TechCheck

We may need a new "FAANG" to describe the tech basket powering market gains this year, and some analysts are suggesting the "Magnificent Seven," which include Nvidia and Tesla. Plus, during the mobile internet platform shift, semis were the first to be recognized by markets, then infrastructure, and finally software. That may point to what the next trillion dollar company is after Nvidia. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI is in its peak hype cycle stage, but this was the week it also started to matter to companies’ bottom line. Nvidia’s blockbuster quarter and then Marvell showed that AI is creating real revenue right now. But what about the real costs for all those Nvidia customers who are buying silicon to up their server game? We look at the different players and how investors are absorbing the changes. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla is joined by Emmy-award winning legend Henry Winkler to break down his final performance as acting teacher Gene Cousineau on HBO’s “Barry” as the series comes to a close. They discuss Henry’s sources of inspiration while playing the role of Gene, why he says writers are the "beating heart" of every project he’s worked on and how he maintains his “cool” nearly 50 years since his debut as The Fonz on “Happy Days.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nvidia stock is surging today and nearing a trillion dollar valuation, driven by spiking demand for its AI GPUs. But there may be other ways to play that boom. Taiwan Semi manufactures Nvidia and other big tech companies’ chips, and Softbank-owned Arm helps companies bring AI chip design in-house, cutting out the middleman. The stock is actually cheaper now than it was yesterday, thanks to a “guidance for the ages.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meta announced today it would start another round of layoffs, part of the ten thousand roles CEO Mark Zuckerberg said would be cut in March. Plus, Netflix begins to roll out its plan to make users pay extra to share accounts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The activist investor pushing Yelp to explore a sale told CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa that CEO Jeremy Stoppelman uses the company as his own personal piggy bank while the rest of us lose money, thanks to a “puppet board.” Plus, generative AI use has surged at enterprises, according to a new report from data management startup Databricks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Uber is offloading a third of its office space in an example of a dire vacancy situation in San Francisco and how the city will struggle to bring back workers and its economy. Plus, Micron shares fall after Chinese authorities barred some of its large companies from buying its chips. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re seeing the greatest outperformance of tech versus the S&P 500 ever, with the rally concentrated in just a handful of big tech names including Nvidia, Meta, Google and Amazon. But investors looking for the next big winner in the space might set their sights on Oracle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alibaba’s stock has gone nowhere since announcing its six-way breakup, and is still down today despite making its cloud spinoff official. Plus - what is AI-washing, and why should investors be on the lookout for it? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a CNBC Exclusive interview, Elon Musk voiced concerns about how much control Microsoft has over OpenAI. Satya Nadella has rejected that, but it raises the question again of whether big tech will gobble up smaller incumbents in this emerging industry. Plus, Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque explained why his open-source business model is important for transparency. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s debut on Capitol Hill seemed more collaborative than combative, unlike tech hearings we’ve seen over the past. He agreed with lawmakers in calling for more AI oversight, saying that safe development of the technology requires companies to do good, regulatory intervention from the government, and public education. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ad agencies are topping analysts' lists of businesses most at risk of AI automation, but ad titan Sir Martin Sorrell argues the technology will be a net positive for the industry. Plus, Apple is now worth more than the combined market cap of the Russell 2000 – but as the tech giant grows, so does the question of whether it’s overpriced. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Analysts today have called out a few stocks that could be under-the-radar beneficiaries of AI. CNBC’s Steve Kovach breaks that down – plus one company that has been singled out as an AI loser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Softbank posted a record $32 billion loss at its Vision Fund tech investment arm as executives promise the company are going on the offensive on AI. But is it too little too late? Plus, character.ai has become an example for tech investors of an AI bubble – after the company raised a billion dollars without seeing any revenue. CEO Noam Shazeer talked monetization, use cases, and how they landed their partnership with Google Cloud. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Google held a much anticipated event today, but what really caught the investors’ attention was its demonstration of AI integration with search. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

