TechCheck

More details emerge around the suspension of Cruise robo-taxis in San Francisco… The battle over autonomous vehicles. And what the latest numbers from Microsoft and Alphabet tell us about Meta and Amazon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What’s most important about megacap tech earnings – Microsoft & Alphabet. Plus, a major development in the battle over driverless cars in San Francisco. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Higher yields yield big changes in tech, in both megacaps and startups. Today, how the price of money is making its presence felt from Silicon Valley to Wall Street. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Netflix has quietly been building out a library of more than 70 video games as part of an ambitious new push to become a gaming giant, testing out a cloud gaming service and posting job openings for its first big-budget, blockbuster game. But it's a notoriously tough market to break into, one that many tech and media giants have tried at and failed. The undertaking is just one of a slew of new business lines that the Netflix has been experimenting with, and they're more important than ever as its stock lags behind the megacaps it used to be on par with. This week on Tech Check, we dive into Netflix's new side quest. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s the eve of big tech earnings - Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, four of the magnificent seven, set to report next week. It’s all about the forecast, about what they saw in the third quarter, and what they see coming down the pike in Q4… Plus the promise versus the economics of AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is reportedly closing in on an $86 billion valuation… why it’s selling shares now… to whom… and its very unorthodox ‘capped profit’ corporate structure. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deirdre is in the field at the Goldman Sachs Builders & Innovators Summit, where she sits down with Kim Posnett, Goldman’s Global Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Group within Global Banking & Markets – where she works on some of the biggest tech deals, M&A and IPOs. Plus an interview with Dropbox CEO Drew Houston about his outlook for AI spending. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Another round of layoffs hit the tech sector, just as they gear up for earnings season -- margin expansion versus capex expansion. Plus Tim Cook’s surprise visit to China. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As earnings season kicks off, why tech is more important than the banks; how AI could kill the “year of efficiency;” and the spicy vs garpy mega-caps Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New numbers from OpenAI reveal exponential growth. The darling of generative AI continues to fire on all cylinders. But can it become more than a chatbot and live up to its now giant expectations? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Temu appears unstoppable. Since the Chinese shopping app launched in the U.S. a year ago, it has become the number one e-commerce app in the country, with downloads skyrocketing 50x from 600,000 to 30 million in just one quarter, according to Bernstein analysts. In contrast, Amazon’s downloads have dropped off a cliff, falling 40% in a year. Known for wild discounts and dirt-cheap prices that severely undercut Amazon’s, Temu has ratcheted up its ad spend to infiltrate the American consumer, set to spend an estimate $2 billion in marketing in 2023. This week on Tech Check, we dive how Temu has hit Amazon’s weak spots to take the country by storm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried saw a meteoric rise as crypto’s golden boy and an even more spectacular fall as his $32 billion cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, collapsed in a matter of days. CNBC's Kate Rooney spoke with Anthony Scaramucci, founder of Skybridge Capital, about his front-row seat to the collapse and what it was like to visit SBF while his empire was crumbling around him. For the full Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX saga, watch the CNBC documentary "The Collapse of FTX: Insiders Tell All". Available now at cnbc.com/ftx and YouTube here: https://youtu.be/XqwGt69pDXQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The IPO window of 2023 was short, not very sweet, and now likely closed as we head into the year end. Many of the recent debuts, including Birkenstock, Arm, Instacart and Klaviyo are down 10% or more from their highs, all before the lock-up period has expired when insiders can sell their shares. There are a number of factors that could be behind the stumbles, including company fundamentals, bankers mispricing the listing, and market conditions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa and Marc Golbert discuss Amazon Prime Day and Birkenstock's IPO price, the state of direct-to-consumer retail models, and Birkenstock’s unique approach to DTC business. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Amazon’s second sales event of the year kicks off, every day seems like a deal day on e-commerce apps like Temu and Shein. Temu, in particular, is far outpacing Amazon in terms of growth, and might be capturing American shoppers by gamifying the experience. Ben Harburg of MSA Capital joins us to talk about the Temu effect and the rising anxiety that it’s going to displace everyone from Amazon to Dollar Stores to Costco. