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Alphabet

Alphabet is a holding company that wholly owns internet giant Google. The California-based company derives slightly less than 90% of its revenue from Google services, the vast majority of which is advertising sales. Alongside online ads, Google services houses sales stemming from Google's subscription services (YouTube TV, YouTube Music among others), platforms (sales and in-app purchases on Play Store), and devices (Chromebooks, Pixel smartphones, and smart home products such as Chromecast). Google's cloud computing platform, or GCP, accounts for roughly 10% of Alphabet's revenue with the firm's investments in up-and-coming technologies such as self-driving cars (Waymo), health (Verily), and internet access (Google Fiber) making up the rest.

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Donald Trump propone que Elon Musk o Larry Ellison adquieran TikTok y sugiere un modelo de propiedad único. ¿Qué sucederá?

¿Elon Musk o Larry Ellison salvarán TikTok? Trump propone acuerdo inesperado

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Social Media

Markets

El veto a TikTok en Estados Unidos está en pausa, pero la batalla legal y las posibles adquisiciones siguen en curso.

Donald Trump detiene el veto a TikTok: ¿Qué podría cambiar para la plataforma en EE.UU.?

NVDA

Nancy Pelosi mueve más de 30 millones en acciones tecnológicas mientras se reaviva el debate sobre el trading congresional.

Acciones tecnológicas y opciones call: Los movimientos millonarios más recientes de Nancy Pelosi

Alphabet Inc

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) are leading the charge in the consumer augmented reality (AR) space, with Apple Inc. looming as a formidable contender. 
Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman in his <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-01-26/apple-ar-plan-meta-samsung-glasses-are-coming-s25-edge-to-beat-iphone-air?sref=TBDibEcD">latest</a> weekly "Power On" newsletter on Sunday shared that Samsung Electronics Co. continues to make strides in AI innovation and smartphone design. However, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) remains steadfast in its strategy despite delays in launching its next AR products.
Apple's journey into AR began over a decade ago with ambitious ideas for AR-powered windshields for self-driving cars. Those concepts evolved into the development of AR headsets, culminating in the launch of the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. 
Although Vision Pro's $3,500 price tag and bulkiness hindered its success, Apple continues to refine its AR technology at a facility in Santa Clara, California. Despite technical challenges, the company aims to release AR glasses within three years, seeing them as a superior alternative to mixed-reality headsets, added Gurman in his post. 
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42935529/apples-slimmest-iphone-yet-the-iphone-17-air-expected-this-fall">Apple&#8217;s Slimmest iPhone Yet? The iPhone 17 Air Expected This Fall</a>
While Apple's progress in AR has slowed, rivals like Meta and Google are making significant headway. Meta's prototype AR glasses, named Orion, could reach consumers by 2027, and Google's collaboration with Samsung has produced next-generation devices powered by its Android XR operating system. Samsung has also unveiled its "Moohan" mixed-reality headset, which is expected to be more affordable than Apple's Vision Pro.
In the smartphone arena, Samsung is ahead of Apple with its new Galaxy S25 line, featuring cutting-edge AI capabilities powered by Google's Gemini platform. Additionally, Samsung's S25 Edge, an ultrathin smartphone, is set to debut months ahead of Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Air, showcasing its competitive edge in hardware design.
Meanwhile, Apple has made internal adjustments to bolster its AI and Siri efforts. Vice President Kim Vorrath, known for successfully managing key software projects like the original iPhone and visionOS, has been tasked with overseeing improvements in Siri and Apple's AI platform. 
Investors are closely watching Apple's upcoming earnings report on Jan. 30 for insights into its holiday sales performance and the impact of its AI initiatives.
As Apple refines its AR and AI strategies, it faces mounting competition from Meta, Google, and Samsung. The tech giant's track record of entering established markets with superior products will be tested in the years to come.
Read Next
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42500167/could-apple-set-revolutionize-tablet-market-with-18-8-inch-foldable-ipad" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Could Apple Set Revolutionize Tablet Market With 18.8-Inch Foldable iPad?</a>
Image: Shutterstock

Apple's Augmented Reality Gamble Faces Challenges As Rivals Surge Ahead In AI and Design

As the debate over remote work vs. in-office mandates continues, Veeva Systems Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VEEV#NYSE">VEEV</a>), a cloud-based software company, stands out as a prime example of how embracing work-from-home (WFH) policies <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/09/40887347/amazon-to-cut-management-layers-end-work-from-home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">can be a winning strategy</a>.
Veeva had the highest volume of remote job postings in 2024, offering roles with salaries ranging from $55,000 to $300,000 annually, Fortune <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/2025/01/24/veeva-most-remote-job-postings-wfh-rto/" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>, citing FlexJobs. This has made the company highly attractive to job seekers seeking flexibility, particularly as the job market remains hungry for well-paid remote opportunities.
Remote Work Boosts Stock Returns?
Veeva&#8217;s success with remote work isn&#8217;t just a win for employees—it&#8217;s a sound business strategy, Fortune adds. Research has shown that companies offering WFH options tend to have better stock returns and attract higher-quality talent.
A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conference/download.cgi?db_name=SIEP2021&amp;paper_id=58" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a>&nbsp;from University of Melbourne assistant professor of finance Gabriele Lattanzio found that companies offering remote work arrangements outperformed the market, with a 7.44% higher return compared to expected returns.
These companies also had better earnings results and positive stock price reactions.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>, VEEV stock has gained over 7% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EKG#NASDAQ">EKG</a>).
Veeva&#8217;s Remote Flexibility vs. JPMorgan&#8217;s Office Mandate:
Founded in 2007, Veeva&#8217;s remote-forward approach was ingrained in the company&#8217;s culture from the start, as its founders operated from separate cities during the company&#8217;s early years.
However, Veeva&#8217;s strategy stands in sharp contrast to companies like JP Morgan Chase &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>), which has faced significant employee backlash over its recent mandate requiring staff to return to the office five days a week, Fortune <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/2025/01/17/jpmorgan-chase-union-jamie-dimon-wall-street-return-to-work-employees-anger/" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> earlier this month.
JPM stock has gained over 53% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;iShares U.S. Financial Services ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IYG#NYSE">IYG</a>).
In fact, major firms like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>), are pushing for a return to office (RTO) policies, despite widespread resistance from employees.
Workers at these companies have voiced frustrations, some even resorting to petitions or quitting in protest, Fortune adds.
The Future of Work: Can Remote Work Gain Ground?
A study found that employees working from home two days a week are just as productive as those in the office every day, Forbes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbesindia.com/article/lifes/wfh-vs-rto-why-empty-offices-are-at-the-heart-of-the-returntooffice-debate/94882/1" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>, citing a survey from Resume.org. Despite this, 28% of business leaders plan to enforce 100% in-person work by 2025, while only 2% will allow less than one office day per week.
As the future of work evolves, Veeva&#8217;s focus on employee happiness and productivity through remote work continues to set the company apart in an increasingly competitive labor market.
Read Next:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43216784/doug-ford-takes-on-trump-ontario-premier-threatens-swift-retaliation-in-trade-war">Doug Ford Takes on Trump: Ontario Premier Threatens Swift Retaliation in Trade War</a>
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iShares Trust Dow Jones US Financial Services Index Fund

MSFT

VEEV

Remote Work Vs. Return-To-Office: Can Veeva's Flexibility Outshine JPMorgan's Office Mandate?

