Trump + Musk + Nadella

Trump + Musk + Nadella

Becoming the latest tech leader to court the President-elect, Microsoft [MSFT] CEO Satya Nadella met with Donald Trump and Elon Musk to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber security; he also pledged $80bn for global AI data centers, including $50bn in the US, Bloomberg reported. Microsoft President Brad Smith and JD Vance also attended. Smith has previously warned Trump on “heavy-handed” AI regulations.

Who’ll Do Well Out of a TikTok Ban?

A potential US ban on ByteDance’s TikTok could boost revenues for rivals like Meta [META] and Alphabet-owned [GOOGL] YouTube, the Financial Times reported, as they eye TikTok’s 170 million US users and advertising dollars. As thing stand, ByteDance must divest TikTok by January 19. However, according to the Washington Post, Donald Trump is weighing cancelling the sale-or-ban law imposed on the social media platform. 

TSMC Earnings: Good News for AI Investors 

In its earnings report released Thursday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co [TSM] exceeded forecasts with a 57% rise in net income, projected Q1 revenue of $25bn–25.8bn, and $38bn–42bn in 2025 capital expenditures, Bloomberg detailed. TSMC’s outlook reflects ongoing AI demand, which has driven companies like its client Nvidia [NVDA] to record growth.

How to Identify a Wide-Moat Stock 

OPTO has teamed up with the Weekend Investor, a leading investment Substack, to unpack the potential benefits of wide-moat stocks. Head over to Foresight to find out how wide-moat stocks generate consistent profits, maintain strong cash flows and often share their success with investors through growing dividends and share buybacks, as well as the challenges they face in maintaining their advantage.  

Something for Nothing

London-based smartphone-maker Nothing, backed by Google Ventures and Tony Fadell, is aiming to raise $100m in a Series C round. Led by Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, the start-up is known for its transparent-back phones. In 2024, Nothing doubled revenue to $500m, surpassed $1bn in lifetime sales, and sold 7 million units across all categories, with improved margins driving growth. 

Crypto’s Mainstream Now

Retirement funds, among them those of Wisconsin and Michigan, are increasingly investing in bitcoin, drawn by its soaring returns. UK and Australian funds are also making small crypto allocations. Bitcoin’s doubling to $100,000 last year has piqued traditionally conservative trustees’ interest, according to the Financial Times. Analysts expect further growth under a pro-crypto Trump administration.

Can Procore Get Back on Track in 2025?

In November, California-based construction management software provider Procore [PCOR] announced that it is bringing AI agents to its platform in the early part of 2025 to enable smarter and faster decision-making and make workflows more seamless. This unique AI use case is turning heads, but will it help the firm reaccelerate what some analysts see as a disappointing growth trajectory?