta used its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp to cement an illegal social media monopoly.&nbsp;
If the agency succeeds, it could lead to the forced breakup of one of the world's most valuable companies — a $1.37 trillion corporate empire.
A Meta spokesperson pushed back against the FTC&#8217;s lawsuit, saying it paints an inaccurate picture of Facebook as a monopoly while ignoring key rivals in the social media space.
They underscored that Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp face strong competition from several other platforms like ByteDance-owned TikTok, YouTube by 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, and Apple Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) iMessage.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44451506/jeremy-clarkson-claims-victory-over-elon-musk-after-17-years-amid-tesla-vandalism-warned-you-no-good-would-come-of-your-buying-choice" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jeremy Clarkson Claims Victory Over Elon Musk After 17 Years Amid Tesla Vandalism: Warned You ‘No Good Would Come Of Your Buying Choice'</a>
Boasberg, appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2011 and now chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is no stranger to politically charged cases.
He has handled matters ranging from Donald Trump-era <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44428767/trump-administration-failed-to-respond-to-court-order-on-deportation-flights-explain-non-compliance-by-tuesday-says-judge">deportation policies</a> to surveillance court rulings and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/16/10/8618898/hillary-clinton-emails-under-investigation-again-markets-get-rocked">high-profile disputes involving</a> Hillary Clinton's emails and Trump's tax records.
Known for his sharp wit and cultural references, Boasberg once cited "Star Trek" in a ruling, writing "resistance is futile" to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a Trump aide challenging the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/politics/24/06/39552967/supreme-court-backs-jan-6-rioter-could-this-affect-trumps-case">Jan. 6 congressional investigation</a>, reported Reuters.
He also ordered former Vice President Mike Pence to testify in the Trump election interference probe and denied an attempt to access Trump&#8217;s tax returns in 2017.
Why It Matters: Last month, Trump called for Boasberg's impeachment over rulings involving immigration and federal oversight. That led to a rare public defense from Chief Justice John Roberts and a Justice Department motion seeking to remove Boasberg from a case.
During the same month, Boasberg also directed key agencies from the Trump administration to retain any Signal messages exchanged between March 11 and March 15.
This order comes as part of a preservation <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44485684/trump-administration-officials-face-lawsuit-over-signal-leak-war-planning-doesnt-belong-in-emoji-laden-disappearing-group-chats">lawsuit sparked by reports</a> that top Cabinet members were using the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss military strategies.&nbsp;
Before his appointment to the federal bench, Boasberg served as a D.C. prosecutor and a local judge. In 2018, Boasberg took on the role of a prosecutor in a theatrical production penned by former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, which reimagined Shakespeare's Hamlet as a courtroom drama.
Meta boasts a solid growth score of 74.90%, according to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. <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</a> Alphabet, Apple, and other major companies.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/META"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/14001359/Screenshot-2025-04-14-at-9.43.55%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-869312" /></a></figure>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Star Trek-Quoting Judge Boasberg, Once Targeted By Trump, Could Decide If Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Gets To Keep Instagram