President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;on Monday revoked former President&nbsp;Joe Biden's&nbsp;comprehensive executive order on artificial intelligence as part of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/25/01/43106379/trump-reverses-bidens-ai-policies-on-day-1-what-it-means-for-tech-giants-nvidia-amd-alphabet" rel="noreferrer noopener">his&nbsp;first actions in office</a>.&nbsp;
Biden&#8217;s AI executive order mandated that developers of AI systems posing threats to national security or public safety report the results of safety tests to the U.S. government and tasked the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standards for safety testing.
Sam Altman, CEO of&nbsp;OpenAI, has publicly expressed his support for President&nbsp;Donald Trump.&nbsp;This revelation comes years after he praised LinkedIn co-founder&nbsp;Reid Hoffman&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43153571/openais-sam-altman-flip-flops-on-trump-as-500-billion-stargate-ai-project-is-announced-years-after-praising-reid-hoffman-for-stopping-his-re-election" rel="noreferrer noopener">for stopping his re-election</a>.
Gaming
Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EA#NASDAQ">EA</a>) reported preliminary financial results&nbsp;for the third quarter, now projecting a mid-single-digit decline in live services net bookings largely due to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/25/01/43146917/electronic-arts-stock-is-sliding-after-the-close-whats-going-on" rel="noreferrer noopener">slowdown in Global Football</a>.
EA now expects revenue of $1.883 billion versus estimates of $2.507 billion, according to&nbsp;<a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>. The company anticipates third-quarter earnings of $1.11 per share, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in line with analyst estimates</a>.
Social Media
Meta Platforms, Inc.&#8217;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) Instagram&nbsp;announced a new video creation app called ‘Edits' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43078310/mark-zuckerbergs-instagram-doubles-down-on-tiktok-rivalry-with-new-edits-app-to-lure-creators-as-the-potential-shutdown-sparks-alternatives" rel="noreferrer noopener">to attract&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43078310/mark-zuckerbergs-instagram-doubles-down-on-tiktok-rivalry-with-new-edits-app-to-lure-creators-as-the-potential-shutdown-sparks-alternatives" rel="noreferrer noopener">TikTok</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43078310/mark-zuckerbergs-instagram-doubles-down-on-tiktok-rivalry-with-new-edits-app-to-lure-creators-as-the-potential-shutdown-sparks-alternatives" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;users</a>.
Jeff Bezos-backed&nbsp;Perplexity&nbsp;reportedly bid to merge with&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;U.S. on Saturday, but&nbsp;Wedbush&nbsp;analyst&nbsp;Dan Ives&nbsp;hinted&nbsp;Elon Musk's X&nbsp;could ultimately&nbsp;seal <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43078206/jeff-bezos-backed-perplexity-reportedly-makes-50-billion-move-to-merge-with-tiktok-but-elon-musks-x-remains-this-analysts-favorite-bidder" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the deal&nbsp;amid rising speculation</a>.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) bull&nbsp;Ross Gerber&nbsp;has&nbsp;voiced doubts&nbsp;about the effectiveness of an executive order in overriding existing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43078675/tesla-bull-ross-gerber-says-trumps-executive-order-cant-override-law-in-tiktok-ban-fight" rel="noreferrer noopener">laws concerning the&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43078675/tesla-bull-ross-gerber-says-trumps-executive-order-cant-override-law-in-tiktok-ban-fight" rel="noreferrer noopener">TikTok</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43078675/tesla-bull-ross-gerber-says-trumps-executive-order-cant-override-law-in-tiktok-ban-fight" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;ban</a>.
Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43152718/tesla-to-have-a-choppy-first-half-owing-to-new-ev-policies-deliveries-and-margins-however-this-analyst-expect-over-20-upside-from-current-level-with-a-500-target-price" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla Set For A &#8216;Choppy&#8217; First Half Amid New EV Policies, But This Analyst Sees 20% Upside For Elon Musk&#8217;s EV Company With A $500 Price Target</a>
Billionaire investor&nbsp;Bill Ackman&nbsp;has expressed his admiration for&nbsp;Elon Musk's X, formerly&nbsp;Twitter, while voicing concerns <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43079998/bill-ackman-praises-elon-musks-x-but-raises-concerns-about-tiktoks-harmful-influence-on-society-put-aside-the-china-issues-i-do-think-its-not-been-a-healthy-thing" rel="noreferrer noopener">about TikTok's influence on society</a>.
Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43078570/mrbeast-unhappy-with-billionaires-silence-on-feeding-the-hungry-after-overwhelming-interest-about-tiktok-purchase-when-i-fundraise-its-crickets" rel="noreferrer noopener">MrBeast Unhappy With Billionaires&#8217; Silence On Feeding The Hungry After Overwhelming Interest About TikTok Purchase: &#8216;When I Fundraise It&#8217;s Crickets&#8217;</a>
LinkedIn, owned by&nbsp;Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>),&nbsp;has been accused by Premium users of sharing private data for AI model <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43152356/linkedin-hit-with-lawsuit-for-violating-user-privacy-allegedly-sharing-private-data-for-ai-model-training" rel="noreferrer noopener">training without their consent</a>.
Microsoft&nbsp;CEO Satya Nadella addressed&nbsp;Elon Musk's&nbsp;skepticism about the ambitious Project Stargate&#8217;s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43152627/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-stands-firm-after-elon-musk-questions-stargates-100-billion-funding-potential-all-i-know-is-im-good-for-my-80-billion" rel="noreferrer noopener">$100 billion funding potential</a>.
Smartphones &amp; Technology
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is reportedly bringing its AI smarts to the&nbsp;Mac's Mail&nbsp;app with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43080333/apples-making-your-macs-mail-much-smarter-heres-whats-coming" rel="noreferrer noopener">the upcoming&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43080333/apples-making-your-macs-mail-much-smarter-heres-whats-coming" rel="noreferrer noopener">macOS 15.4</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43080333/apples-making-your-macs-mail-much-smarter-heres-whats-coming" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;update</a>.
Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/43097512/apples-ai-advances-cant-offset-chinese-market-slowdown-says-analyst" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple&#8217;s AI Advances Can&#8217;t Offset Chinese Market Slowdown, Says Analyst</a>
Samsung Electronics Co. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) and Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google have decided to collaborate for developing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43151196/samsung-google-team-up-to-develop-ar-glasses-entering-the-race-against-meta-and-apple" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">augmented reality glasses</a>.
Image: Shutterstock

Large Cap

SSNLF

Consumer Tech News (Jan 20-Jan 24): Trump Revokes Biden's AI Policies, Meta Launches New 'Edits' App To Lure TikTok Users & More

Benzinga examined the prospects for<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas"> many investors&#8217; favorite stocks</a> over the last week — here&#8217;s a look at some of our top stories.
Markets ended on a high note this week as investor optimism pushed stocks to record levels. The strongest performer was the Dow, advancing 2.2%, followed by gains of 1.7% in both the Nasdaq and S&amp;P 500. The latter broke through the 6,100-point barrier, setting fresh records.
At the Davos economic summit, President Donald Trump outlined his vision for American leadership in emerging technologies. His speech emphasized making the U.S. a dominant force in both AI and cryptocurrency markets, backed by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43203274/trump-sparks-records-on-wall-street-ai-stargate-project-lifts-chipmakers-inflation-tariff-jitters-arise-this-week-in-the-market">new executive actions.</a>
The cryptocurrency market reflected this enthusiasm, with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) touching a new peak at $109,000 before consolidating within a tight trading band.
Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week&#8217;s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Bulls</h3>
&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/01/43128141/tech-stocks-rise-after-trump-announces-ai-infrastructure-investment">Tech Stocks Rise After Trump Announces AI Infrastructure Investment</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/adam-eckert">Adam Eckert</a>, reports that AI-related tech stocks, including ARM Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) and Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), surged after President Trump announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure investment called Project Stargate, with backing from OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle to build new data centers and create over 100,000 jobs.
&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43127416/anthropic-gains-big-with-google-backing-aiming-for-60-billion-valuation-and-surging-ai-revenue">Anthropic Gains Big With Google Backing, Aims for $60 Billion Valuation and Surging AI Revenue</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/anusuya-lahiri-0">Anusuya Lahiri</a> , reports that Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) has invested over $1 billion in AI startup Anthropic, intensifying competition with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), as the company&#8217;s valuation could reach $60 billion with annualized revenue hitting $1 billion.
&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43153205/bets-favoring-dogecoin-etf-approval-in-2025-jump-after-bitwises-delaware-filing-top-trader-paints-over-4000-upside-for-memecoin">Bets Favoring Dogecoin ETF Approval In 2025 Jump After Bitwise&#8217;s Delaware Filing—Top Trader Paints Over 4000% Upside For Memecoin</a>,&#8221; by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/aniket-verma">Aniket Verma</a>, reports on Bitwise Asset Management&#8217;s filing for a Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) ETF in Delaware, sparking bullish forecasts with some analysts predicting a potential 4000% surge, contingent on broader market conditions and regulatory approvals.
For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/01/43179371/netflix-hits-all-time-highs-could-another-stock-split-be-on-the-horizon">Netflix Hits All-Time Highs: Could Another Stock Split Be On The Horizon?</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/43181109/trump-calls-for-increased-nato-military-spending-defense-contractors-stand-to-benefit">Trump Calls For Increased NATO Military Spending: Defense Contractors Stand To Benefit</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/initiation/25/01/43102452/roku-analyst-sees-25-upside-as-tv-ad-dollars-go-digital">Roku Analyst Sees 25% Upside As TV Ad Dollars Go Digital</a>
The Bears
&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/01/43172806/tesla-lost-15-billion-in-brand-value-in-2024-report-says-did-elon-musks-political-push-hurt-ev-giant">Tesla Lost $15 Billion In Brand Value In 2024, Report Says: Did Elon Musk&#8217;s Political Push Hurt EV Giant?</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/chris-katje">Chris Katje</a>, reports that Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) dropped in global brand rankings, with analysts attributing the decline to Elon Musk's political statements and alignment with Trump, which may have influenced consumer sentiment.
&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43126318/bitcoin-is-a-meme-coin-says-peter-schiff-critics-clap-back-goldbugs-are-no-different-from-bitcoin-maxis">Bitcoin Is A Meme Coin&#8217; Says Peter Schiff, Critics Clap Back: &#8216;Goldbugs Are No Different From Bitcoin Maxis&#8217;</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/khyathi-dalal">Khyathi Dalal</a>, reports on Peter Schiff&#8217;s renewed criticism of Bitcoin as &#8220;fool&#8217;s gold&#8221; and a meme coin, lacking real monetary properties, while crypto proponents argue that gold&#8217;s value also relies on perception.
&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43107710/amazon-pauses-drone-deliveries-in-texas-arizona-after-crashes-plans-safety-upgrades">Amazon Pauses Drone Deliveries In Texas, Arizona After Crashes, Plans Safety Upgrades</a>,&#8221; by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/anusuya-lahiri-0">Anusuya Lahiri</a>, reports that Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) has temporarily halted drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona following recent crashes. The company is addressing software issues in its MK30 drone model and aims to resume operations after receiving FAA approval.
For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/short-ideas/25/01/43173631/construction-partners-stock-cracks-under-pressure-as-short-seller-warns-of-potential-50-downside">Construction Partners Stock Cracks Under Pressure As Short Seller Warns Of Potential 50% Downside</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43088840/donald-and-melania-trump-memecoins-crash-after-presidential-inaugurationfirst-couples-crypto-wealth-plunges-36">Donald And Melania Trump Memecoins Crash, Erode Billions In Investors&#8217; Wealth</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43119243/martin-shkreli-calls-ionq-and-rigetti-best-shorts-despite-recent-stock-gains-cites-offline-quantum-systems">Martin Shkreli Calls IonQ And Rigetti &#8216;Best Shorts&#8217; Despite Recent Stock Gains, Cites Offline Quantum Systems</a>
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Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Amazon, Tesla, Meta And Dogecoin ETF Hopes Rise With New Fund Filing