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The chip designer Arm gained a number of bulls today as its post-debut quiet period ends, with more than 10 firms involved in underwriting the IPO initiating coverage of the company at a “buy” rating or equivalent, despite the stock being down more than 20% from the intra-day high after it IPO-ed. That’s good news for Softbank founder Masayoshi Son, as Arm has become his firm’s new crown jewel after Alibaba, going from a 12% stake in March last year to 22% as of June this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI startups are continuing to raise money by the bucketful. This time, it’s the chatbot maker Anthropic, which is reportedly in talks to raise $2 billion from Google and other companies, giving it an eye-popping $20 billion to $30 billion valuation. Plus, two of Biden’s top antitrust regulators gave an update today on the administration’s efforts to hold big tech accountable, just a few weeks into the DOJ’s landmark case against Google. The DOJ’s Jonathan Kanter said he’s been surprised about how many comments in his case are coming from ordinary workers, and the FTC’s Lina Khan talked about the failure to push back against corporate consolidation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Apple are up fractionally today despite a rare downgrade from KeyBanc - laying out an alternative view from what most analyst have been saying going into Apple's most important quarter of the year. The analyst joined Tech Check, describing his concerns including rich valuations nearing all-time-highs, U.S. iPhone sales softening, and international growth under pressure. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nvidia’s new strategy to dominate the future of AI might lie in the cloud. A report from The Information says Nvidia talked to at least one data center owner about leasing space to power its own cloud service - requiring major investment but could also be a big source of new revenue. Plus, Microsoft will soon try to generate meaningful sales directly from AI with the launch of its new AI assistant Co-Pilot for business customers. It costs nearly $30 per user per month, but some customers testing an early version say they’re seeing a big boost to productivity. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a big September selloff, megacap tech stocks might be cheap again. P/E ratios have fallen steeply and are at their biggest discount since Jan. 2017 as analysts continue to boost their earnings estimates for the next fiscal year, according to Goldman Sachs. Plus, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella today took the stand in the DOJ’s antitrust trial against Google, and explained why it’s so hard to compete against the tech giant’s search engine dominance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Biden signaled an aggressive new agenda to curb the power of companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta when he appointed Lina Khan, Jonathan Kanter, and Tim Wu – a trio of the toughest antitrust regulators to hold them accountable. Instead, two years in, big tech is bigger and more powerful than ever. This week on Tech Check, we dive into the toothless regulators and their upcoming showdowns that could be make-or-break for them, and for the dominance of big tech. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Q3 inches to a close, tech stocks have had a rough end to the summer and a rough ride lower in September. But Apple is really the culprit, because of its oversized weighting in broader. Plus, though China has been a key overhang for the market, there are signs beneath the headlines that American companies are still making inroads, as Nike reports tailwinds from Chinese consumers, and Chinese internet regulators propose relaxing rules on data flows abroad. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The FTC is now targeting Amazon in a new antitrust suit, alleging it’s running an illegal monopoly, with Lina Khan saying the e-commerce giant’s tactics deprive rivals of the ability to gain customers. But Amazon might actually now be facing more competition than ever - including from upstarts like Shopify, which just announced an investment in wholesale platform Faire, further entrenching Shopify as an Amazon alternative for sellers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The FTC and 17 states filed a antitrust suit today alleging Amazon inflates online prices and overcharges sellers. The agency and FTC chair Lina Khan’s credibility are at stake in this massive case. Khan badly needs a win -- she made her name in law school by targeting the tech giant, but during her tenure, she’s only allowed the Prime ecosystem to get stronger and more entrenched. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amazon is investing up to $4 billion in startup Anthropic as it looks to stake a claim in the AI arms race. Both stand to benefit: Amazon, with a buzzy customer for its custom AI chips and a minority stake in one of the early applications of generative AI, while Anthropic gets a big backer and AWS’ compute power. This isn’t, however, the exclusive partnership with Microsoft and OpenAI inked earlier this year, since Anthropic already received a partnership and investment from Google in May. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some of the biggest, most highly-anticipated IPOs of the last few years have fallen short, burning investors who thought they were buying a technology stock. Peloton, WeWork, Blue Apron, and StitchFix all might have called themselves tech companies, but their growth ended up being hugely restricted by real-world limitations. So as a new wave of IPOs begin, investors might be struggling to determine where Instacart falls. This week on Tech Check, we dive into the grocery delivery app and ask, is Instacart really a tech company? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Microsoft looks to be closing in on its acquisition of Activision, after regulators in the United Kingdom signaled approval. The deal might be an example of how companies can ride out the stricter regulatory scrutiny under the Biden administration, adding to a string of blows that could leave corporate America feeling emboldened to pursue more deals. Plus, Apple’s newest iPhone went on sale around the world today, with Tim Cook opening an Apple store in New York City as part of the festivities. After three straight quarters of declining revenue and a fourth expected, the pressure is on for this launch. