[Market Summary]
The U.S. stock market saw mixed results as technology stocks faced a sharp sell-off, while traditional industrial shares remained strong. Concerns that AI expansion could cannibalize the existing software and information services industry triggered a massive rotation.
Dow Jones: 49,501.30 (+260.31 pts, +0.53%)
S&P 500: 6,882.72 (-35.09 pts, -0.51%)
Nasdaq: 22,904.58 (-350.61 pts, -1.51%)
The "Claude" Shock: The tech rout was led by the semiconductor and software sectors. Anthropic released "Claude Cowork," an automated tool for legal, sales, and data analysis tasks, sparking fears that AI model creators will directly displace traditional information giants. Consequently, Gartner plummeted 20.1%, LSEG fell 12.4%, and S&P Global dropped 11.3%.
Semiconductor Plunge: The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 4.36%. Micron (MU) crashed 9.55%, and AMD tanked 17.2% after its Q1 guidance failed to meet high market expectations.
Geopolitics & Assets: Oil prices rose over 2% after the U.S. Navy shot down an Iranian drone. Gold and Silver rebounded ~5%, while Bitcoin fell below $75,000, hitting its lowest level since Trump’s election victory.
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[Featured Stocks & AI Strategy]
■ Alphabet (GOOGL)
Waymo's Massive Funding: Waymo secured $16 billion in investment, valuing the unit at $126 billion. Alphabet contributed $13 billion of the total.
Global Expansion: Waymo provides 400,000+ paid rides weekly and plans to expand to London and Tokyo by the end of 2026.
Capex Outlook: After hours, shares fell 1% as Alphabet projected its 2026 capital expenditure at $175B–$185B, significantly higher than the $119.5B estimate.
■ Nvidia (NVDA)
OpenAI Investment: Reports suggest Nvidia is set to invest $20 billion in OpenAI, its largest single investment to date, though it is less than the $100B previously rumored.
Analyst Support: Wolfe Research re-affirmed that Nvidia's valuation is compelling, driven by the upcoming mass production of Rubin and Rubin Ultra GPUs.
■ Amazon (AMZN)
Mega-store Strategy: Amazon is betting on a "Walmart-style" offline strategy with its first 225,000-sq-ft mega-store near Chicago to solve "last-mile" delivery costs.
Grid Hurdles: AWS warned that while it seeks to expand, securing power grid connections in Europe can take up to 7 years.
■ Super Micro Computer (SMCI)
Stellar Results: Reported Q2 adjusted EPS of $0.69 (vs $0.49 est) and revenue of $12.68B. Guidance for FY2026 was raised to at least $40 billion.
[Healthcare & Biotech Highlights]
■ Eli Lilly (LLY): Crushed estimates with Q4 revenue of $19.29B and issued bullish 2026 revenue guidance ($80B–$83B), surpassing consensus.
■ Pfizer (PFE): Reported Phase 2 success for its once-a-month obesity drug PF-3944, showing a 12.3% weight loss benefit.
■ Novo Nordisk (NVO): Despite a Q4 beat, shares fell on a pessimistic 2026 outlook, predicting a 5–13% decline in revenue and operating profit.
■ AbbVie (ABBV): Beat EPS estimates, but Humira sales crashed 26% due to biosimilar competition.
[Analyst Upgrades & Updates]
■ FedEx (FDX): Bernstein hiked its PT to $427 on the potential Freight unit spin-off.
■ Palantir (PLTR): Surged 11% during the session after beating Q4 estimates. William Blair upgraded to Outperform, viewing the software dip as a prime entry point.
■ SoFi (SOFI): JPMorgan upgraded to Overweight ($31 PT), calling SoFi the future "American Express of Fintech".
■ Cisco (CSCO): Reached a new all-time high, finally surpassing its 2000 Dotcom peak as its AI infra pivot pays off.
■ Silicon Labs (SLAB): Surged 35% after hours on news of a $7.5 billion acquisition by Texas Instruments (TXN).
[After-Hours Featured Stocks]
■ Qualcomm (QCOM)
Plunge: Fell 9% on weak guidance. CEO Cristiano Amon cited a memory chip shortage affecting smartphone customers as the primary cause.
■ Palantir (PLTR)
Continued Rally: Rose another 7% after hours following its robust Q4 report and strong forward guidance.
■ e.l.f. Beauty (ELF)
Surge: Jumped 15% after crushing quarterly estimates and raising its full-year guidance.
■ Chipotle (CMG)
Correction: Fell 7% as investors reacted to declining store traffic and "flat" same-store sales guidance for 2026.
■ Terawulf (WULF)
Growth: Jumped 9% after acquiring two major digital/power infrastructure sites in Kentucky and Maryland.