President Donald Trump's tariffs against America's trading partners and the subsequent retaliatory measures from China and Europe resulted in major losses for investors across the globe, with no end to volatility in sight. Trade tensions may ease amid expected deals between key countries, but prudent investors are rethinking their long-term strategies.
Dividend stocks have gained significance in this period of market turbulence because of their strong history. A March <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/documents/research/research-sp500-dividend-aristocrats.pdf">report</a> from S&amp;P Global showed that dividends have accounted for about 31% of the total S&amp;P 500 returns since 1926.
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A few weeks ago, a dividend investor<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/dividends/comments/1jic07f/retired_in_2021/"> shared</a> his income report and portfolio details on r/Dividends — a Reddit community with over 700,000 followers. The portfolio screenshots shared by the investor showed he was making about $9,250 per month, or $111,100 annually, in dividends. His total portfolio yield was about 2.3%.&nbsp;
"Dividends and interest cover 60% of expenses. Decent growth without huge volatility," he said.
The investor, 58, said he was a software engineer in Silicon Valley and retired in 2021. He said his goal is to cover his expenses of $15,000 per month with dividends by 2030.&nbsp;
"YOLO'd tech stocks in my IRA," the investor said, referring to the social media slang for taking a bold, high-risk approach.
Trending: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/rad-intel">invest pre-IPO from $0.55 per share now</a>.
Let's take a look at some of the key holdings in the investor's portfolio.
iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF&nbsp;
The iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHV#NASDAQ">SHV</a>) gives investors exposure to US Treasury bonds with remaining maturities of one year or less. SHV is suitable for investors looking for low-risk funds to preserve capital and earn income.&nbsp; The investor said SHV accounted for about 5% of his total portfolio.
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AGG#NYSE">AGG</a>) was another key bond ETF in the investor's portfolio.&nbsp; The fund tracks an index composed of investment-grade US bonds.
See Also: BlackRock is calling 2025 the year of alternative assets. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/masterworks">One firm from NYC has quietly built a group of 60,000+ investors who have all joined in on an alt asset class previously exclusive to billionaires like Bezos and Gates.</a>
&nbsp;Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
The investor earning about $9,000 in monthly dividends had Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHD#NYSE">SCHD</a>) in his portfolio. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and provides exposure to some of the top dividend stocks trading in the U.S., including Verizon (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>), Coca-Cola (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KO#NYSE">KO</a>), ConocoPhillips (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COP#NYSE">COP</a>), Lockheed Martin (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>), PepsiCo (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PEP#NASDAQ">PEP</a>) and Chevron (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>).&nbsp;
iShares Core S&amp;P 500 ETF
The investor making $9,000 a month in dividends said about 60% of his portfolio was allocated to the iShares Core S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IVV#NYSE">IVV</a>). The fund tracks the S&amp;P 500 Index and yields about 1.2%. It provides investors exposure to some of the biggest companies in the world, including Nvidia (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>, GOOGL)), among others.
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SCHD

Software Engineer Making $9,000 a Month in Dividends Shares Portfolio, Says He 'YOLO'd Tech Stocks in IRA'

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and 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>) have reportedly decided to invest in the artificial intelligence startup co-founded by former OpenAI <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38834519/openai-chief-scientist-ilya-sutskever-steps-down-ceo-sam-altman-calls-him-a-guiding-light-of-ai-fiel">chief scientist</a> Ilya Sutskever.
What Happened: The specific terms of Nvidia's and Alphabet's investments in Safe Superintelligence (SSI) have not been disclosed, reported Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Earlier this week, Alphabet's cloud division signed an agreement to provide SSI with access to its custom-built AI chips, known as tensor processing units (TPUs).
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While TPUs were initially reserved for internal use only, Google is now scaling up external sales of these chips to support advanced AI research, the report noted, citing Darren Mowry, a managing director overseeing Google's startup collaborations
Traditionally, AI developers have leaned on Nvidia's GPUs, which dominate the AI chip market with an over 80% share. However, according to two individuals familiar with the matter, SSI is largely relying on Google's TPUs over GPUs for its AI work.
Google Cloud currently provides access to both Nvidia GPUs and its own TPUs. These proprietary chips are already instrumental in training major AI models — including those from Anthropic, a key OpenAI rival supported by billions in funding from both Google and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>).
Meanwhile, Amazon has entered the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/12/42356920/amazon-halts-inferentia-ai-chip-development-to-take-on-nvidia-how-trainium-is-shaping-up-to-be-the-new-weapon-in-ai-chip-wars">fray with its own chips</a> — Trainium and Inferentia — aimed at competing in the AI infrastructure space. As early as 2023, the company disclosed that Anthropic would build its systems using Amazon's chips.
In December, Amazon unveiled a supercomputer powered by hundreds of thousands of its in-house processors, with Anthropic as its inaugural user.
Despite these developments, sources say Anthropic continues to actively use Google's TPUs and hasn't cut back on its investments in them, the report said.
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 Matters: The trend of cloud giants investing in AI startups that not only develop foundational models but also act as infrastructure clients is gaining momentum.
Amazon and Google have both backed Anthropic, while Microsoft has made major investments in OpenAI. Nvidia, meanwhile, supports both OpenAI and Elon Musk's xAI venture.
SSI, which has reached a reported <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43772135/ex-openai-chief-scientist-ilya-sutskevers-ai-startup-valued-at-30-billion-in-latest-funding-round-report">valuation of $32 billion</a> in a funding round led by Greenoaks, has quickly become one of the most closely watched companies in the AI space.
Meanwhile, Mira Murati, another former OpenAI executive, is also reportedly seeking to raise a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/44756971/former-openai-cto-mira-murati-targets-record-breaking-2-billion-seed-round-for-new-ai-startup">record-breaking $2 billion</a> for her new AI venture, Thinking Machines Lab.
Amazon boasts an impressive growth score of 94.18%, according to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. You can compare this with companies like Nvidia, Alphabet, and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">others by clicking here</a>.
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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>.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Nvidia, Alphabet To Back OpenAI Co-Founder Ilya Sutskever's New AI Startup Safe Superintelligence: Report