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cisco’s $28 billion acquisition of Splunk signals where the company wants to go: a legacy tech hardware company trying to pivot to software and services, in a bid to help topline growth and give it heft in two of the buzziest tech subsectors, cybersecurity and AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC's Dierdre Bosa spoke with Instacart CEO, Fidji Simo, to discuss why now was the time to finally go public and how the company arrived at the decision to price where they have. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As more grocers begin looking to build their own delivery networks, what does that mean for Instacart’s competitive moat? The world’s largest grocery delivery platform opened trading today on the Nasdaq at $42 a share, and Instacart CEO Fidji Simo discussed why grocers choose to stay on their marketplace, and how she expects the company to continue to grow after seeing the benefits of grocery delivery during the pandemic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With Arm’s successful listing and Instacart’s debut on deck, the blockbuster IPO is back. But retail investors might want to proceed with caution before buying in. Those that jumped into some of the largest recent IPOs on the first day of trading have all lost money, according to our analysis, and would’ve seen dramatically better returns just buying the S&P. And even the connected, institutional investors that bought coveted shares at the IPO price have seen huge losses, as rising interest rates reprices valuations across the board. This week on Tech Check, our deep dive into why investors should beware the blockbuster IPO. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Instacart today raised the price range for its upcoming IPO after Arm’s successful debut yesterday, boosting the valuation to around $10 billion dollars. But that might be little comfort to the investors who bought in at Instacart’s peak valuation of $39 billion two years ago. We break down the winners and losers of the debut, including the VCs who got in early and the big institutional investors that are getting put under the water. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Softbank-backed chip designer Arm's successful listing today could open the IPO floodgates, according to Lux Capital’s Shahin Farshchi. He says the offering could generate more interest in new chip players, drive capital into private semi names, and encourage private companies to consider public market financing. The IPO might also be a much-needed win Masayoshi Son. Even though the Softbank founder has hung his entire legacy on being central to the AI shift, he’s had a number of big misses, including selling his stakes in Nvidia and perhaps self-driving startup Cruise too early. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The DOJ's landmark tech monopoly trial against Alphabet kicked off today – with the government grilling its first witness Google Chief Economist Hal Varian about his advice to the company on antitrust issues. It’s reminiscent of the DOJ’s big tech trial of 20 years ago against Microsoft, when Bill Gates was the big personality. This time around though, all eyes are on Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai -- and though he's often been called "soft-spoken" and a "nice guy," his track record so far suggests he may be the wartime CEO that Alphabet needs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Instacart's new valuation of up to $9.3 billion is a massive down round from the $39 billion of a few years ago. Bill Gurley, a VC and early Uber investor, says that’s a healthy reset: "I've lived through 3 different bubbles and bursts in this industry and unfortunately it's highly cyclical. It tends to go up slowly and crash immediately." He also talked startups in the IPO pipeline, whether there’s an AI bubble, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We all lived through the SPAC boom of 2021 – when the blank check mergers accounted for 61% of all U.S. public listings that year… and the subsequent bust, with at least a dozen going bankrupt since then and more than a hundred now running low on cash. But even though many stopped paying attention to them, SPACs continued to live on. Now, two years later, there are signs of a resurgence, and some investors are seeing new opportunities. This week on Tech Check, zombie SPACs – back from the dead. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Calculating who is set to lose the most in the showdown between Disney and Charter is complex. Disney could lose contract fees for Charter’s 15 million subscribers, but the dispute is also driving a huge jump in Hulu + Live TV subs. Disney owns 67% of Hulu, but will also soon renegotiate ownership with Comcast. Plus, AI is increasingly playing a role in sports, most recently in this year’s U.S. Open. The USTA has been using IBM’s Watson AI to provide commentary, working to translate it into every possible language, and has even correctly forecast who’s most likely to win a match. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

