Semiconductor Avengers Assemble

Semiconductor Avengers Assemble 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) [TSM] has reached out to some of the US’ top chip designers, Reuters reported, over a potential joint venture to run Intel’s [INTC] foundry. The proposed deal would give TSMC operational control while keeping its stake below 50%. Possible partners include Nvidia [NVDA], Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] and Broadcom [AVGO]; Qualcomm [QCOM] was also approached but withdrew from talks.

Ray Dalio Compares US to 1930s Germany 

Speaking at a CNBC conference in Singapore on Wednesday, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates expressed his fears about the ultimate consequences of tariff wars. “Be nationalistic, be protectionist, be militaristic. That’s the way these things operate,” he said, according to Bloomberg, noting that in 1930s Germany there was similarly a spike in tariffs and a strengthening of the domestic base.

Why Has Burry Cut His China Tech Bets?

Scion Asset Management, the firm Michael Burry founded in 2013, revealed in its latest 13F in February that it slashed its JD.com [JD] stake by 40%, and reduced its position in Alibaba [BABA] by 25%. However, Chinese stocks still made up over half of Burry’s portfolio in Q4. OPTO examines Burry’s latest moves, including prominent exits and new positions in the retail space.

New OpenAI Dev Tools

Microsoft-backed [MSFT] OpenAI launched new artificial intelligence (AI) agent tools for developers, aiming to simplify the creation of autonomous applications. The new Responses Application Programming Interface (API) combines Chat Completions API with tool-use features from Assistants API. OpenAI faces rising competition from Chinese AI firms but is expanding accessibility, Seeking Alpha detailed, offering these tools at no extra cost.

Salesforce Expands in Southeast Asia

“In a world of AI and robotics, there’s going to be a lot of rebalancing of the labor force and of society,” Salesforce [CRM] CEO Marc Benioff said at an event in Singapore on Wednesday, claiming that “agentic technology is the next wave.” Salesforce is set to invest $1bn in Singapore over the next five years, Bloombergreported. This will go towards developing products such as its new AI platform.

How Can a Toy Company Leverage Digital?

Lego is expanding into in-house video game development, shifting from its past outsourcing strategy. CEO Niels Christiansen told the Financial Times the move aligns with Lego’s $10bn revenue growth since 2019. The company has seen success with external partnerships, including its Fortnite collaboration, which has drawn 87 million players. Lego is outpacing both Mattel [MAT] and Hasbro [HAS] in the evolving toy and gaming market. 

Biotech Beat Bodes Well 

Legend Biotech [LEGN] beat Q4 estimates with revenue of $186.52m — vs. $179m expected — driven by strong sales of Carvykti, its multiple myeloma treatment. EPS came in at -$0.16, better than the -$0.38 consensus. The company has treated more than 5,000 patients and holds $1.1bn in cash. Read OPTO’s recent breakdown of LEGN stock, alongside two peers in the space.