PayPal is the better profitability play, yet trails Block’s valuation by a mile. But does any of that matter when pretty much all of fintech are commodity services anyway? Plus, Amazon is offering a $10 incentive for some customers who choose to pick up a purchase in store instead of have it delivered, and Spotify is tackling AI bots who inflate streaming numbers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Investors are trying to price in the downside stock impact of the AI boom, and advertising agencies like WPP, Omnicom Group and Publicis Groupe could be at risk. That’s after a report that Amazon is working on its own AI tools to generate photos and videos that could help it push more ad formats to smaller sellers. Analysts, meanwhile, are warning (and even putting together stock baskets) of other companies under threat. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Block CFO Amrita Ahuja discusses the company’s earnings, cash app growth, and how worked it with regulators about the issues raised in a short seller report around its verification and compliance programs. Plus, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston says AI played a role when it cut 16% of its workforce last week, but warns that “replacing people with AI shouldn’t be the only motivation.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You’ve heard about the AI winners – Microsoft, Google, Nvidia and others leading the shift. But what about AI roadkill? The companies who could see their entire business models eviscerated by the coming wave of generative AI? Edtech company Chegg was the first public company to blame AI and ChatGPT for a weak outlook, and lost 50% of its value in one day. But it won’t be the last. This week on TechCheck weekly, the companies most at risk from the AI revolution. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apple is set to report earnings after the bell today, but calling it just a hardware or software company is stale. Instead, Deirdre Bosa explains why more and more analysts are naming it a “can’t live without” consumer staples company. Plus, some of the biggest names in tech including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were at the White House today, meeting with Biden himself to discuss tech's moral responsibilities around AI development. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chegg shares were cut nearly in half after its CEO described how students have increasingly turned to ChatGPT in recent months, hurting new user growth. And that’s not the only company with big news today on AI disruption. IBM said it plans to pause hiring for roles that could be replaced by AI, showing just how much the new technology is creeping into all corners of society. But is AI ultimately going to be a net positive or net negative? A CNBC panel weighs in. 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 has confidentially filed to go public, seeking a valuation of $30 billion to $70 billion in what is shaping up to be the biggest IPO of the year. Could it be the key to thawing a frozen IPO pipeline? Plus, investor Brad Gerstner lit into Sundar Pichai for losing Google’s AI lead to OpenAI, leaving investors questioning whether he can get tough on the issue. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carl Quintanilla sits down with Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, co-creators, writers and executive producers behind HBO’s five-part mini-series “White House Plumbers” based on the true story of Nixon's Watergate "masterminds," E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy. The two discuss balancing historical fact and satire, the painstaking process behind recreating real-life locations, and why both Gregory and Huyck believe the show’s fresh take on the famous robbery is “the greatest story people have never heard.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Snap and Pinterest stock are both plummeting today as they warn of ad revenue challenges ahead – even though other big tech names that reported this week are showing advertising resilience. Plus, an Amazon analyst explains why the market might be underappreciating the stock, despite showing positive Q1 metrics like growing profitability and curbing expenses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Microsoft and Alphabet both report earnings today – key for investors will be what they signal about AI in terms of announcements already made and what’s in store. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is something happening to Google’s dominance? For two decades it enjoyed one of the best business models in history – search. The stock boomed. The company grew and acquired its way to becoming one of the biggest companies in the world. But today Alphabet finds itself cutting staff and facing new competition from ChatGPT and Bing at a pivotal time. Why that matters, and why maybe it doesn’t matter at all. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tesla cut prices a half dozen times in the last 6 months, and that cut into margins for the latest quarter. As investors are focused on the COST-CUTTING side of the portfolio and what that will do to earnings, we look at the revenue side and how margins could be squeezed from the top line. PLUS – more numbers and performance from Tiger Global as the private markets in tech catch up to the public ones. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC reported that Google is at work developing its new Pixel phone with a foldable screen – set for a June release and costing in the realm of $1700. Why does Google still invest in phones and physical hardware with such small market share and cost-cuts in other businesses? The answer is in Android and its overwhelming market share, and why it may need leverage in that competition. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A bull-bear debate on wall street about Nvidia as Microsoft reportedly starts to work on its own chip production. Plus – a look at the stakes for Netflix earnings and what else Meta is doing outside the metaverse. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deirdre is back with the story of Samsung considering switching from Google as its default search engine. Where’d it think about going? Microsoft Bing of course. Why ChatGPT and Bing could destabilize Google’s Search dominance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tesla just keeps cutting prices. A sign of strength or weakness? And Walmart is selling Bonobos for much less than it bought it for. What that says about its e-commerce ambitions. 