Adaptive Security, a New York-based cybersecurity firm, has successfully raised $43 million in a Series A funding round. According to<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smallbusiness/why-openai-and-andreessen-horowitz-just-bet-43-million-on-this-little-known-startup/ar-AA1Cmvds"> Inc.</a>, this round was co-led by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">OpenAI</a>&#8216;s Startup Fund and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/startups/24/08/40221033/peter-thiel-launched-j-d-vances-venture-capital-career-but-a-former-colleague-says-he-was-rarely-in">venture capital</a> firm Andreessen Horowitz, marking OpenAI&#8217;s inaugural investment in the cybersecurity sector.
Other participants included Abstract Ventures, Eniac Ventures, CrossBeam Ventures, and K5, along with executives from companies such as Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>, GOOGL)), Workday (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDAY#NASDAQ">WDAY</a>), Shopify (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHOP#NYSE">SHOP</a>), Plaid, and Paxos.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Strategic $43M Investment in Cyber Defense</h2>
Adaptive Security was founded after its creators recognized the growing threat of AI-enabled cyber attacks. The startup is creating a new AI-native defense platform that will enable enterprises to proactively detect, protect against, and respond to advanced threats, such as deep fake social engineering.
The program uses AI to scan and flag fraudulent-looking messages by assigning them risk levels and alerting company security teams. Adaptive Security also preemptively tests employees with simulated phishing attacks via AI-generated emails, text messages, and voice calls, offering personalized training if they fall for the simulated phishing attempts.
Brian Long, co-founder and CEO of Adaptive Security, emphasized the company&#8217;s mission on the startup&#8217;s official site: &#8220;Adaptive's mission is to protect people from AI-powered cyber attacks. Over the next decade, we will work tirelessly to stay one step ahead of attackers with enhanced features, new products, and scale to every business globally.&#8221;
Trending: ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/mode-mobile-2">You can invest today for just $0.26/share with a $1000 minimum.</a>
This investment is all the more notable as it involves OpenAI, a pioneer in AI research and deployment. This collaboration shows a broader recognition in the industry when it comes to the importance of strong cybersecurity measures, especially since the pace of development around AI increased. Adaptive Security&#8217;s platform is designed to stay one step ahead of malicious actors who use AI increasingly to carry out sophisticated cyber attacks.
Adaptive Security was publicly launched in January and has since signed over 100 customers, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/03/openai-just-made-its-first-cybersecurity-investment/">TechCrunch</a> wrote. According to Inc., some of the early adopters include Podium, First State Bank, the Dallas Mavericks, and BMC.
Word of how well this pilot project went spread, and that was a big factor in attracting OpenAI&#8217;s attention and subsequent investment. The fresh capital will be used to expand the engineering team, whose goal is to enhance the platform to better defend against new AI-powered cyber attacks.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/vatom-adv">Invest in the Future of Digital Engagement. Own a Piece of the $100 Billion Metaverse Today for Just $500.</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What the Investment Means for Adaptive Security's Future</h2>
Cybersecurity is undergoing a paradigm shift with cybercriminals using generative AI to enhance the scale and sophistication of their attacks. Such advanced threats are often beyond traditional security solutions.
Adaptive Security&#8217;s ingenious approach addresses this gap by identifying and handling threats and by strengthening the human element within organizations through specific training and simulations.
Having Andreessen Horowitz on board also proves the startup can set a new bar in the cybersecurity sector. Adaptive Security&#8217;s mission aligns with the venture capital firm's commitment to paving the way for impactful technology portfolio startups. Together, these two forces can drive the development and deployment of the solutions that will protect businesses from the next generation of cyber threats. ​
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SHOP

WDAY

OpenAI And Andreessen Horowitz Lead $43M Round For Cybersecurity Startup Taking On AI Scammers, Deepfakes, And Voice Spoofs

WIIM

Alphabet shares are trading higher amid overall market strength.

Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) co-founder Jack Ma voiced his ideas and vision for a responsible and human-oriented artificial intelligence (AI) on Thursday at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/alibaba" rel="noreferrer noopener">company&#8217;s cloud unit</a>.
Ma, 60, visited Alibaba Cloud&#8217;s campus in Hangzhou on Thursday, wearing an employee badge.
He highlighted that the ultimate purpose of AI is to help people live better and more meaningful lives, SCMP <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3306091/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-calls-responsible-ai-amid-its-wide-adoption-across-china" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44714832/alibaba-expands-global-ai-push-as-deepseeks-cheap-models-spark-fierce-tech-rivalry" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Cloud Bolsters AI Offerings To Competes Globally With New LLMs</a>
Ma stressed responsible AI development by Alibaba Cloud. He also emphasized that AI should help to understand and serve humanity, not replace it.
For context, Alibaba fired 20,000 employees in 2023 after downsizing a similar workforce in 2022, Bloomberg <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-07/alibaba-reduced-headcount-by-a-further-20-000-in-2023?sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> in February 2024.
U.S. hyperscalars also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43352019/amazon-cuts-more-jobs-in-cost-saving-push-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">downsized in thousands</a>, citing a cost-saving push. Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) initiated a record corporate downsizing&nbsp;in 2022, affecting 27,000 positions, followed by multiple smaller rounds of layoffs. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) fired 10,000 employees in early 2023, implying 4%-5% of its workforce.
In 2024, Microsoft <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44668801/microsoft-plans-major-china-exit-axes-2000-jobs-as-geopolitical-tensions-and-strategy-shifts-mount" rel="noreferrer noopener">let go of</a> ~4000 employees. In 2023,&nbsp;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>)&nbsp;Google&nbsp;cut 12,000 jobs, affecting ~6% of its workforce. Since November 2022, Meta&nbsp;Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) said it had laid off 21,000 employees, implying 25% of its workforce.&nbsp;
Ma relinquished <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44745275/alibaba-bets-big-on-ai-with-new-cloud-tools-as-jack-ma-reemerges-in-company-comeback" rel="noreferrer noopener">his corporate roles</a> and maintained a low profile since Chinese regulators scrapped the ambitious initial public offering of his fintech giant&nbsp;Ant Group. This was followed by an antitrust crackdown on domestic giants, including Alibaba, that lasted nearly three years.
Alibaba&#8217;s&nbsp;record <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/22/06/27622185/alibaba-hands-out-bulk-of-2021s-antitrust-penalty-china-signals-ease-in-crackdown-as-it-continue-to" rel="noreferrer noopener">18.2 billion yuan penalty</a> and Meituan&#8217;s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MONGY#OTC">MONGY</a>) 3.4 billion yuan fine over their monopolistic practices formed the bulk of the penalties for 2021.
However, Ma remains an Alibaba shareholder and spiritual leader. Ma has frequently appeared at Alibaba offices lately as the Chinese e-commerce juggernaut eyes a turnaround leveraging its AI moat.
Benchmark analyst Fawne Jiang noted that Alibaba is undergoing a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/02/43888574/alibabas-ai-expansion-e-commerce-growth-reinforce-bullish-analyst-outlook" rel="noreferrer noopener">long-awaited structural restructuring</a>, driven by a rebound in its core e-commerce business. The analyst pronounced Alibaba as a leading player in China&#8217;s AI sector. Alibaba stands out with its competitive edge in infrastructure, proprietary models, and application capacity across diverse use cases.
Alibaba committed at least 380 billion yuan ($52 billion) in cloud computing and AI infrastructure over the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44745275/alibaba-bets-big-on-ai-with-new-cloud-tools-as-jack-ma-reemerges-in-company-comeback" rel="noreferrer noopener">next three years</a>.
Price Action:&nbsp;BABA stock is up 0.07% at $104.20 at&nbsp;the last check on Friday.
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BABA

