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Can an AI start up–even OpenAI–compete with a profitable Big Tech like Google?

Can an AI start up–even OpenAI–compete with a profitable Big Tech like Google?

CEO Sam Altman has declared a “code red” at OpenAI to improve ChatGPT as the company faces intense competition from rivals, such as Alphabet (GOOG) with much deeper pockets.

To my mind the question of whether any AI startup can “win” against Big Tech competitors such as Google, Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) is as important to investors as the questions raised by short sellers about depreciation accounting and potential debt bombs.

According to a report by tech news site the Information, the CEO of the San Francisco-based startup told staff in an internal memo: “We are at a critical time for ChatGPT.”

OpenAI has been rattled by the success of Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 3, and is devoting more internal resources to improving ChatGPT.

Can an AI start up–even OpenAI–compete with a profitable Big Tech like Google?

Good or bad news? AI spending boom continues this quarter

No slowdown on plans for AI capital spending in earnings results this past week from Big Tech. Alphabet/Google (GOOG) said it was increasing what it planned to spend on A.I. data center projects this year by $6 billion, after spending nearly $64 billion over the past nine months. Microsoft (MSFT) said it had spent $35 billion in its latest quarter, $5 billion more than it had told investors to expect just a few months ago.
Amazon (AMZN) said it would be “very aggressive” in adding more data centers and would spend $125 billion this year-— and even more next year. Meta Platforms (META) raised its spending forecast to at least $70 billion by the end of the year, which would be nearly double what it spent last year. The stock market reaction wasn’t unalloyed joy. Investors seemed generally positive on spending plans from Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon. And skeptical of Meta’s strategy and spending.

Google will not have to sell Chrome

Google will not have to sell Chrome

In his decision of the remedies in one of Alphabet’s (GOOG) anti-trust cases, Judge Amit Mehta ruled late Tuesday, September 2, that Alphabet must open up competition in online search by sharing more data with competitors, and said that the company could not enter exclusive contracts for search. But Mehta ruled that Alphabet did not have to divest its Chrome the browser, the world’s top browser by market share. Today’s decision followed Mehta’s ruling last year that Alphabet held an illegal monopoly in online search and search advertising. Shares in Alphabet rose after hours, gaining 5.7%.

Please watch my new YouTube video: Is Wall Street ready to write off 2025?

Please watch my new YouTube video: Is Wall Street ready to write off 2025?

Today’s video is Is Wall Street ready to write off 2025? I’m seeing a gradual move on Wall Street from “Trump doesn’t mean what he’s saying about tariffs and mass deportations” to “Maybe he is serious.” On Monday, Trump announced 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum with a starting date of March 4, on top of other tariffs already announced. You can see the shift in commentary from big banks like Bank of America and JP Morgan. These companies are now saying that things that will negatively affect growth are happening much more quickly than things that will support the stock prices. New tariffs and economic uncertainty, which has caused the Fed to refrain from cutting interest rates, are happening now and will be hitting the market. Tax cuts and deregulation, which could goose growth, will take longer to implement and we may not feel those positive effects until 2026 or later. Wall Street is basically saying that 2025 will be a year of negative risks, but 2026 may be more of an upside if tax cuts and deregulation do, indeed, happen.

Please watch my new YouTube video: The Fed is caught between a rock and a hard place

Please watch my new YouTube video: The Fed is caught between a rock and a hard place

Today’s video is the Fed is between a rock and a hard place. Inflation has been stuck around 2.8% and the Fed would like to get it down to 2%. In January, the Fed paused any movement on interest rates but Wall Street remained hopeful for two cuts in 2025. The March 19 meeting will include a dot plot that will outline whether or not the central bank is thinking about any cuts for 2025. The problem is the Fed doesn’t know where the economy is going. There are too many uncertainties surrounding constantly changing Trump tariffs as well as the expected tax cut bill (which will result in higher yields and a market and economic stimulus). The budget also remains an unanswered question. These uncertainties, with the Fed also under huge political pressure from the Trump administration to make interest rate cuts, catch the Fed between a rock and a hard place and we won’t know how the Fed plans to address its dilemma until March.

Can an AI start up–even OpenAI–compete with a profitable Big Tech like Google?

China’s DeepSeek news leads to AI stock rout–do you think AI stocks might have been overvalued?

News that DeepSeek a China AI startup had developed an open-source AI model that matched the performance of U.S. AI models from OpenAI, Alphabet, and Meta platforms at a fraction of the cost sent AI stocks reeling today, Monday, January 27. Nvidia (NVDA) shares fell 17%. Broadcom (AVGO) similarly fell 17%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%. A gauge of the “Magnificent Seven” megacaps slid 3.2%. The Russell 2000 slipped 1.3%. Wall Street’s “fear gauge”—-the VIX—soared 20% the most since mid-December to almost 18.The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined 10 basis points to 4.53%. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1%. Bitcoin fell 3.9%. Here’s what freaked out the markets today.

Can an AI start up–even OpenAI–compete with a profitable Big Tech like Google?

Special Report: 10 stock picks for the 3 hottest sectors in 2025–and when to buy them: Part 1 AI

In 2025 you will want your portfolio fully weighted toward AI, ENERGY, and WEIGHT-LOSS DRUG stocks.
Not just any stock in those sectors, of course. All three sectors will be full of surprises and they won’t play out the way the conventional wisdom now believes. Some stocks in these sectors will do just okay as a rising tide lifts all boats. But some stocks will be GREAT. These winners could be the foundation for another great year for your portfolio. In fact, I expect that 2025 will be a tough year for an investor to make money even if stocks do finish higher. That’s because the year will be filled with more than the usual twists and turns designed make you sell on fear just when you should be holding on or even buying more. And don’t think that the year won’t include more than one of those moments rallies designed to suck you in at the top because–well, because you fear missing out. Yes, FOMO, fear of missing out will be alive and well in 2025. To do well in 2025, you’ll have to not only pick the hot trends, but also understand when that trend is about to zig zag and which stocks you’ll want to ride through all the noise and chaos. Giving you what you need for profits in 2025vis what this Special Report: 10 stock picks for the hottest sectors of 2025 is all about.And there’s no better sector to demonstrate the challenges of 2025 than Artificial Intelligence, the first of my hottest sectors for 2025. (The next two hot trends, energy and weight-loss drugs will follow in the next few days.)