Deepwater Asset Management&#8217;s Gene Munster says Meta Platform Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/01/43196266/whats-going-on-with-meta-shares-friday-2">plans to invest up to $65 billion</a> this year to expand its AI infrastructure will benefit Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and other hardware players.
What Happened: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday outlined the company&#8217;s capital spending plans for 2025 and its focus on artificial intelligence (AI).
Zuckerberg expects Meta to allocate between $60 billion and $65 billion for capital spending, primarily aimed at expanding the company's AI teams and building a new data center. he described the new data center as being &#8220;so large that it would cover a significant part of Manhattan.&#8221; The tech mogul further noted that Meta aims to bring a gigawatt of computing power online by 2025 and is projected to finish the year with over 1.3 million graphics processing units.
Weighing in on the announcement, Munster said Meta&#8217;s commitment &#8220;exceeds Street estimates of $51B.&#8221;
"In 2025, I expect Meta AI will be the leading assistant serving more than 1 billion people, Llama 4 will become the leading state of the art model, and we'll build an AI engineer that will start contributing increasing amounts of code to our R&amp;D efforts," Zuckerberg said.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/43200809/openais-sam-altman-flip-flops-on-trump-after-500-billion-stargate-ai-project-says-i-wish-i-had-done">OpenAI&#8217;s Sam Altman Flip Flops On Trump After $500 Billion Stargate AI Project, Says &#8216;I Wish I Had Done More Of My Own Thinking&#8217;</a>
According to Munster, the increased investment in AI infrastructure will particularly benefit Nvidia and other hardware players in the short term. In the long term, the higher capital expenditure (Capex) is expected to accelerate the AI flywheel, leading to more innovation, lower usage costs, an increase in customers, and consequently, more investment.
He also issued a reminder, stating, &#8220;I believe the market is&nbsp;going higher and the run&nbsp;will end in a spectacular&nbsp;bubble burst.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The latest datapoint that the AI trade remains intact. Zuckerberg&#39;s comment that <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24META&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$META</a> will spend $60–$65B in Capex for 2025 exceeds Street estimates of $51B. In the near term, increased investment in AI infrastructure benefits <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24NVDA&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$NVDA</a> and other hardware players. Long term,…
&mdash; Gene Munster (@munster_gene) <a href="https://twitter.com/munster_gene/status/1882825296929264001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Why It Matters: Zuckerberg&#8217;s announcement comes on the heels of Meta&#8217;s recent AI advancements. In December, Meta introduced the Llama 3.3 70B, a new<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42376972/metas-llama-33-70b-the-new-ai-model-that-outperforms-google-openai-and-amazon-with-unmatched-efficiency"> AI model that outperforms competitors </a>like&nbsp;Alphabet Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google,&nbsp;OpenAI, and&nbsp;Amazon.com, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>). This model offers the performance of Meta's largest Llama model, Llama 3.1 405B, but at a reduced cost. 
Last year in April, Meta announced its plan to purchase <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38400945/metas-massive-1b-bet-on-nvidia-h100-gpu-cluster-will-dwarf-every-other-companys-target-but-zuckerber">350,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs by 2024</a> to fuel its AI initiatives. Zuckerberg then said the 350,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs were initially intended to enhance Instagram Reels, not to position Meta as a leader in AI technology.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump criticized the European Union (EU) for focusing on U.S. tech giants like Meta, Apple, and Google. He accused EU regulators of unfairly targeting these companies, calling their actions &#8220;a form of taxation.&#8221;
Price Action: Meta Platform&#8217;s stock closed at $647.49 on Friday, down 0.20% for the day, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43185661/openai-struggles-to-value-microsoft-stake-as-it-looks-to-transition-to-for-profit-entity-as-trumps-500-billion-stargate-ai-project-kicks-off-report">OpenAI Wrestles With Microsoft Stake Valuation As It Looks To Transition To For-Profit Entity Amid Trump&#8217;s $500 Billion Stargate AI Project: Report</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Analyst Color

Mark Zuckerberg's $65 Billion AI Bet Benefits Nvidia And Other Players, Says Top Analyst, But Warns Market Bull Run Will 'End In A Spectacular Bubble Burst'

Scotiabank analyst Nat Schindler maintains Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) with a Sector Outperform and raises the price target from $212 to $240.

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Scotiabank Maintains Sector Outperform on Alphabet, Raises Price Target to $240