MONGY

Use AI Responsibly, It Should Serve Humanity, Not Replace It: Alibaba's Jack Ma

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/google" rel="noreferrer noopener">reached an agreement</a> with 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>) Google Thursday to lower the costs of Google products and services for the federal government.
Google <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/newsroom/news-releases/gsa-secures-cost-savings-through-strategic-agreement-with-google-04102025" rel="noreferrer noopener">agreed to offer</a> Workspace to every federal agency at a temporary price reduction of 71% off the current Multiple Award Schedules Program (MAS IT) pricing, regardless of transaction size.
GSA&#8217;s Information Technology Vendor Management Office (ITVMO) is working with Google to expand competitive pricing for its Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services.
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The temporary Workplace pricing arrangement on MAS expires on September 30, 2025.
Google offerings include integrated, advanced AI-powered capabilities like Gemini, NotebookLM, and Advanced Gemini 2.0.
Google&#8217;s move reflects rivalry with Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>). It also coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s drive to minimize federal spending.
Google&#8217;s discount under the GSA deal could generate up to $2 billion in cost savings for federal agencies, Reuters reports
The GSA became the first target of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)&nbsp;layoffs, which Elon Musk headed.
Microsoft&#8217;s estimated share of the U.S. government software market stood at 85% in 2021, Reuters cited Omdia.
Google beefed up its offerings with AI features powered by its large language model Gemini to its Workspace suite, intensifying rivalry with Microsoft. The Air Force Research Laboratory has already used Workspace.
Separately, Google&nbsp;downsized hundreds of its platforms and devices unit workforce on Thursday, dedicated to its Android software, Pixel phones, and Chrome browser, Reuters reported citing the information.
In February, Google announced&nbsp;a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/startups/25/02/43681931/googles-ai-ambitions-spark-cost-cuts-over-25000-employees-offered-buyouts-as-company-focuses-on-speed-and-efficiency" rel="noreferrer noopener">voluntary exit program</a> for over 25,000 employees in its Platforms and Devices division, including major teams behind Android, Chrome, Google Photos, and hardware products like Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. In 2023, the company&nbsp;laid off ~12,000 employees, ~6% of its global workforce, spending $2.1 billion on severance and related costs.&nbsp;
Price Action: GOOGL stock is up 1.04% at $154.42 at last check Friday.
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What's Going On With Google Parent Alphabet Stock On Friday?

UBS analyst Lloyd Walmsley maintains Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) with a Neutral and lowers the price target from $209 to $173.

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

UBS Maintains Neutral on Alphabet, Lowers Price Target to $173

On CNBC's <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/04/10/final-trades-vertex-robinhood-palo-alto-and-crowdstrike.html">&#8220;Halftime Report Final Trades</a>,&#8221; Joshua Brown of Ritholtz Wealth Management picked CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWD#NASDAQ">CRWD</a>).
On Wednesday, CrowdStrike announced an expansion of its partnership with Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google Cloud to enable end-to-end security for AI innovation with the company's Falcon Cloud Security platform.
Don't forget to check out our<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/"> premarket coverage here</a>
Brenda&nbsp;Vingiello of Sand Hill Global Advisors named Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRTX#NASDAQ">VRTX</a>), saying the first non-opioid pain medication <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/VRTX/earnings">will be a game changer</a>.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals will report its first-quarter financial results on Monday, May 5, after the closing bell.
Bryn Talkington of Requisite Capital Management picked Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>) as her final trade.
On the earnings front, Robinhood Markets will release its first quarter financial results on Wednesday, April 30, after the closing bell. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings at 37 cents per share on revenue of $909.41 million.
Stephanie Link of Hightower named Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PANW#NASDAQ">PANW</a>), a cybersecurity stock.
Supporting her view, HSBC analyst Stephen Bersey, on Thursday, upgraded Palo Alto Networks from Reduce to Hold and announced a $156 price target.
Price Action:
<ul>
<li>Vertex Pharmaceuticals shares fell 1.4% to close at $475.49 on Thursday.</li>
<li>Robinhood shares dipped 4% to close at $40.51 during Thursday's session.</li>
<li>CrowdStrike shares fell 2.5% to close at $368.61 on Thursday.</li>
<li>Palo Alto Networks fell 2.8% to settle at $168.27 during Thursday's session.</li>
</ul>
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Long Ideas