China is an ever-present risk for Apple, but this week it's front and center on reports that China, which makes up 19% of Apple's revenue, is restricting the use of iPhones at government agencies, and the resurgence of Huawei - its new Mate 60 Pro smartphone is seen as the first significant threat to Apple's dominance in the market in years. Widely-followed hedge fund manager Dan Niles joins to discuss those headwinds and why Apple is now his largest single-stock short. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new report today forecasts a 5% increase in U.S. ad revenue this year, but says the TV ad sector is experiencing an "existential crisis" amid an ongoing showdown between Charter and Disney that's caused sports programming blackouts for millions just as the NFL season kicks off. Plus, a top Apple analyst breaks down why shares are down today, citing two big decisions against the company - the EU naming Apple, among others, a gatekeeper under its Digital Markets Act, and Chinese officials told they can't use iPhones for work or bring them into the office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The tech moguls and investors at this year's Burning Man also had to endure torrential downpours that caused campsite flooding and foot-deep mud. But one venture capitalist said that after getting over the mini panic attack of being stuck, most people embraced it. Plus, Disney has been butting heads with cable giant Charter over contract fees that has left millions without access to U.S. Open, college football and potentially Monday Night Football programming. Will this time show that Disney might not have the leverage it once did? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SPACs are back and volatile as ever. But the class of 2021 has settled somewhat, and that's where some investors are seeing opportunity. Proem Asset Management CIO Imran Khan, who also led Alibaba and Snap’s IPOs, says he's picked up shares in the banking app Dave, OpenDoor, and super app Grab because of what he calls arbitrage between private and public market valuations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After all that activist pressure, Marc Benioff’s M&A spending spree may seem like it’s ended – but in the past year, Salesforce has only been ramping up investments in AI startups. It’s funded at least seven, including leading a $200 million funding round for startup Hugging Face. Tonight’s numbers are set to show investors whether Benioff has more room to run, or will instead bring back more scrutiny. Plus, ETFs are closing at a record pace as niche funds targeting fads like crpyto, the metaverse, and Gen Z wane in popularity. On the flip side, the number of the less buzzy bond ETFs are soaring. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nvidia’s stock rise this year has been nothing short of meteoric. The chipmaker is at the heart of the AI boom as the supplier of chips that are required to build and run the likes of ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies. On this week of TechCheck Weekly, Deirdre Bosa digs into how Nvidia dominates this technological sea change and who is trying to challenge the chipmaker’s rule. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nvidia’s blowout earnings is flexing its dominance in AI. Revenue at its data center segment, which includes AI chips like the A100 and H100, jumped 141% just from the last quarter. But are the cracks in that already beginning to show? Competition is beginning to emerge – on a software level from startups working on tools to reduce the cost of training and running machine learning models, and on the hardware front – from chipmakers and cloud service providers starting to produce their own AI chips. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can Nvidia do it again? Its blowout last quarter fueled a 220% rally this year and sent the market into an AI craze. Amid sky-high expectations, it might be the most crucial print of the season. The chipmaker has been the biggest contributor to the Nasdaq 100’s rally this year, and the options market is now bracing for a 10% move. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Softbank-owned Arm reported declining revenues and narrowing profits in its IPO filing last night, bringing into question whether Softbank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son will be able to pull off what’s expected to be the biggest U.S. debut this year. Son has said he wants Softbank to lead the AI revolution, with Arm as its biggest driver. But just how central is the chip designer to the revolution anyway? Its own filing said that its processors may not be suitable for AI purposes, and its biggest market, smartphones, is in decline. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Softbank’s chip designer Arm is expected to file its F-1 for IPO today, revealing key finances and operations. But whether investors will buy its $64 billion pre-IPO valuation hinges on the filing showing that chip designer is truly at the center of the AI boom, as Softbank founder Masa Son claims, and not actually more like AI-adjacent. The listing would be the biggest in the U.S. in almost two years, and could jump start the IPO market. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Instacart is reportedly planning to go public in September, and though public markets haven't been kind to gig economy companies, Instacart may be different. It has already achieved GAAP net income on its ad business, and is building up a leadership team of advertising heavyweights. Plus, Softbank’s chip designer Arm could also file its prospectus next week, in what would be 2023’s largest IPO and another big boost for U.S. listings. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Information's Jessica Lessin calls it the Musk Distraction Machine - cage matches and incessant memes that are designed to distract us from focusing on what's really happening at his businesses of X, Tesla, and SpaceX - and she says, don't fall for it. Plus, Microsoft is struggling hard against Google in the search engine wars, with Bing just barely gaining market share since the beginning of the year. Deepwater’s Gene Munster thinks Google will be the clear winner in the AI race, especially with the tech giant’s Gemini model set to launch soon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.