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Alphabet Inc&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google and Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) remain divided in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/tiktok" rel="noreferrer noopener">their approaches to</a> TikTok as their vested interests play out.
TikTok&#8217;s cloud service provider, Oracle hailed Trump&#8217;s potential softer take on the ByteDance social media platform. Meanwhile, the app remains unavailable in Apple and Google&#8217;s app stores to comply with the January 19 ban, Bloomberg <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-24/oracle-apple-google-diverge-on-whether-to-keep-serving-tiktok?srnd=phx-technology&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/01/43110753/aws-robotics-prime-video-ads-fuel-amazon-growth-potential-analysts" rel="noreferrer noopener">AWS, Robotics, Prime Video Ads Fuel Amazon Growth Potential: Analysts</a>
Oracle&#8217;s proximity with Trump and its business relations with TikTok give it enough reasons to assume potential legal risk.
Apple and Google, meanwhile, make minimal revenue from TikTok via in-app purchases compared to any potential fine they may face for violating the law, the report said.
Meanwhile, daily fines for supporting TikTok could climb into the billions of dollars.
According to the Bloomberg report, Oracle leaders have been conservative politics loyalists. CEO Safra Catz served on Trump&#8217;s transition team after the 2016 presidential election, and co-founder and Chairman&nbsp;Larry Ellison&nbsp;has donated to Republicans, including Trump.
Oracle&#8217;s proximity to Trump has paid off in the past. The cloud giant was&nbsp;Trump&#8217;s original pick to buy TikTok&nbsp;in 2020 when he tried to ban the app, citing national security reasons.
Though the deal ultimately fell apart after Trump left office, Oracle became TikTok&#8217;s cloud service provider under a compelling deal.
Ellison is also famously close to Trump&#8217;s ally, Elon Musk. Musk and Ellison&nbsp;have emerged as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43181940/elon-musk-or-larry-ellison-dan-ives-on-who-could-win-tiktoks-billion-dollar-soap-opera-someone-hand-picked-from-beijing-but-also-trumps-white-house" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential contenders for</a> the TikTok acquisition, which could be the popular social media&#8217;s gateway to a $1 trillion valuation. Trump has expressed support for both of them.
Wedbush&#8217;s&nbsp;Dan Ives projected the sale, excluding its algorithm, could be worth $40 billion—$50 billion, possibly attracting 10 to 12 bidders.
On Monday, Trump suspended the TikTok ban for 75 days, creating a window for potential buyers.
Price Actions: At last check on Friday, ORCL stock was down 0.85% at $184.81. AAPL is down 0.21%.
Also Read:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43107710/amazon-pauses-drone-deliveries-in-texas-arizona-after-crashes-plans-safety-upgrades" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon Pauses Drone Deliveries In Texas, Arizona After Crashes, Plans Safety Upgrades</a></li>
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TikTok Ban Sparks Divide: Oracle Backs Trump While Apple, Google Play It Safe

Verizon Business, a division of Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>), has launched Verizon AI Connect, a set of solutions aimed at enabling businesses to scale their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/g43189459/verizon-unveils-ai-strategy-to-power-next-gen-ai-demands" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence operations</a>.
This new offering is designed to meet the increasing need for computational power, especially for AI tasks that demand real-time decision-making (inferencing).
McKinsey predicts that by 2030, 60-70% of AI tasks will transition to real-time inference, leading to a critical demand for low-latency connectivity, computing power, and edge security.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/43184963" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia, Microsoft, Or Oracle: Which Stock Among These Stargate AI Project Beneficiaries Are The Least Expensive To Own?</a>
To address this, Verizon plans to assist hyperscalers, cloud providers, and global businesses by enhancing its network infrastructure, which includes 5G, fiber-optic connectivity, edge computing environments, and essential resources like power and cooling systems.
&#8220;We are seeing significant demand for reliable network infrastructure that can support existing AI workloads,&#8221; said Verizon Business CEO Kyle Malady.
The company has entered into a new partnership with Vultr, a global provider of GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) and cloud computing.
Verizon has recently teamed up with NVIDIA to explore new ways of integrating GPU-powered edge platforms <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42536593/verizon-teams-up-with-nvidia-to-power-ai-apps-over-private-5g-networks" rel="noreferrer noopener">into its 5G private networks</a>.
Verizon and Google Cloud are working together on AI solutions for network management and anomaly detection and Verizon has expanded its partnership with Meta Platforms into network infrastructure with Verizon AI Connect.
&#8220;Telecom networks are uniquely positioned to provide a distributed AI infrastructure that meets enterprise needs,&#8221; said Senior Vice President of Telecom, NVIDIA, Ronnie Vasishta.
&#8220;NVIDIA AI and accelerated computing, integrated with Verizon&#8217;s network, allows enterprises to easily adopt AI-powered services at scale.&#8221;
In its fourth-quarter earnings result today, Verizon&nbsp;reported a 1.6% revenue growth to $35.70 billion with an adjusted EPS of $1.10, adding about 1 million postpaid mobile and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43189382/verizon-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-1-million-mobile-and-broadband-subscriber-adds-business-segment-margin-expands" rel="noreferrer noopener"> broadband subscribers in the quarter</a>.
Price Action: VZ shares are trading higher by 2.12% at $40.01 at the last check Friday.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43160342/metas-pay-or-consent-policy-faces-fresh-criticism-from-eu-consumer-group" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meta&#8217;s Pay-Or-Consent Policy Faces Fresh Criticism From EU Consumer Group</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock.

Verizon AI Connect Unleashes Next-Level Business Solutions - What's On The Cards?

DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria maintains Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $190 to $200.

DA Davidson Maintains Neutral on Alphabet, Raises Price Target to $200

On Thursday, ChatGPT-parent OpenAI released a "research preview" of a new AI agent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/11/41964846/openais-operator-ai-agent-will-perform-tasks-like-coding-travel-booking-and-more-launch-expected-in-january-next-year-report">called "Operator,"</a> designed to autonomously perform web tasks.
What Happened: Operator is initially available in the U.S. for subscribers of OpenAI&#8217;s $200 per month ChatGPT Pro tier.
The AI agent employs a &#8220;Computer-Using Agent&#8221; model, integrating GPT-4o&#8217;s vision capabilities with advanced reasoning through reinforcement learning, allowing it to interact with graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
Shortly after its release, a user on X, formerly Twitter, noted a limitation in Operator&#8217;s news site access, prompting Sam Altman, OpenAI&#8217;s CEO, to acknowledge the issue and promise a swift fix.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41220186/google-will-continue-to-fight-epic-games-in-court-to-halt-epic-requested-changes-to-play-store-under" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Will Continue To Fight Epic Games In Court To Halt Epic-Requested Changes To Play Store: ‘Undercut Android's Ability To Compete With Apple's iOS'</a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">that's a miss; we will fix fast
&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1882653620757504087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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OpenAI states that Operator can &#8220;see&#8221; through screenshots and &#8220;interact&#8221; using mouse and keyboard actions, enabling it to perform tasks on the web without custom API integrations.
The AI startup is working with companies like DoorDash, Instacart, and Uber to ensure Operator meets real-world needs. However, OpenAI cautions that the tool may struggle with complex interfaces.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: The launch of Operator comes on the heels of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41149788/openai-valuation-soars-to-157b-in-latest-funding-round">OpenAI&#8217;s valuation surge</a> to $157 billion, following a $6.6 billion funding round aimed at advancing AI research and expanding compute capacity.
Despite this financial boost, OpenAI faces challenges. Earlier this month, Altman said that the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42810114/openai-ceo-sam-altman-reveals-company-struggling-with-chatgpt-pro-losses">company is incurring losses</a> on the ChatGPT Pro plan. The plan, intended to generate revenue, has not met profit expectations due to higher-than-anticipated usage.
Other major tech companies, such as Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), have either launched or are gearing up to release <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/10/41428765/microsoft-salesforce-battle-heats-up-as-ai-agent-technology-takes-center-stage">similar AI agent tools</a>.
Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also previously discussed the shift from simple chatbots to more advanced AI agents capable of managing complex tasks and objectives.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

OpenAI Debuts 'Operator' AI Agent That Performs Web Tasks, But Early Error Has Sam Altman Scrambling For A Quick Fix