Trading Ideas

CRWD

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PANW

VRTX

CrowdStrike, Robinhood, Palo Alto Networks And A Health Care Stock On CNBC's 'Final Trades'

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU is preparing a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44705879/trump-tariffs-push-eu-to-hit-23-billion-in-us-exports-including-orange-juice-poulty-and-steel-from-red-states">slate of retaliatory measures</a> that could include levies on digital advertising revenues from U.S. tech companies like Facebook-parent Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and 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.
What Happened: The warning comes as transatlantic trade tensions rise, with President Donald Trump imposing steep new tariffs on European goods.
"We are developing retaliatory measures," von der Leyen <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fba18bd9-46f9-4736-89f3-976afe3abf7a">told</a> the Financial Times, noting the EU would seek a "completely balanced" agreement with Washington during Trump's <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/04/44660475/more-than-50-nations-ready-to-revisit-tariffs-says-white-house-advisor">90-day tariff pause</a>.&nbsp;
If talks fail, she warned, "There's a wide range of countermeasures &#8230; in case the negotiations are not satisfactory."
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44641631/trumps-reciprocal-tariffs-threaten-to-derail-big-techs-billion-dollar-ai-infrastructure-plans-analysts-warn-stargate-was-already-unlikely-to-get-to-that-scale" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Reciprocal Tariffs Threaten To Derail Big Tech&#8217;s Billion-Dollar AI Infrastructure Plans, Analyst Singles Out This OpenAI-Linked Project As Likely To Get Hit</a>
These retaliatory measures could include:&nbsp;
Taxes on American tech companies that earn big money in Europe, especially through digital advertising revenue. Von der Leyen said that this would differ from digital sales taxes implemented individually by member states.
"It's a turning point with the United States without any question," von der Leyen said. "We will never go back any more to the status quo."
Pointing to the disruption in stock and bond markets, she stated, "There are no winners in this, only losers."
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 Matters: Two of the U.S.&#8217;s biggest trade partners, China and the EU—which represent 8% and 13% of its overall trade, respectively—earlier indicated plans to respond with countermeasures.
However, on Thursday, the European Commission decided to pause its planned retaliatory measures against the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. The proposed EU response would have impacted approximately €21 billion worth of American imports, including items like poultry, orange juice, and yachts.
China has already imposed reciprocal <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44645172/china-retaliates-with-34-tariff-on-all-us-imports-urges-trump-to-immediately-cancel-the-tariffs-calls-for-negotiation">tariffs of 34% on all goods imported</a> from the U.S.
On the other hand, the U.K. government is reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44663080/apple-facebook-and-google-become-bargaining-chips-in-us-trade-war-eu-threatens-retaliation-uk-offers-tax-relief-for-lower-tariffs">seeking to ease tensions</a> with Trump over trade tariffs by offering substantial tax breaks to major American tech companies.
The proposed relief would impact digital giants such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Google, Facebook, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), and others currently paying the UK's DST.
Meta boasts an impressive growth score of 74.89%, according to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. To see how it stacks up against Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, and other major <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">companies, click here</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Meta, Google And Other Big US Tech Firms Could End Up Paying Up If Trump Tariff Talks Collapse, Warns European Commission President: 'No Winners In This, Only Losers'

