US stocks (S&P 500, Nasdaq) fell as Middle East tensions drove oil prices up, inflation concerns rose, and investors scrutinized AI spending returns. Key earnings from Alphabet, Intel, and healthcare players like Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson also influenced the market.
Alphabet's increased AI spending forecast raises questions if Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft will follow, amid investor scrutiny over capex impact on free cash flow ahead of their earnings reports.
Moody's warns that the trillion-dollar annual spending on AI infrastructure by hyperscalers (Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, CoreWeave) is eroding their free cash flow and increasing balance-sheet risk, despite robust demand for AI computing.
Brent crude surpassed $100 a barrel after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers, escalating Middle East tensions and prompting a US warning to Iran. This fueled inflation fears, driving Treasury yields higher and causing a market sell-off, while tech stocks experienced volatility due to AI spending plans and regulatory fines.
Google reported Q2 2026 revenue of $119.8 billion, exceeding expectations, but recorded negative free cash flow for the first time due to massive AI capital expenditures. This led to a stock drop, as investors question the scale of AI spending amidst delayed product releases and researcher resignations.
Google parent Alphabet and Tesla shares plunged after both reported negative free cash flow and announced billions more in AI and unspecified investments, raising investor skepticism about returns on high spending.
Alphabet and Tesla shares fell sharply after both companies reported negative Q2 free cash flow and signaled increased AI spending, raising investor concerns about mounting costs. Tesla lost $200B and Alphabet $300B in market cap, while Amazon also declined.
Chinese tech companies are rapidly expanding their international presence, driven by a global surge in AI spending and domestic competition. This growth is evident in rising physical tech exports and increased revenue from cloud-based software and foundation models, with firms like MiniMax seeing significant international earnings.
Alphabet and Tesla shares dropped in premarket trading after both companies signaled increased AI spending, raising investor concerns about mounting costs. Alphabet raised its capex forecast, and Tesla reported a significant surge in Q2 capex.
Alphabet and Tesla reported negative free cash flow and higher capital expenditures due to significant AI investments, despite better-than-expected revenue. This led to an after-market selloff for both companies, signaling potential scrutiny for other tech megacaps reporting soon.
Oracle's credit rating was downgraded by S&P, and its credit risk is at an 18-year high due to heavy AI infrastructure spending, rising debt, and competition from low-cost Chinese AI models like Moonshot AI's Kim-3, with OpenAI's contractual obligations posing a significant risk.
Microsoft is reportedly reducing reliance on OpenAI and Anthropic AI models for Office apps like Excel and Word, opting instead for its own in-house MAI models to cut costs. This move aligns with a broader industry trend of tech companies curbing AI spending.
Meta Platforms is preparing to launch a cloud infrastructure business to sell excess AI computing power and models to outside customers, potentially boosting its stock. This move enters Meta into the competitive cloud market against giants like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.
The Magnificent 7 tech giants have seen $2.3 trillion wiped off their value in June, as investors scrutinize their massive AI infrastructure spending and seek returns elsewhere. While some Mag 7 stocks are down, semiconductor stocks have rallied, benefiting from the demand for chips.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) warns that the global AI spending boom, projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2026, could trigger financial stress if expected returns disappoint. This could tighten liquidity across equities and credit, potentially impacting Bitcoin as a risk asset.
Meta Platforms' aggressive AI investments, including increased capital spending guidance, have failed to impress investors, leading to a 17% stock decline this year. Analysts await proof of new revenue streams to justify the high costs.
AI startups and established companies are cutting costs by switching from expensive models like Anthropic's Claude to cheaper, open-weight alternatives, saving millions. This shift comes as OpenAI and Anthropic prepare for potential IPOs, facing pressure from customers demanding clearer ROI and competition from tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.
Tech stocks, including Nvidia, Google, and Micron, saw significant drops as investors question the return on investment for massive AI spending. Micron's shares plummeted over 13%, reflecting broader market jitters and concerns about a potential AI bubble.
AMD CIO Hasmukh Ranjan estimates employee AI token usage could cost companies up to $900 million annually, a hidden expense many CEOs cutting jobs over AI are overlooking. Companies are cutting staff citing AI, while the AI itself incurs significant token costs, sometimes exceeding the cost of human employees.
Amazon has secured a $17.5 billion loan from major financial lenders, including Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase. This comes shortly after a $14 billion Canadian bond sale, totaling $31.5 billion in new financing within 48 hours. The funds are for general corporate purposes, amidst a broader industry trend of companies borrowing heavily to finance AI infrastructure.
While some executives report high AI compute costs, new research indicates businesses are not yet spending more on AI than on employees. The top 1% of firms spend $7,500/employee/month on AI, significantly less than average software engineer salaries.
Spend-management company Ramp secured $750 million in funding at a $44 billion valuation, driven by corporate clients seeking to manage rising AI costs. CEO Eric Glyman highlighted the challenge of unpredictable token-based AI spending and Ramp's new product to optimize AI task routing.
Technology stocks, particularly chipmakers like Broadcom and Micron, declined on Thursday due to investor concerns over AI spending and market expectations catching up with the sector's strong performance. Analysts suggest a market 'rest' is due after significant gains.
Technology stocks declined Thursday, led by chipmakers Broadcom, Micron, and Marvell, as investors exited the semiconductor sector. Concerns over AI spending slowdown and chip price drops contributed to the sell-off.