On Thursday, Jeff Bezos-backed Perplexity launched its AI-powered mobile assistant for Android users.
What Happened: Perplexity has introduced its AI-powered mobile assistant on Android, aiming to rival Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google with its multimodal capabilities.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Google's AI assistant now supports completing tasks across multiple apps and handling multimodal requests at Samsung&#8217;s unveiling of the Gemini-powered Galaxy S25.
Now Perplexity has announced that its assistant can handle tasks like writing emails, setting reminders, and booking dinners. It can interact with what&#8217;s on a user's screen and use their camera to &#8220;see&#8221; the environment.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43181940/elon-musk-or-larry-ellison-dan-ives-on-who-could-win-tiktoks-billion-dollar-soap-opera-someone-hand-picked-from-beijing-but-also-trumps-white-house" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Or Larry Ellison? Dan Ives On Who Could Win TikTok's Billion-Dollar Soap Opera: ‘Someone Hand Picked From Beijing But Also Trump's White House'</a>
The assistant also plays media, such as podcasts, and identifies objects using the phone&#8217;s camera.
However, the assistant has limitations. It currently supports apps like Spotify, YouTube, and Uber, but cannot access platforms like Slack or Reddit. The company said that more app support and functionalities are in development.
Users can activate the assistant through the Perplexity app, replacing their default assistant. It is not yet available for iPhone users.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Introducing Perplexity Assistant. Assistant uses reasoning, search, and apps to help with daily tasks ranging from simple questions to multi-app actions. You can book dinner, find a forgotten song, call a ride, draft emails, set reminders, and more. Available on Play Store. <a href="https://t.co/UHdUIiDOzD">pic.twitter.com/UHdUIiDOzD</a>
&mdash; Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) <a href="https://twitter.com/perplexity_ai/status/1882466239123255686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Last year, Perplexity raised $500 million, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42570376/jeff-bezos-backed-perplexity-raises-500-million-tripling-its-valuation-to-9-billion-as-competition-with-google-and-openai-heats-up">tripling its valuation to $9 billion</a>. This funding round was led by Institutional Venture Partners and highlights the company&#8217;s rapid expansion and increased market share in AI search.
Previously, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas also spoke about efforts to disrupt the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41399723/jeff-bezos-backed-perplexity-ai-aims-to-break-google-and-metas-duopoly-with-new-internal-knowledge-s">duopoly of Google and</a> Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) in the search and advertising sectors.
At the time, he said that consumer behavior was evolving from basic keyword searches to more intricate queries. This makes platforms like Perplexity increasingly attractive to advertisers seeking more meaningful engagement.
Earlier this month, Perplexity reportedly made a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43078206/jeff-bezos-backed-perplexity-reportedly-makes-50-billion-move-to-merge-with-tiktok-but-elon-musks-x-remains-this-analysts-favorite-bidder">$50 billion bid to merge</a> with TikTok U.S., aiming to improve its video capabilities. This move, if successful, could significantly bolster Perplexity&#8217;s position in the tech industry.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41181916/mark-cuban-offers-to-help-elon-musk-boost-x-revenue-says-tesla-ceo-is-concerned-about-declining-user?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Cuban Offers To Help Elon Musk Boost X Revenue, Says Tesla CEO Is Concerned About Declining Users: ‘I Wish He Would Call Me&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Perplexity Debuts AI-Powered Mobile Assistant On Android, Rivals Google With Multimodal Features — But There Are Some Gaps

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, has reaffirmed his commitment to the ongoing legal battle against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google. He is prepared to extend this fight for decades if necessary.
What Happened: Epic Games, backed by Tencent Holdings (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) has been embroiled in a long-running legal fight with Apple and Google over their app store practices, which Epic argues are monopolistic.
While Epic continues to rake in billions from Fortnite and its Unreal Engine business, Sweeney indicated that his company could face financial struggles as the battle drags on.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41220186/google-will-continue-to-fight-epic-games-in-court-to-halt-epic-requested-changes-to-play-store-under">Google Will Continue To Fight Epic Games In Court To Halt Epic-Requested Changes To Play Store: &#8216;Undercut Android&#8217;s Ability To Compete With Apple&#8217;s iOS&#8217;</a>
Sweeney said, "Yeah, I think we might run into serious financial problems after a couple more decades of this. But we&#8217;re determined to fight this out," according to an IGN <a href="https://in.ign.com/fortnite/223252/news/tim-sweeney-says-epic-can-afford-to-keep-spending-billions-fighting-apple-and-google-for-the-future">report</a>.
"I expect large parts of this struggle will go on throughout the rest of this decade and we&#8217;re fully committed to going through it and investing to break through," he added.
In September 2023, Epic Games announced a major workforce reduction, laying off approximately 830 employees, which accounted for about 16% of its total staff.&nbsp;
Sweeney previously stated that Epic had been &#8220;spending way more money than we earn,&#8221; referring to the need for a &#8220;major structural change to our economics.&#8221;
Despite these challenges, Sweeney <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/24/10/41151404/epic-games-is-now-financially-sound-says-ceo-tim-sweeney-after-major-layoffs">declared the company</a> &#8220;financially sound&#8221; during a presentation at Unreal Fest 2024.&nbsp;
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: On Thursday, the company also launched third-party games on the Epic Games Store on mobile, with a more favorable revenue-sharing model: Epic keeps 12% of the revenue from payments it processes, and 0% from third-party payments.
As part of this new initiative, nearly 20 third-party games are now available on the Epic Games Store on mobile, with 19 games on Android globally and 16 games on iOS in the EU.
Epic is also offering free games as part of a new program, including Bloons TD 6 and Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee, free to download until Feb. 20. New free games will be offered each month, with the plan to move to a weekly schedule later this year.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The wait is over! Nearly 20 new games, fresh features and our Free Game program are now live in the Epic Games Store on mobile &#x1f929; Grab Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee for FREE through February 20. More info: <a href="https://t.co/UlNwQ8CEEI">https://t.co/UlNwQ8CEEI</a> <a href="https://t.co/2hpNNefHex">pic.twitter.com/2hpNNefHex</a>
&mdash; Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) <a href="https://twitter.com/EpicGames/status/1882630268336660864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41181916/mark-cuban-offers-to-help-elon-musk-boost-x-revenue-says-tesla-ceo-is-concerned-about-declining-user?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Cuban Offers To Help Elon Musk Boost X Revenue, Says Tesla CEO Is Concerned About Declining Users: ‘I Wish He Would Call Me'</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

TCEHY

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Prepared To Spend Billions For Decades Fighting Apple, Google Monopolies: 'We Think Our Best Days Are Ahead'

App stores from Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) currently don&#8217;t allow users to download TikTok due to uncertainty about whether it will be permanently <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43076609/tiktok-back-online-in-us-after-trump-vows-monday-executive-order">banned in the U.S.</a>
But a person without TikTok has at least one route to getting the app. 
What Happened: As <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/42957741/tiktok-ban-deadline-ahead-what-will-happen-to-app-on-your-phone">Benzinga recently predicted</a>, eBay Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EBAY#NASDAQ">EBAY</a>) has phones already with TikTok on them up for auction.
A quick look at eBay Thursday with the search "phone with TikTok" generated over 21,000 results. Many of the listings do not have bids with prices ranging from hundreds of dollars to thousands. Sorting the results by sold <a href="https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=phone+with+tiktok&amp;_sacat=0&amp;_from=R40&amp;_sop=1&amp;rt=nc&amp;LH_Sold=1&amp;LH_Complete=1">items</a>, there are over 100 items that have actually sold.
Here are some of the latest sales at the time of writing Thursday:
<ul>
<li>iPhone 11: $125.99</li>
<li>iPhone 15 Pro Max: Unknown price, took best offer from a $25,000 listing price</li>
<li>iPhone 15: $100.00</li>
<li>iPhone 15 Pro Max: $600.00</li>
<li>Samsung Galaxy S24: $4.00</li>
</ul>
Going back through the listings there are several high sales prices, which include:
<ul>
<li>iPhone 16 Pro Max Gold Gray: $12,999.99</li>
<li>Samsung Ultra 3 Note: $5,500</li>
<li>iPhone 15 Plus: $1,200</li>
<li>iPhone 15 Pro Max: $10,000</li>
<li>iPhone 15 Pro Max: $11,000</li>
</ul>
The eBay sale prices are what an auction listing closed at or what someone agreed to pay. The big question is whether people are actually paying for the phones and having them shipped. Some of the winning bidders had relatively new or seldom used eBay accounts based on the feedback score, an eBay metric that ranks buyers and sellers.
There is also risk for phone buyers as they can use their ID to sign into apps, but any restores or backups could disrupt the app. Essentially, buying a phone with TikTok could be a waiting game for the app to be banned and ByteDance to turn off access in America or until the user messes up the app settings. There is also the risk of buying the phone only for the TikTok ban to end and everyone being able to download the app for free again.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42654769/tiktok-ban-under-trump-president-elect-wants-to-keep-months-after-pelosi-said-follow-the-money">TikTok Ban Under Trump? President-Elect Reconsiders As Pelosi Says &#8216;Follow The Money&#8217;</a>
Why It's Important: The U.S. ban of TikTok could mean missed revenue opportunities for content creators. TikTok users might have another revenue source while they await the outcome of the pending ban.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43088960/trump-suspends-us-tiktok-ban-for-75-days-with-executive-order-but-legal-and-market-uncertain">issued an executive order</a> to temporarily stop the ban of TikTok in the U.S.
While the order kept TikTok parent ByteDance from ending the use of TikTok in the U.S., the outcome of the social media app remains uncertain.
Trump recently proposed that the U.S. should have a 50% stake in a joint venture, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-executive-order-trump-0bbae2d2d6f102944f41bb75ad40ce69">Associated Press</a> reported. It&#8217;s unclear whether he meant the government would control the app or another U.S. entity.
The president recently said <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43118289/trump-open-to-elon-musk-or-larry-ellison-buying-tiktok-calls-us-permit-key-to-1-trillion-valuation">he was open</a> to a billionaire like Larry Ellison or Elon Musk buying TiKTok and several interested parties have previously emerged, including a group with "Shark Tank's" Kevin O'Leary.
A quick search for TikTok on the Google Play Store brings up the current result: "Looking for TikTok? Downloads for this app are paused due to current US legal requirements."
While TikTok could find its way back on app stores, the sale of phones with one specific app is not new.
As Benzinga previously reported, some owners of iPhones with the mobile game &#8220;Fortnite&#8221; downloaded on them listed their phones for sale on eBay in 2020, as reported by PCMag. The move came after &#8220;Fortnite&#8221; owner Epic Games decided to skirt Apple&#8217;s 30% cut of payments by offering a direct payment option. Apple removed the game from its app store, which kicked off a lengthy battle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/05/20947603/epic-games-vs-apple-lawsuit-reveals-just-how-much-money-fortnite-has-made" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">between the two companies.</a>
Users also tried to sell their phones with mobile game &#8220;Flappy Bird&#8221; for high amounts of money back in 2014, as reported by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/flappy-bird-equipped-iphones-selling-for-100k-on-ebay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PCMag</a>. The creator of the hit game pulled it from app stores after it hit number one and saw huge usage. One phone reached a price of $99,900 on eBay before the auction company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-ebay-99900-iphone-flappy-bird-20140210-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">took&nbsp;</a>the listing down.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/01/43117503/marvel-mobile-game-goes-dark-after-tiktok-ban-how-disneys-superhero-brand-got-caught-up-in-us-vs-china-battle">Marvel Mobile Game Goes Dark After TikTok Ban: How Disney&#8217;s Superhero Brand Got Caught Up In US Vs. China Battle</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