TikTok has reportedly laid off some of its U.S.-based e-commerce governance and experience team, just days after President Donald Trump <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/04/44655624/trumps-tariff-hike-pushes-back-tiktok-us-deal-as-china-opposes-the-sale-extending-the-deadline-for-bytedances-divestment">extended the deadline</a> for parent company ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations.
What Happened: The layoffs affected members of the Governance and Experience team, which handles marketplace safety, seller compliance, and intellectual property protection within TikTok Shop, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-lays-off-staff-ecommerce-restructuring-2025-4">reported</a> Business Insider, citing five employees at the company.&nbsp;The total number of job cuts is yet unclear.
TikTok's e-commerce unit has been under scrutiny from global leadership after falling short of expectations. In February, top executive Bob Kang criticized the team during an all-hands meeting, and several employees received low performance review scores in March, leading to severance-based exits or performance improvement plans.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44641631/trumps-reciprocal-tariffs-threaten-to-derail-big-techs-billion-dollar-ai-infrastructure-plans-analysts-warn-stargate-was-already-unlikely-to-get-to-that-scale" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs Threaten To Derail Big Tech's Billion-Dollar AI Infrastructure Plans, Analyst Singles Out This OpenAI-Linked Project As Likely To Get Hit</a>
This round of layoffs follows earlier cuts in February to TikTok's global trust and safety team, which oversees broader content moderation.
TikTok did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga's</a> request for comments.
Why It Matters: The move coincides with fresh uncertainty about TikTok's future in the U.S. Last week, Trump extended the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok, giving the company an additional 75 days. The previous deadline had expired Saturday.
A deal had reportedly been approved by ByteDance, the U.S. government, and new American investors but collapsed after Trump imposed steep new tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to withhold approval.
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.
In January, ahead of TikTok's initially proposed ban date, Wall Street analysts <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tiktok-ban-stock-winners-alternatives-meta-alphabet-youtube-snap-reddit-2025-1">identified</a> three stocks that could <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43072303/mark-zuckerberg-stands-to-gain-from-tiktoks-us-ban-analysis-shows-meta-could-reap-billions-in-ad-revenue">experience significant gains</a>: Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Snap Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNAP#NYSE">SNAP</a>) and 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>).
Meta is widely seen as the top contender to benefit from a TikTok ban. Morgan Stanley analysts suggest that the company stands to gain the most, noting that if just 10% of TikTok users in the U.S. shift their screen time to Meta&#8217;s apps, it could boost Meta's 2026 earnings-per-share (EPS) by approximately $0.60—raising its estimate to around $30 per share.
Deutsche Bank analysts see Snap as the company with the most to gain in terms of percentage upside.
YouTube, Alphabet's video platform, also stands to benefit—especially its short-form content segment. Morgan Stanley estimates that if YouTube manages to draw in 10% of TikTok's screen time, it could see an additional $750 million in ad revenue, representing a 2% lift for YouTube's projected 2026 ad revenue. That would equate to a modest 0.3% increase in Alphabet's total advertising income.
Meta holds a strong growth score of 74.91% based on Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. You can see how it compares to Snap, Alphabet, and other <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">companies by clicking here</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Social Media

SNAP

TikTok E-Commerce Team Reportedly Hit With Layoffs Days After Trump's ByteDance Deadline Reset

Benchmark analyst Mark Miller upgraded Western Digital Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDC#NASDAQ">WDC</a>) from Hold to Buy with a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WDC/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">$55&nbsp;price target Thursday</a>.
Investor&#8217;s concern over tariffs has produced compelling valuations for some tech hardware stocks.
In Benchmark&#8217;s 26 years of coverage, the forward valuations of hard drive stocks have typically ranged from mid-single digits to teen multiples.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43065734/western-digital-poised-for-long-term-growth-despite-short-term-nand-pressures-analysts-say" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western Digital Faces &#8216;Challenging Pricing Environment,&#8217; But There&#8217;s Long-Term Potential: Analysts</a>
Western Digital stock is trading at the low end of this historic range. Miller deemed the stock attractive, backed by its valuation, expected double-digit growth in data center spending by the major hyperscalers, the AI opportunity, and lower expected interest expense.
In a recent survey, nearly two-thirds of respondents from companies that use cloud as their leading storage medium expect their cloud-based storage to grow by more than 100% over the next three years.
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>), Amazon.Com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) will likely increase their combined capital expenditure by 40%, from roughly $230 billion in 2024 to $322 billion in 2025.
According to estimates, close to 89% of data stored by leading cloud service providers is stored on hard drives. Last quarter, Western Digital reported a record Nearline Exabytes (EB) shipment and Data Center sale.
Strong data center spending should continue to aid Western Digital&#8217;s stock. Driven by AI, the size of the Global Datasphere will likely rise to 175 zettabytes this year.
Western Digital has several AI opportunities. Due to the lower storage cost on hard drives, a nearline storage HDD has a unit price per GB of $0.013, while large capacity SSDs for servers have a unit price per GB of $0.123, nearly 9.5 times higher than HDDs. SSDs are attractive for both AI learning and generative applications.
AI users believe the adoption of trustworthy AI requires an increased need to store more data for extended periods, which also favors hard drives over flash.
Miller noted that the ramp-up of PCs with AI chips in the second half of 2025 will drive a refresh cycle for PCs.
As a result of Sandisk Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNDK#NASDAQ">SNDK</a>) spin-out, Western Digital holds about 24 million SanDisk stock. Miller noted that Western Digital will divest these shares and use the proceeds to pay down debt, saving an estimated $0.15 to $0.20 per diluted share in annual interest expense.&nbsp;&nbsp;
For Western Digital, Miller projected third-quarter revenue of $2.70 billion and EPS of $1.32 (prior $1.12).
Price Action: Western Digital stock closed lower by 3.94% to $34.87 on Thursday.
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Western Digital Stock Is Attractive, Backed By Cheap Valuation And AI Surge: Analyst

