TechCheck

Intel is scrapping a $5.4 billion deal for the Israeli chipmaker Tower Semiconductor after failing to get regulatory approval from China, where it derives more than 25% of its revenues. The deal falling through represents a big roadblock for CEO Pat Gelsinger's plans to enter the faster-growing foundry business, which would allow it to manufacture semiconductors for other companies. But one analyst writes, that might not even matter, since no one owns the stock for the foundry business. It’s also another way for China to fight back against the U.S. in the tug-of-war over chip supremacy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fund managers who leaned into the tech rally and AI hype cycle saw big payoffs, according to this quarter's 13-Fs. Tech-focused funds saw 15% gains year-to-date, about three times that of the average hedge fund. The group also added to top AI plays, including 16 million shares of Nvidia and 12 million shares of Microsoft. We also take a look at which fund managers went against the grain with some under-the-radar trades. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Opendoor plunging 30% since the company reported a steep revenue decline despite managing to turn a profit. Deirdre Bosa speaks with CEO Carrie Wheeler in her first broadcast interview since assuming the position about the quarter, the state of the iBuying business model in today’s market, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Disney posting mixed Q3 results, as CEO Bob Iger laid out a plan to make streaming a key growth driver, including a new focus on its ad-supported tier and announcing price hikes on ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. Plus, newly-appointed CEO of “X” Linda Yaccarino claimed today that the company is soon to be cash flow positive, creating a safe brand, seeing advertisers return and – perhaps the point of giving an interview 8 weeks after becoming CEO – that she’s a stable, steady hand with full autonomy from Elon Musk. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duolingo is one of the biggest earnings movers of the day after reporting a 62% year-over-year growth in daily active users. Its CEO Luis von Ahn joined to discuss what’s driving the price action, innovations in education technology, and the company’s expansion plans. Plus, Disney is set to report third quarter results after the bell. Investors are keeping an eye on its streaming division, growth in parks, and clues about a bombshell sports betting deal announced yesterday. In a big move for ESPN and Disney, it’s set to rebrand casino company Penn Entertainment’s sportsbook as ESPN BET in a 10-year, $2 billion deal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

: Shares of Paramount are lower today despite topping revenue expectations in its Q2 results. The beat raises the bar for Disney, which reports after the bell today amid a host of industry-wide challenges, including an ad contraction, pressure to cut streaming costs and a strike. And then there are the company-specific issues that Disney faces, including the performance of its franchise films, attendance issues at parks, and more. Plus, the $53 billion CHIPS Act aimed to jump-start the production of leading-edge semis in America - but a year later, funds have yet to be dispersed -- and firms have already spent billions of dollars. We report from a soon-to-be Wolfspeed chip plant in Siler City, NC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Artificial intelligence is now disrupting one of the biggest headaches in healthcare – paperwork. Medical notes take doctors and nurses hours every day, and cut into time with patients. The National Bureau of Economic Research estimates that using AI for administrative tasks could save the U.S. health system $200 billion to $300 billion a year. Plus, Eric Hippeau, one of the leading venture capital investors in the healthcare industry, says there's a huge use case for AI, including opening access to primary care - but estimates we're still in the second inning and warns we're not at a stage yet where AI can reliably replace workers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Amazon are rocketing today, on pace for its best day since November after reporting a blowout second quarter and issuing upbeat guidance. It beat on the top line and notched its biggest bottom line beat since 2020, boosted by CEO Andy Jassy’s aggressive cost-cutting efforts. Shares of Opendoor though, headed the other direction – plummeting more than 20% on a steep revenue decline despite managing to turn a profit. We asked CEO Carrie Wheeler in her first broadcast interview since assuming the position about the quarter, the state of the iBuying business model in today’s market, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amazon reports after the bell - and investors' eyes are on the cloud. Over the last 6 quarters, growth in its cloud business AWS has slowed significantly, to an expected 10% in tonight's report, and investors are anxious to know whether the slowdown has bottomed... or could head even lower. Another data point to keep an eye on – capex. Big tech companies that have already reported including Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta have all mentioned that big investments in AI have pushed up spending. Investors will be watching closely how Amazon’s plays out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Softbank-backed Arm is reportedly targeting a $60B-$70B September IPO - one of the biggest in tech history. The company licenses out chip designing to tech giants including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Intel. Softbank founder Masa Son couldn't have timed it better as the need for computing power and AI chips booms. But there are still risks, including a slowdown in smartphone sales, and faces competition from an open source chip design architecture firm called RISC-V. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Uber just reported its first-ever profitable quarter - but just how sustainable is it? GAAP net income was $394 million, but nearly all of that was due to a pre-tax benefit related to unrealized gains on Uber's equity investments. It holds stakes in self-driving tech companies Aurora, electric scooter startup Lime, ridesharing companies DiDi and Grab, and electric aircraft company Jovy. Its advertising business though is seeing new growth. It launched video ads on Uber, Uber Eats, Drizly and in-car tablets, reporting ad revenue run rate of over $650 million, and more than 400,000 active advertising merchants for the quarter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The funding and valuation environment for startups remains challenged, but Tiger Global has notched one big, multi-billion dollar exit recently. After a rough 2022, Tiger told investors today it net a total of $3.5 billion from selling its remaining stake in Indian e-commerce startup Flipkart; a much-needed win for Tiger. Plus, Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss has two big calls out today – upgrading Adobe to overweight on its roadmap to AI monetization, and downgrading Salesforce to equal weight on a lack of near-term catalysts. 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 covers Tech earnings, deal making and M&A activity. Plus, are more strikes coming in Hollywood? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Though it hasn't even reported yet, Nvidia seems to be the clear winner this earnings season. Three of the biggest tech companies reported this week – Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta – and all said they’re spending more on building infrastructure to support AI cloud computing. That means less traditional server chips, and more of Nvidia's advanced GPUs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tech heavyweights Alphabet and Microsoft report second quarter earnings after the bell today, the first that’ll show investors whether the hype around AI is justified. But there are some red flags to look out for, including tech’s massive outperformance this year, high expectations for AI, and decelerating cloud growth and capex. Plus, TikTok keeps pushing the envelope. Despite having a regulatory target on its back in the U.S., the social media platform recently announced a push into music as well as e-commerce. Could it be America’s first super app? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A big week for big tech with Alphabet, Microsoft, Intel and Meta results on deck. We’ll drill down on the name one analyst says is the best positioned in AI. Plus, Verizon, NXP Semiconductors, and Anywhere Real Estate are on deck with results. We’ve got the action, the story, and the trade in Earnings Exchange. And we’ll speak with a recent college graduate who built an AI-detecting program from his college dorm room. 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 previews earnings next week from Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta. Bosa also spoke exclusively with Lyft's new CEO, David Risher, as he gets set to wrap up his first 100 days in office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carvana is surging more than 30% after striking a new debt restructuring deal despite remaining deeply unprofitable. It's part of a host of pandemic high-flyers that investors left for dead but are now rebounding including Robinhood, Coinbase, Peloton, Affirm, and OpenDoor – all with different business models but characterized by weak financials and high valuations. Plus, Apple is reportedly developing its own AI tools, including a large language model and an internal chatbot that engineers have dubbed “Apple GPT.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The AI gold rush that has seen billions of dollars poured into startups might already be slowing down. Two AI chatbots are laying off workers, as the field for startups grows crowded, businesses begin to demonstrate they don’t all survive as standalone products, and investors grow impatient for impact on revenue. Plus, shares of AT&T are near their lowest in 30 years as analysts try to gauge potential financial liability following a report on toxic lead cables. It comes on top of repeated downward revisions for its wireless and fiber growth, and a slowdown in subscriber growth. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cathie Wood's flagship ARKK Innovation ETF has seen net outflows of $234 million this year and $740 million in the past 12 months, plus Assets Under Management crater from $30 billion during pandemic highs to less than $9 billion today. But maybe the biggest knock against Wood? ARKK has underperformed the Nasdaq and $QQQ since its 2014 inception. We raised the question with her on Friday during our Tech Check special. 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 previews earnings next week from Netflix and Tesla. Cathie Wood, Ark Invest CEO, to discusses the A.I. space, ARK’s ETF hitting an 11-month high and what stocks she is watching in the tech space. Emil Michael, former Uber chief business officer, discusses the recent stock pop, competition in the space and more. Plus, Hollywood on strike and venture capital loans disappear. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FTC Chair Lina Khan was grilled today by the House Judiciary Committee over the agency’s increasing court losses. The agency today also filed its appeal to pause the Microsoft Activision merger. Microsoft has until July 18 to close the deal, when it'll have to either renegotiate terms or abandon the deal and pay a $3 billion break fee. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Early Prime Day data looks positive for Amazon, with shoppers spending $6.4 billion on the first day, up almost 6% from last year and making for the single biggest e-commerce day in 2023 according to Adobe. Former Target Vice Chair Jerry Storch joins us for a read on the consumer. Plus, less than two years ago Nvidia tried to buy Arm for some $40 billion, but failed because of anti-trust issues. Flash forward to today, and Nvidia could reportedly anchor the chip designer’s IPO – set to be the biggest this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amazon Prime Day Kicks Off Description: Amazon Prime Day begins today -- Adobe forecasts the 2-day sales event will drive $13.1 billion in U.S. online spend, 9.5% more than last year. As for Prime signups though? Consumer Intelligence thinks memberships are at saturation, estimating 167 million Americans are members, down from 170 million last year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sarah Silverman and other authors are suing Meta and OpenAI over claims of using their content without permission to train chatbots. It raises the question of whether copyright is an existential threat to AI, and the limits of how much AI can actually leverage content on the internet. Plus, Amazon Prime Day kicks off tomorrow – but how much do we care? Many investors aren’t buying the stock for e-commerce anymore, instead shifting focus to the faster-growing and more lucrative AWS and even advertising businesses instead. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC's Jon Fortt discusses all things tech including Amazon's advantage in A.I and Meta's "Threads" app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite the hype around generative AI, the funding environment for startups and VCs remains tight according to Pitchbook data. Softbank though is bucking that trend with a new investment in a Japanese robotics startup, just weeks after promising to go back on the offensive. Plus, shares of Alibaba soared today after China hit Ant Group with a nearly $1 billion fine, signaling an end to its era of tech crackdowns, allowing the company and private enterprises in the country more broadly to revive growth. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gig economy stocks like Uber and DoorDash hit session lows after saying they're suing New York City over a law that raises delivery workers' minimum wage to $17.96/hour, nearly tripling their base pay. But it changes the calculus as investors continue to look to the apps for profitability. Plus, as the U.S. gets tough in the tech fight against China, Amazon could be caught in the middle. Biden administration cloud restrictions could hurt AWS, while Chinese e-commerce sites like Pinduoduo’s Temu and Shein are also quietly making inroads with American consumers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s tenure has been characterized by greater fiscal discipline, and now he’s reportedly looking to streaming as a way to cut costs – taking a hard look at the finances of producing pricey original like “Rings of Power” and “Citadel” despite mixed ratings. Plus, Chinese companies have been exploiting loopholes in the U.S. export ban on chips – including by renting access to high-end chips and their compute power through cloud companies like Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure. A new Biden administration restriction could curb that. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI startups saw a funding explosion this year, with more than 20 generative AI unicorns now in the landscape, according to Pitchbook data. OpenAI backer and Inflection AI co-founder Reid Hoffman discussed what’s next for these startups, and whether they’ll be able to outlast the megacaps. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special report, CNBC's Diedre Bosa discusses money flowing into AI, the lack of tech IPO's and the downstream impact on Bay Area real estate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI startup Typeface announced today it raised $100 million at a $1 billion valuation. It’s the latest in a string of new AI unicorns – a bright spot amid a wider slowdown in startup funding. Plus, the FTC is gearing up for its biggest suit against Amazon yet, according to Bloomberg. What it could mean for Amazon’s already razor-thin e-commerce margins. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's a race between the U.S. and China to find AI winners at the earliest stages, and so far the U.S. has been way ahead. But China is quickly closing the gap, with Chinese AI venture dealmaking at more than 70% that of U.S. this year - and we're only halfway through. Plus, where are the tech IPOs? Despite the AI hype, new AI unicorns seemingly daily, and investors unable to get enough of the few companies that are already public, tech IPOs have remained on the sidelines - and big names don't look ready to test the waters anytime soon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Data is the new gold in the generative AI race - and companies want to harness the power of their own data instead of giving it to ChatGPT or another software application. That idea may be behind a flurry of recent deals in the AI space. Plus, a panel of AI experts at the Aspen Ideas Festival, including Google DeepMind COO Lila Ibrahim, weigh in on whether they’re worried about how AI will impact misinformation in upcoming elections. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Analysts have been warning of increased concentration in mega-cap tech for a while, with little impact on those names. Is it time now for a pullback? Plus, UBS downgraded Alphabet today to neutral from buy, saying the stock has limited upside and that it may not be the best way to capitalize on the AI wave. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Suppliers are now able to apply for funding under the Chips Act after the Biden administration broadened the companies that are eligible, 11 months after it became law. Plus, the CEO of Forge Global, a secondary marketplace where insiders can buy and sell shares of private companies, says AI names are still hard to buy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AWS is investing $100M in a center to help its customers use generative AI, in a push to keep up with rivals Microsoft and Google. Deirdre Bosa sits down with AWS CEO Adam Selipsky. Plus, the first of a five-day hearing between Microsoft and the FTC kicked off today, to determine the fate of a $69 billion deal to buy Activision in the U.S. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alibaba announced this morning Chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang will be stepping down from the company, to be replaced with longtime Alibaba veterans Joe Tsai and Eddie Wu respectively. The installment of two Jack Ma insiders might indicate the tech billionaire is still calling the shots, despite disappearing from public eye the past few years after regulatory scrutiny. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

By now we've all heard of the Magnificent Seven - the handful of gargantuan tech stocks responsible for the majority of the market's gains. But we dug into the NEXT seven -- filled with legacy tech and AI-related names that are also seeing gains this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Will Adobe earnings after the bell prove it's an AI winner or loser? Bears would argue popular models like Dall-E and Midjourney undermine the company, though bulls might say Adobe represents one of the best professional applications of AI. Plus, analysts have pegged Lyft as a potential acquisition target, with possible buyers including big tech companies like Google and Amazon, automakers, and private equity. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tech has come roaring back in 2023. And the biggest narrative this year – artificial intelligence. If it feels like a moment of gigantic hype – you wouldn’t be mistaken. But so was 1999. This week on TechCheck – comparing two moments of hype: the dot com bubble and AI mania. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Intel is reportedly in talks with Softbank to be a strategic investor to anchor chip designer Arm’s IPO. It could be a way for Intel to work with big names like Apple, Amazon, and Meta and others on the back-end. Plus, the Chief Investment Officer of the nation’s second-largest pension fund cautions against the tech rally and warns that AI is overhyped. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the battle of the titans, Apple and Meta have long been locking horns on products, privacy, and now the new era of headsets. In leaked audio from an internal all-hands meeting, there were reports that Zuckerberg criticized the Vision Pro, particularly its price tag. The meeting also revealed the tech giant is now working on a Twitter competitor, though many apps have tried and failed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three different approaches may be emerging for how tech companies are trying to lure employees back into the office. Google – which had been using carrots like a Lizzo concert, is instead shifting to sticks – with a crackdown on office attendance and tracking badges. Salesforce, on the other hand, is trying out altruism – offering to donate $10 to local charities for each day an employee is in the office or attends a company event. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If "data is gold" in the shift to AI, big tech companies that have been collecting data for decades might have a huge leg up -- if they can balance increased costs as they work on accommodating a new hardware and infrastructure shift. Plus, Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki says developers are flocking to its spatial computing platform, though Apple had only announced it was using Unity Software to bring apps and games to its headset. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sequoia Capital, one of the world’s largest and most successful VC firms, told investors today it will split into three partnerships, separating its China and India units. It’s been a tough first year for U.S. and Europe lead Roelof Botha – the tech market turned, and amid rising geopolitical tensions, he oversaw billions in devalued investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's a lot at stake for Apple as it hits all-time highs the same day it reveals its new mixed-reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro. Even though it’s eventually aimed at the general public, it’s first up to developers to create apps and games that will level up the product, differentiate it from other headsets, and make it enticing for consumers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of MongoDB are surging almost 30% today after posting an earnings beat and offering strong guidance when its competitors aren’t, bucking the trend of a slowdown that PagerDuty and Salesforce are warning of. Plus, shares of telecom stocks are falling after a report that Amazon is in talks to offer a free mobile service for Prime customers. Amazon said it is not in talks to offer wireless anytime soon while T-Mobile and Verizon have said they’re not in discussions with the tech giant. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Big tech has been carrying the market once again; without the 7 megacaps responsible for the market's gains, the S&P would be down for the year, instead of up 10%. Plus, Broadcom posts earnings after the close. The chip company has a high bar to meet after a surge analysts are calling “parabolic.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nvidia CEO and AI kingmaker Jensen Huang out with a vote of confidence for Intel, saying their test chips “look good.” It could mean advanced chipmaking is coming back home. Plus, Amazon workers are planning a walkout today, citing the company’s return to office policies and recent layoffs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.