EBAY

TikTok Ban Effect: Smartphones With App Installed Hit Ebay

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google has agreed to acquire a part of HTC&#8217;s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/arvr" rel="noreferrer noopener">extended reality (XR) business</a> for $250 million following the recent launch of its Android XR platform.
The deal&nbsp;involves&nbsp;transferring some of the HTC VIVE engineering staff to Google and granting non-exclusive <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.google/feed/android-xr-htc-agreement/" rel="noreferrer noopener">intellectual property rights</a>. HTC retained the rights to use and develop the technology.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41458752/metas-smart-glasses-dominate-ray-ban-stores-ai-features-still-missing" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meta&#8217;s Smart Glasses Dominate Ray-Ban Stores, AI Features Still Missing</a>
The transaction marks the second major deal between the companies after Google&#8217;s&nbsp;$1.1 billion purchase of HTC&#8217;s smartphone unit in 2017, TechCrunch <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/22/google-buys-part-of-htc-virtual-reality-unit-for-250-million/" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.
Google said the acquisition will boost Android XR platform development across headsets and glasses.
Recently, Google tapped Samsung Electronics Co (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) to develop&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43151196/samsung-google-team-up-to-develop-ar-glasses-entering-the-race-against-meta-and-apple" rel="noreferrer noopener">augmented reality glasses</a> shortly after Samsung launched Project Moohan, a mixed-reality headset that operates on Google&#8217;s&nbsp;Android XR&nbsp;platform.
Google held $93.23 billion in cash and equivalents as of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204424000118/goog-20240930.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener">September 30, 2024</a>.
Google&#8217;s rival Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) plans to launch its AR glasses, Artemis, in 2027.
In 2024, Meta showcased its&nbsp;Orion AR&nbsp;glasses. Analysts, including Andrew Boone of JMP Securities, Scott Devitt of Wedbush, and Jason Helfstein of Oppenheimer, flagged Meta&#8217;s leadership in AR/VR with its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41054106/meta-analysts-highlight-ai-vr-advances-see-growth-pushing-it-toward-apple-like-valuation" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orion glasses and</a> cost-effective Quest headsets.
Price Action: GOOGL stock is up 0.71% at $204.45 at the last check on Thursday.
Also Read:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43052360/sony-cancels-two-live-service-games-stays-committed-to-long-term-monetization" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sony Cancels Two Live-Service Games, Stays Committed to Long-Term Monetization</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Google

SNAP

Google Taps HTC's Talent in $250 Million Deal to Lead AR/VR Innovation

President Trump Says We Need Double The Energy We Have In U.S. For AI To Be As Big As We Want It; Am Going To Give Emergency Declarations So Building Can Start; We Are Going To Allow Very Rapid Plant Building, They Can Fuel It With Anything They Want

On Wednesday, Samsung Electronics (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) showcased its latest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/06/39379666/qualcomm-stock-surges-with-samsung-partnership-for-galaxy-s25-whats-driving-the-gro" rel="noreferrer noopener">Galaxy S25 smartphones</a> powered by Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) chips and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google&#8217;s <a target="_blank" href="https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-galaxy-s25-series-sets-the-standard-of-ai-phone-as-a-true-ai-companion" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial-intelligence model</a>.
Samsung aimed to launch the Galaxy S25 Edge in the first half of 2025, ahead of Apple Inc&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)&nbsp;slimmer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42935529/apples-slimmest-iphone-yet-the-iphone-17-air-expected-this-fall" rel="noreferrer noopener">iPhone 17 Air launch</a>. The iPhone 17 Air boasts 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence AI features.
Samsung&#8217;s AI-powered smartphone <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42986042/apple-sees-market-share-decline-in-2024-as-chinese-smartphone-brands-surge-globally-idc" rel="noreferrer noopener">succumbed to rivalry</a> from Apple in the luxury market and Chinese firms in the affordable and budget segment.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/11/42168509/amd-teams-up-with-taiwan-semi-to-take-on-samsung-in-smartphone-market" rel="noreferrer noopener">AMD Teams Up With Taiwan Semi To Take On Samsung In Smartphone Market</a>
Samsung kept the prices of its Galaxy S25 series intact at $799 and $1,299.
Samsung&#8217;s Language AI team lead, Park Ji-sun, told Reuters that the company was ahead of the industry regarding its AI features. Park told Reuters that the new Galaxy S25 leveraged Gemini as its default AI engine with in-house voice assistant, Bixby.
The Galaxy S25 promised a more personalized AI experience. The phone can execute multiple tasks with a single command.
Samsung leveraged Qualcomm&#8217;s&nbsp;Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for the entire Galaxy S25 lineup. Samsung is reportedly considering using the Exynos chip in its foldable phones.
In 2024, JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee flagged Qualcomm as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40898388/qualcomm-analyst-sees-opportunity-in-regaining-share-with-samsung-after-apple-reven" rel="noreferrer noopener">making up for</a> the loss of&nbsp;Apple revenue for its mobile SOC (and modem) technology through its collaboration with&nbsp;Samsung and diversification into the automotive and IoT sectors.
Price Action: QCOM stock is down 0.43% at $169.51 premarket at last check Thursday.
Also Read:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/01/43110913/apples-iphone-dependence-remains-but-services-wearables-offer-growth-potential-analyst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple&#8217;s iPhone Dependence Remains, But Services, Wearables Offer Growth Potential: Analyst</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Samsung