Jefferies analyst Edison Lee upgraded Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) from Underperform to Hold and lowered the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AAPL/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">price target from $202.33 to $167.88 on Wednesday</a>.
Lee&#8217;s base case remains that Apple would be exempted from U.S. tariffs, given its commitment to invest $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years and his belief that it would make additional manufacturing investment commitments in the US (to make iPhones, for example). 
However, a rising global recession risk could further impact already-weak iPhone demand.
The analyst lowered his iPhone shipment forecasts by 3.6% for fiscal 2025, 7.7% for fiscal 2026, and 5.5% for fiscal 2027 (without changing ASP and margin assumptions). This drives cuts of 2% for fiscal 2025, 4.1% for fiscal 2026, and 3.5% for fiscal 2027 revenue.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/04/44720209/apple-faces-up-to-90-cost-surge-on-iphones-if-us-tariffs-stick-analyst-looks-at-possible-shift-to-india-price-increase" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Faces Up To 90% Cost Surge On iPhones If US Tariffs Stick: Analyst Looks At Possible Shift To India, Price Increase</a>
He also included a $50 price hike for iPhone 18 (2026, except the base model) and another $100 hike for iPhone 19 (2027, all models), driven mainly by higher hardware costs due to more memory and the introduction of advanced packaging and fast DRAM by 2027.
Lee&#8217;s fiscal 2025, fiscal 2026, and fiscal 2027 EPS are now below consensus by 2.5%, 8.5%, and 3.4%.
The analyst noted the two headwinds facing AI on smartphones (not just iPhone) are a lack of fast DRAM and advanced packaging solutions (the smartphone version of HBM and CoWoS), which limits the AI model size, and a lack of access to app data, which means limited understanding of the users&#8217; social/ business contacts, daily schedules, and habits.
Lee noted that the hardware needed to run bigger smartphone AI models will be commercialized in 2027, assuming Apple will be the first smartphone OEM to adopt that (iPhone 19).
However, the second headwind is a structural problem that may not be easy to resolve since smartphone apps are a fragmented market with many players.
Most players, such as 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 Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), may not want to share data with Apple.
As a result, Lee cut his AI revenue forecasts (as of fiscal 2028) by using only the installed base of iPhone 19 and beyond and lower-paying penetration rates (20% to 50% versus 50% to 75%). This has led to cuts in Lee&#8217;s fiscal 2028 to fiscal 2031E EPS forecasts by 18% to 19%.
Even if Lee assumed Apple is exempted from US tariffs, its current valuation at 2.2 times fiscal 2025 PEG is far from cheap. If Apple has to bear all the tariff burden, the analyst estimated the fiscal 2025 and 2026 EPS impact at 14% and 12%, and the DCF would fall to $150. At 104% tariff for China, the fiscal 2025 and 2026 EPS impact would rise to 26% and 21%, and DCF would fall further to $126.
For Apple, Lee projected second-quarter revenue of $91.56 billion and EPS of $1.58.
Price Action: Apple stock is down 5.83% to $187.25 at last check Thursday.
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Image: Shutterstock

Apple Analyst Slashes Price Forecast On Weak iPhone Demand, AI Revenue Despite Less Tariff Risk

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