Technology

Alphabet Is a ‘Best Idea,’ at Wedbush. Why the AI Threat to Google Search Is Overstated. — Barrons.com

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By Angela Palumbo Alphabet’s Google Search faces competitive risks from other generative artificial intelligence players, but one Wedbush analyst says investor concern is exaggerated. Scott Devitt moved Alphabet to the Wedbush Best Ideas List and increased the stock’s price target to $175 from $160. Google has been the number one search engine for decades. The concern among investors is that its dominance might be affected by the introduction of generative AI search engines such as ChatGPT — which offer an alternative, in-depth option. However, Devitt wrote in a research note Friday that he believes “the perceived structural risks to Google Search are overstated” and he continues “to view Alphabet as a net beneficiary of generative AI.” To compete with other AI companies — such as Microsoft’s Bing, which uses OpenAI’s GPT software — Alphabet introduced its Gemini suite of generative AI tools to the standard Google search engine. “Alphabet’s competitive

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CFRA Maintains Buy Opinion On Shares Of Apple Inc.

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CFRA, an independent research provider, has provided MT Newswires with the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows: The U.S. is suing AAPL, accusing it of monopolizing the smartphone market by citing that AAPL makes it difficult for competitors to integrate with the iPhone, thus raising prices and keeping consumers from switching. The government says AAPL seeks to lock in its users by preventing them from having access to software, like cloud-based mobile games, while non-Apple phones have limited features to iMessage (among other things). Although the DoJ’s case appears much more aggressive than any other towards AAPL and increases risk for investors, the case will likely take years to conclude and we note that U.S. regulators/DoJ have had a spotty record against Big Tech, at best. We do see an increasing likelihood that AAPL will be forced to incrementally open up its ecosystem over

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Nvidia Poised for ‘Solid Growth’ in Fiscal 2026, UBS Says

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Nvidia (NVDA) is expected to see “solid growth” in its fiscal 2026, aided by new product launches, including the Blackwell computing platform, UBS Securities said in a note e-mailed Friday. The firm increased its fiscal 2026 non-GAAP earnings outlook for the chip giant to $34.12 per share from $31.49 previously and its revenue estimate to $146.87 billion from $135.22 billion. “Following the Blackwell launch and having attended several sessions at GTC, we believe [Nvidia] sits on the cusp of an entirely new wave of demand from global enterprises and sovereigns — with each sovereign potentially as big as a large US cloud customer,” UBS analysts, including Timothy Arcuri, said in the note. The firm raised its price target on the Nvidia stock to $1,100 from $800, with a buy rating. The company’s shares were up 1.8% in recent trading.

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Alphabet a ‘Clear’ Beneficiary of Generative AI, Wedbush Says

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Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) remains a “clear” beneficiary of generative artificial intelligence amid the persistence of longer-term debates related to the technology, Wedbush Securities said in a note Friday. “We think Google benefits from structural search and generative-AI advantages that insulate the company from competitors,” Wedbush said. The firm noted that Alphabet shares have trailed mega cap peers Amazon.com (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) and the broader Nasdaq index year-to-date following Q4 results and the recent controversy related to historically inaccurate images generated by its AI model Gemini. “We think the setup has become more attractive in recent weeks with a reversal in sentiment emerging,” Wedbush said. “Specifically, we are encouraged by comments made during the company’s public appearance at an investor conference… regarding generative AI and Google Search, in addition to media reports earlier this week indicating that Google and Apple (AAPL) are in negotiations to integrate Gemini in upcoming iPhone

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Microsoft’s New AI Unit ‘Brings Balance, Not Displacement’ to OpenAI Partnership, Macquarie Says

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Microsoft’s (MSFT) launch of its new AI business unit “brings balance, not displacement” to its partnership with OpenAI, Macquarie said Thursday in a report. The launch is “another example of Microsoft’s strategic navigation of the rapidly evolving AI landscape,” Macquarie said. Microsoft selected an external team of AI experts to lead its new unit, and the company plans to build products with internally developed AI technology and key partners such as OpenAI, the report said. “In our view, the decision to create a separate AI unit staffed principally by accomplished AI researchers suggests Microsoft investing into its own AI competencies,” Macquarie said. Macquarie reiterated its outperform rating and $455 price target on Microsoft.

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Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence Investment, Talent Hires Through Inflection Drive AI Leadership, Macquarie Says

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Microsoft’s (MSFT) announcement this week that it will hire key talent from artificial intelligence research firm Inflection to spearhead a new Microsoft AI business will further cement its leadership and ability to strategically navigate the evolving market, Macquarie said in a note emailed Friday. The brokerage reiterated an outperform rating and $455 price target on Microsoft’s shares. On Tuesday, the company said it was hiring Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive of startup Inflection AI, and Inflection Chief Scientist Karen Simonyan to lead Microsoft AI, a new organization focused on advancing Copilot and other consumer AI products and research. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Reuters reported the moves as a licensing deal with Inflection valued at $650 million. Microsoft declined to comment to MT Newswires on the structure and price of the deal. “The decision to create a separate AI unit staffed principally by accomplished AI researchers suggests Microsoft

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Micron Is Suddenly a Hot AI Stock — And That’s Not Hype — Barrons.com

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By Eric J. Savitz In yet another feat of digital alchemy, artificial intelligence has transformed the memory chip producer Micron Technology into a rip-roaring growth stock. Investors with long memories will be skeptical that this new version of the Micron story is sustainable. Historically, the memory chip business has been wildly cyclical. And yet, and I hesitate to say this, things are different this time. Already trading at an all-time high and up 29% year to date, Micron is one of the market’s best and least appreciated long-term plays on the AI trend. Even better, the stock is still cheap — just how cheap we’ll get to in a minute. But let’s be clear: Micron has always been a challenging company to value. The memory-chip maker has cutting-edge semiconductor technology, which it applies to both DRAM and NAND memory chips, used in PCs, servers, smartphones, cars, and every other imaginable

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