QCOM

Samsung Taps Google AI, Qualcomm Tech for Galaxy S25 to Rival Apple's iPhone

Walmart Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>)&nbsp;is about to raise bonus and stock awards for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regional store managers</a>, enabling the top performers to earn over $600,000 as employers&nbsp;struggled to fill <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/05/27214305/walmart-struggles-with-store-manager-crisis-despite-attractive-pay-initiates-industrial-training-to" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">managerial roles at</a> retailers and restaurants.
Also, Walmart reduced perks for office staff, including phasing out remote work,&nbsp;cutting pay, and restructuring health insurance plans, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/walmart-regional-manager-pay-raise-867776ed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.&nbsp;
Regional managers heading clusters of a dozen Walmart stores can earn $420,000-$620,000, up from $320,000-$570,000 a year ago.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43063274/imax-secures-netflix-deal-for-exclusive-narnia-theatrical-release-stock-jumps" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IMAX Secures Netflix Deal for Exclusive &#8216;Narnia&#8217; Theatrical Release, Stock Jumps</a>
Walmart raised stock grants for market managers to $100,000 a year, up from $75,000. It increased the annual bonuses to 100% of base pay, up from 90%, a Walmart spokesperson told the WSJ.&nbsp;
Minimum base pay increased to $160,000 a year, up from $130,000, enabling a market manager to earn $260,000 annually in base pay.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/01/36837656/walmarts-store-managers-stand-to-gain-20k-in-stock-annually-exceeding-525k-in-total-compensation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prior reports indicated</a> that Walmart store managers bagged annual stock grants worth $20,000, potentially pushing the earners&#8217; compensation above $525,000.
The revamp bolstered&nbsp;the average base salary for&nbsp;US store managers to $128,000,&nbsp;up from $117,000. A&nbsp;Supercenter manager with a top-end&nbsp;base salary of $170,000 could&nbsp;earn $530,000&nbsp;after receiving the maximum bonus&nbsp;and stock grant.
In 2024, Amazon hiked the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40927136/amazon-boosts-worker-pay-to-over-29hour-invests-2-2b-as-holiday-kicks-in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">average compensation for</a> U.S. fulfillment and transportation employees to over $29 per hour after hiring 150,000 full-time, seasonal, and part-time workers&nbsp;for the holiday season in 2022 and 2021. Full-time Amazon workers got an annual hike of an average of $3,000 ahead of the holiday season.
Walmart Sam&#8217;s Club shared plans to hike the pay&nbsp;for almost 100,000 frontline associates to over $19 per hour with the potential to earn thousands of dollars annually in bonuses.
Walmart reported <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42060801/walmart-tops-q3-estimates-ecommerce-growth-shines-with-27-lifts-full-year-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">third-quarter revenue</a> growth of 5.5%, reaching $169.59 billion. The adjusted EPS&nbsp;of&nbsp;58 cents&nbsp;beat the consensus of&nbsp;53 cents. Walmart generated a free cash flow of&nbsp;$6.2 billion&nbsp;in nine months, ending on October 31, 2024. It ended the quarter with cash and equivalents of&nbsp;$10.0 billion.
Meanwhile, US Tech giants, including Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), Google, and Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), laid off <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43003727/microsoft-to-cut-costs-pause-hiring-in-us-consulting-tighten-spending" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thousands of workers</a> between 2022 and 2023, citing cost cuts and other factors.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Walmart Stock Prediction For 2025</h2>
When buying a stock for a longer time horizon, it is important for investors to assess where they think the stock is headed in the future.
When mapping a stock's future trajectory, investors should consider factors including the future earnings expectations and expected performance against a benchmark.
Walmart&#8217;s revenue has grown at an average rate of 5.27% annually over the past 5 years. The average 1-year price target from analysts is $97.83, representing an expected 5.47% upside in 2026.
While past performance is not a guarantee of future results, investors should also look at a stock's historical performance when compared to both a benchmark index and the company's peers. Shares of Walmart have seen an annualized return of 27.69%, outperforming the S&amp;P500 index by 16.35%. This compares to 3.36% growth in the overall Consumer Staples sector. Walmart has a beta of 0.4.
Walmart stock surged 72% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the retailer through SPDR Select Sector Fund &#8211; Consumer Staples (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLP#NYSE">XLP</a>) and iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KXI#NYSE">KXI</a>).
Price Action: WMT stock is down 0.14% at $93.10 premarket at last check Thursday.
Also Read:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/43056711/nvidia-unveils-ai-safety-tools-to-boost-enterprise-trust-ceo-jensen-to-miss-trump-inauguration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia Unveils AI Safety Tools to Boost Enterprise Trust; CEO Jensen To Miss Trump Inauguration</a>
Image by Sundry Photography on Shutterstock

iShares S&P Globalnsumer Staples Sector Index Fund

Walmart Boosts Regional Manager Pay As Retailers Struggle To Find Leaders

Samsung Electronics Co. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) and Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google have decided to team up to develop <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43114842/meta-expands-ai-wearables-with-oakley-smart-glasses-camera-equipped-earbuds-in-development">augmented reality glasses</a>.
What Happened: The development was confirmed by TM Roh, the president of Samsung's Mobile Experience division, in an <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-22/samsung-set-to-enter-ar-glasses-market-in-race-with-meta-apple">interview</a> with Bloomberg.
However, the specific details and a release timeline remain undisclosed. The companies &#8220;will try to reach the quality and readiness we want as soon as possible,&#8221; he stated.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/01/43150781/netflix-crushed-q4-thanks-to-sports-squid-game-says-gary-black-analyst-highlights-low-attrition-despite-price-hikes-predicts-stock-upside">Netflix Crushed Q4 Thanks To Sports, Squid Game, Says Gary Black: Analyst Highlights Low Attrition Despite Price Hikes, Predicts Stock Upside</a>
The development follows the introduction of Samsing's Project Moohan, a mixed-reality headset, that operates on Google&#8217;s Android XR platform.
The South Korean giant is still finalizing the release date and price for this product, expected to launch in 2026, the report noted.
According to Roh, the company is trying to ensure there is sufficient content available for the device for which Samsung and Google are partnering with third-party developers.&nbsp;
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Samsung-Google collaboration will compete with major players like Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) in the rapidly growing AR market.
Meta plans to introduce its AR glasses, named Artemis, in 2027. Apple has been secretive about its AR ambitions.
Last year, Meta also unveiled its Orion AR glasses, described as an &#8220;impressive demo&#8221; but <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41084112/mark-zuckerberg-says-orion-is-probably-going-to-be-the-next-major-platform-after-phones-metas-new-ar">not intended for consumer sale</a>. In 2024, Snap Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNAP#NYSE">SNAP</a>) has also entered the AR space <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40909648/snap-unveils-smart-glasses-to-bring-ar-technology-to-physical-world-what-investors-need-to-know">with its smart glasses</a>.
Notably, Google&#8217;s earlier AR venture, Google Glass Enterprise, was <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/03/31376205/what-went-wrong-with-google-glass-enterprise-inside-look-at-the-discontinued-ar-project">discontinued in 2023</a> due to challenges like privacy concerns.
Photo Courtesy: dennizn on Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/01/43047721/apple-cfo-denies-claims-of-75-profit-margins-on-app-store-i-wouldnt-say-theyre-accurate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple CFO Denies Claims Of 75% Profit Margins On App Store: ‘I Wouldn't Say They're Accurate'</a></li>
</ul>

Samsung, Google Team Up On AR Glasses Development, Duo To Enter Race Against Meta And Apple

Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) stock hit all-time highs Wednesday on the heels of a quarterly financial report that beat analyst estimates and saw<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43114866/netflix-q4-earnings-record-subscribers-nfl-squid-game-push-past-highest-expectations"> record subscriber growth.</a>
With the stock price gains, Netflix is now worth more than the media companies that own the four U.S. broadcast networks and several other streaming companies combined.
What Happened: Netflix reported 18.9 million net new paid subscribers in the fourth quarter, setting a new company record. The company ended the quarter with 301.6 million global paid subscribers, continuing its dominance in<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/streaming"> the streaming sector.</a>
Along with dominating the streaming sector, Netflix is also dominating the overall entertainment sector taking time away from traditional broadcasters and cable networks.
The company is also seeing its valuation rise while other media companies have had falling stock prices over the last year.
Netflix is now worth more than the four broadcast network parent companies combined as shown below.
<ul>
<li>CBS, owned by Paramount Global (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PARA#NASDAQ">PARA</a>)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PARAA#NASDAQ">PARAA</a>): $7.4 billion</li>
<li>NBC, owned by Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>): $141.8 billion</li>
<li>FOX, owned by Fox Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FOX#NASDAQ">FOX</a>)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FOXA#NASDAQ">FOXA</a>): $21.4 billion</li>
<li>ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>): $197.6 billion</li>
<li>Total: $368.2 billion</li>
</ul>
Compare that to Netflix's current market capitalization of $410.0 billion.
Netflix is also worth more than many of its streaming competitors combined, which includes some of the media companies listed above:
<ul>
<li>Paramount+, owned by Paramount: $7.4 billion</li>
<li>Peacock, owned by Comcast: $141.8 billion</li>
<li>Tubi, owned by Fox: $21.4 billion</li>
<li>Disney+, Hulu, owned by Disney: $197.6 billion</li>
<li>MAX, owned by Warner Bros Discovery (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBD#NASDAQ">WBD</a>): $24.0 billion</li>
<li>The Roku Channel, owned by Roku Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROKU#NASDAQ">ROKU</a>): $11.7 billion</li>
<li>Total: $404 billion</li>
</ul>
Netflix is worth more than the combined market caps of the four broadcast channel owners and Warner Bros and Roku combined.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/01/43136402/netflix-stock-firing-on-all-cylinders-10-analysts-react-to-q4-beat-guidance-price-increases">Netflix Stock &#8216;Firing On All Cylinders&#8217;: 10 Analysts React To Q4 Beat, Guidance, Price Increases</a>
Why It's Important: Outside of companies like Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), which own streaming platforms, Netflix is worth significantly more than its streaming and media rivals.
The other key competitor is YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), another tech giant valued higher than Netflix.
YouTube and Netflix ranked first and second respectively for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43104552/youtube-vs-netflix-streamers-top-usage-leaderboard-in-december-sector-makes-more-gains-on-broadcast-and-cable">December market share</a> for streaming according to a Nielsen report. YouTube's December market share hit a company record 11.1% in December. Netflix tied its company record with an 8.5% market share in December.
Streaming hit a market share of 43.3%, up 9% from November. Broadcast television had market share of 22.4%, cable television had market share of 23.8% and other options came in at 10.6%, according to the report.
Netflix highlighted its strong lineup of content in the fourth quarter helping subscriber growth. That lineup included NFL games on Christmas, a second season of "Squid Game" and a record-breaking boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.
The streaming company highlighted its 2025 content slate including new seasons of "Squid Game," "Stranger Things" and "Wednesday." The company will also have several live streamed events again including at least one NFL game on Christmas along with its WWE partnership that kicked off in January.
Netflix's commanding market share and encroachment into traditional media has been going on for years and could continue well into the future.
NFLX Price Action: Netflix stock is up 10% to $959.38 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $481.40 to $999.00. The stock hit new all-time highs on Wednesday and shares traded over $1,000 in the premarket session. Netflix stock is now up 98% over the last year.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/01/42956034/netflix-stock-has-long-term-runway-for-dominance-in-streaming-analyst-highlights-4-key-catalysts">Netflix Stock Has &#8216;Long Term Runway For Dominance In Streaming&#8217;: Analyst Highlights 4 Key Catalysts</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Entertainment