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 published his letter to Amazon shareholders this morning – we parse some of the messages and themes that’ll play out for the rest of 2023 and beyond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Warner Brothers and Discovery combining HBOMax and Discovery+ and naming it… Max? Inside WBD’s new streaming service. Plus – the difference between a solid-state button and physical button, why some people love physical buttons, why iPhone might stick with them, and why that’s tanking one hardware company’s stock. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Steve Kovach and Kristina Partsinevelos report on demand fears from top technology producers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carl Quintanilla sits down with Scott Z. Burns, the creator, EP, and showrunner of 'Extrapolations' on Apple TV+ for a long-ranging conversation on how the star-studded series is reimagining climate change storytelling. He shares how teaming up with Al Gore on 'An Inconvenient Truth' influenced his filmmaking journey, how he curated an A-list cast, and why he feels Hollywood has an obligation to portray the truth about our planet in the hopes of reimagining a brighter future for generations to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chamath Palihapitiya released his annual investor letter. His SPACs and public investments have cratered. Where to look for lessons in that performance and what he’s doing now. Plus – the overall rally in tech stocks: where are we in the cycle? And lawmakers meet with big tech companies. At stake? China, setting up what could be one of the major fault lines in the US economy over the next decade. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ari Emanuel & Vince McMahon. WWE & UFC. Apple & Major League Soccer? A whole lot of investors, owners, CEOs and companies are betting that the value of televised sports is going up. It’s in limited supply. What Endeavor’s deal to pull WWE & UFC together tells us about media valuations and where things are headed for the tech companies trying to get involved. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI is redrawing the lines of competition in big tech. Today it's Google going after Nvidia, arguing its supercomputers / computing capacity is faster (and, attention ESG investors, greener). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ari Emanuel and Endeavor are buying the WWE and merging it with UFC. We break down the math. Plus the most 2023 VC deal of 2023 -- investing in investing in t-bill management. Why a bunch of high-growth investors are excited about a 5% yield product and backing Zamp Finance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

First Alibaba, now JD.com – why some of the largest Chinese tech companies are splitting up, preparing for spin-offs and IPOs of parts of their business, and what that tells us about the Chinese market. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today the CFTC sues Binance, CEO CZ and other members of management, arguing they “have failed to properly supervise Binance’s activities and, indeed, have actively facilitated violations of U.S. law.” Oops. Plus – Elon Musk says Twitter is now worth $20 Billion after buying it for $44 Billion six months ago, the AI chatbot battles chapter 598477556, and the TikTok rally. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is there a bubble already brewing in VC? A billion dollar valuation for a pre-revenue AI company, backed by Andreessen Horowitz. Or maybe, this time it's different... And how the rally in tech stocks is all Apple and Microsoft, and maybe a bit of Nvidia too. What does that concentration signal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happened to Amazon’s stock? It’s underperformed the S&P and its big tech peers since the start of 2020. The answer lies in what happened to its profitability during that time frame. The company grew sales, grew headcount, grew its physical footprint, and for a time, grew its share price… But profits never materialized, and investors care in 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tech has outperformed in 2023, but Chinese tech stocks have been sitting out this rally. The $KWEB is down 8% this year. Plus – AI announcements today from Nvidia, Google and Adobe. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tiger Global is reportedly writing down its venture portfolio – marking to market some of those massive unicorn investments it made before the market for tech companies and valuations tumbled. But by and large, private valuations have been able to stay in a land of make-believe, as recent IPOs and SPACs get whacked. And Crowdflare says hacking attempts are on the rise because of, yes, the turmoil at SVB. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Investors in Silicon Valley Bank were wiped out; depositors were saved. But what about the investors in Silicon Valley? We look at how VCs were the major beneficiaries of the SVB backstop as the companies that they invest in and rely on for their returns survived. What comes next for those VCs and startups now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why are tech stocks rallying in the face of bank crises and broader market uncertainty – yields. Bad news is back to being good news for high-growth tech companies, at least when it comes to share price. And what exactly would a TikTok ban – or spinoff – look like, and is it even possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stocks fell sharply on Wednesday – we look at how investing in tech has changed post-SVB. Plus – Foxconn has a warning for investors, and is planning a move outside of China. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla sits down with Jon Favreau – creator, executive producer, and writer behind "The Mandalorian" as it enters its third season on Disney+. The two discuss the challenges of reimagining the "Star Wars" universe for devoted and new fans alike and how audience feedback enriches the storytelling process. Favreau also opens up about his experience working with Disney, Bob Iger's return, and how nostalgia can fuel stories that center on a shared human experience. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to lay off another ten thousand employees at Meta Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.