Education

CMCSA

FOXA

NFLX

PARA

PARAA

Netflix Worth More Than Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Fox Combined

Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) has been analyzed by 28 analysts in the last three months, revealing a diverse range of perspectives from bullish to bearish.
Summarizing their recent assessments, the table below illustrates the evolving sentiments in the past 30 days and compares them to the preceding months.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th align="right">Bullish</th>
<th align="right">Somewhat Bullish</th>
<th align="right">Indifferent</th>
<th align="right">Somewhat Bearish</th>
<th align="right">Bearish</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Total Ratings</td>
<td align="right">8</td>
<td align="right">13</td>
<td align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Last 30D</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1M Ago</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">4</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2M Ago</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3M Ago</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
<td align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">4</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Analysts provide deeper insights through their assessments of 12-month price targets, revealing an average target of $210.82, a high estimate of $232.00, and a low estimate of $185.00. This upward trend is evident, with the current average reflecting a 3.62% increase from the previous average price target of $203.46.
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1737579669_0.png" alt="price target chart" />
<h2>Understanding Analyst Ratings: A Comprehensive Breakdown</h2>
In examining recent analyst actions, we gain insights into how financial experts perceive Alphabet. The following summary outlines key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Analyst</th>
<th>Analyst Firm</th>
<th>Action Taken</th>
<th>Rating</th>
<th>Current Price Target</th>
<th>Prior Price Target</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Deepak Mathivanan</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Lowers</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brian Nowak</td>
<td>Morgan Stanley</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mark Kelley</td>
<td>Stifel</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ken Gawrelski</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
<td>$187.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Justin Patterson</td>
<td>Keybanc</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scott Devitt</td>
<td>Wedbush</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Shweta Khajuria</td>
<td>Wolfe Research</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$230.00</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Andrew Boone</td>
<td>JMP Securities</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Market Perform</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Justin Post</td>
<td>B of A Securities</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Doug Anmuth</td>
<td>JP Morgan</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$232.00</td>
<td>$212.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eric Sheridan</td>
<td>Goldman Sachs</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Colin Sebastian</td>
<td>Baird</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alan Gould</td>
<td>Loop Capital</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$185.00</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Michael Levine</td>
<td>Pivotal Research</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mark Shmulik</td>
<td>Bernstein</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Market Perform</td>
<td>$185.00</td>
<td>$180.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Andrew Boone</td>
<td>JMP Securities</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Market Outperform</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Deepak Mathivanan</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rohit Kulkarni</td>
<td>Roth MKM</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$212.00</td>
<td>$206.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Justin Patterson</td>
<td>Keybanc</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thomas Champion</td>
<td>Piper Sandler</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brad Erickson</td>
<td>RBC Capital</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$204.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Youssef Squali</td>
<td>Truist Securities</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ken Gawrelski</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$187.00</td>
<td>$182.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mark Mahaney</td>
<td>Evercore ISI Group</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brian Pitz</td>
<td>BMO Capital</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$217.00</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brian Nowak</td>
<td>Morgan Stanley</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Justin Post</td>
<td>B of A Securities</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$206.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Laura Martin</td>
<td>Needham</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Key Insights:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Action Taken: In response to dynamic market conditions and company performance, analysts update their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise', or 'Lower' their stance, it signifies their reaction to recent developments related to Alphabet. This insight gives a snapshot of analysts' perspectives on the current state of the company.</li>
<li>Rating: Analysts unravel qualitative evaluations for stocks, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings offer insights into expectations for the relative performance of Alphabet compared to the broader market.</li>
<li>Price Targets: Analysts provide insights into price targets, offering estimates for the future value of Alphabet's stock. This comparison reveals trends in analysts' expectations over time.</li>
</ul>
Capture valuable insights into Alphabet's market standing by understanding these analyst evaluations alongside pertinent financial indicators. Stay informed and make strategic decisions with our Ratings Table.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GOOGL/analyst-ratings?utm_source=Benzinga Insights">Stay up to date on Alphabet analyst ratings.</a>
<h2>Discovering Alphabet: A Closer Look</h2>
Alphabet is a holding company that wholly owns internet giant Google. The California-based company derives slightly less than 90% of its revenue from Google services, the vast majority of which is advertising sales. Alongside online ads, Google services houses sales stemming from Google's subscription services (YouTube TV, YouTube Music among others), platforms (sales and in-app purchases on Play Store), and devices (Chromebooks, Pixel smartphones, and smart home products such as Chromecast). Google's cloud computing platform, or GCP, accounts for roughly 10% of Alphabet's revenue with the firm's investments in up-and-coming technologies such as self-driving cars (Waymo), health (Verily), and internet access (Google Fiber) making up the rest.
<h3>Unraveling the Financial Story of Alphabet</h3>
Market Capitalization: Surpassing industry standards, the company's market capitalization asserts its dominance in terms of size, suggesting a robust market position.
Positive Revenue Trend: Examining Alphabet's financials over 3 months reveals a positive narrative. The company achieved a noteworthy revenue growth rate of 15.09% as of 30 September, 2024, showcasing a substantial increase in top-line earnings. In comparison to its industry peers, the company trails behind with a growth rate lower than the average among peers in the Communication Services sector.
Net Margin: Alphabet's net margin is impressive, surpassing industry averages. With a net margin of 29.8%, the company demonstrates strong profitability and effective cost management.
Return on Equity (ROE): Alphabet's ROE surpasses industry standards, highlighting the company's exceptional financial performance. With an impressive 8.55% ROE, the company effectively utilizes shareholder equity capital.
Return on Assets (ROA): Alphabet's ROA excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching 6.22%. This signifies efficient management of assets and strong financial health.
Debt Management: With a below-average debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, Alphabet adopts a prudent financial strategy, indicating a balanced approach to debt management.
<h2>Understanding the Relevance of Analyst Ratings</h2>
Within the domain of banking and financial systems, analysts specialize in reporting for specific stocks or defined sectors. Their work involves attending company conference calls and meetings, researching company financial statements, and communicating with insiders to publish "analyst ratings" for stocks. Analysts typically assess and rate each stock once per quarter.
Analysts may supplement their ratings with predictions for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue, offering investors a more comprehensive outlook. However, investors should be mindful that analysts, like any human, can have subjective perspectives influencing their forecasts.
Breaking: Wall Street's Next Big Mover
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This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

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