#waymo

Alphabet Q1 2026 Earnings Highlight Cloud Growth and AI Investments Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) reported first-quarter 2026 earnings on Wednesday, surpassing Wall Street expectations with revenue of $109.9 billion, up 20% year-over-year and marking its strongest quarterly growth since 2022. The company’s cloud division, Google Cloud, achieved revenue of $20.02 billion, exceeding the $18.05 billion estimated by StreetAccount. Alphabet also updated its full-year capital expenditure range to $180 billion to $190 billion, up from its previous estimate of $175 billion to $185 billion. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted that enterprise AI solutions had become the primary growth driver for Google Cloud, with Gemini Enterprise’s paid monthly active users rising 40% from the previous quarter. The company’s net income for Q1 2026 reached $62.57 billion, or $5.11 per share, up 81% compared to the year prior. A year ago, net income was $34.54 billion, or $2.81 per share. Google Cloud’s revenue growth was attributed to increased adoption of enterprise AI solutions and infrastructure. The company reported a backlog of $460 billion for its cloud services. Pichai noted that compute constraints limited cloud revenue growth, stating, “Our cloud revenue would have been higher if we were able to meet the demand.” Alphabet’s advertising revenue grew 15.5% to $77.25 billion, while YouTube advertising slightly missed expectations at $9.88 billion. Chief business officer Philipp Schindler noted that YouTube subscriptions are now growing faster than ad revenue. Other Bets, which includes Alphabet’s self-driving car company Waymo, generated $411 million in revenue, down from $450 million in the same quarter of 2025. Waymo surpassed 500,000 fully autonomous rides per week and began fully autonomous operations in Nashville.#sundar_pichai #google_cloud #waymo #alphabet_inc #intersect

Alphabet's Cloud Ambitions Fuel a $420 Target and a High-Stakes Quarter Mizuho Securities has raised its price target for Alphabet to $420, maintaining an Outperform rating, while forecasting a record $149 billion in revenue for Google Cloud by 2027. This projection significantly exceeds the broader market’s $116 billion estimate, reflecting confidence in Alphabet’s strategic bets on artificial intelligence, infrastructure expansion, and its autonomous driving division. The move comes as the tech giant prepares to release its first-quarter earnings, which will be scrutinized for signs of sustained growth in its core advertising business and accelerating momentum in the cloud sector. The optimism is driven by Alphabet’s aggressive investments in AI-driven technologies. The company has deepened its collaboration with Anthropic, an AI startup, and expanded its chip supply chain through a partnership with Intel. This alliance now spans multiple generations of Intel’s Xeon-6 processors and co-developed Infrastructure Processing Units (IPUs), designed to enhance efficiency in AI data centers. These efforts are part of a broader push to dominate the AI market, which is expected to become a key revenue driver in the coming years. Alphabet’s financial commitments to these initiatives are substantial. The company plans to allocate between $175 billion and $185 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, primarily to build out its AI capabilities. This massive outlay reflects a long-term bet on monetizing AI technologies, with investors closely watching for details on AI-powered search overviews in the upcoming earnings report. Analysts argue that the company’s ability to scale these technologies will determine its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving cloud and AI markets.#alphabet #google_cloud #anthropic #waymo #mizuho_securities

William O’Neil Reinstates Alphabet With a Buy: Is the Search Giant’s Self-Driving Future Finally Getting Its Due? William O’Neil, a well-known analyst, has reinstated Alphabet with a Buy rating, emphasizing the company’s diversified growth across AI-powered search, YouTube, Google Cloud, and Waymo’s autonomous vehicle initiatives. The analyst highlights Alphabet’s ability to monetize AI and cloud infrastructure investments, positioning the company as a compelling opportunity at current valuations. Despite the Buy consensus, investors are advised to monitor Q1 2026 earnings and execution risks tied to the company’s planned $175–$185 billion in capital expenditures for 2026. Alphabet’s stock currently trades near $312, below the analyst consensus target of $376.29, with 61 Buy or Strong Buy ratings and zero Sell ratings across Wall Street. The analyst’s case centers on Alphabet’s multi-engine growth strategy, which includes Google Search, YouTube, Google Cloud, AI integration, and Waymo’s autonomous driving expansion. These segments delivered strong results in the most recent quarter, providing a solid foundation for the Buy recommendation. Google Cloud stands out, with revenue reaching $17.66 billion in Q4 2025, a 48% year-over-year increase. Operating income more than doubled, and the segment now operates at an annual run rate exceeding $70 billion, supported by a $155 billion backlog as of Q3 2025. Alphabet’s fiscal 2025 revenue surpassed $400 billion for the first time, with full-year net income hitting $132.17 billion, a 32% year-over-year rise. Google Search revenue alone reached $63.07 billion in Q4, while YouTube’s combined ads and subscriptions revenue exceeded $60 billion annually.#sundar_pichai #alphabet #google_cloud #waymo #william_oneil

Alphabet Inc. shares fell more than 1.5% in early trading on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as investors grappled with geopolitical tensions stemming from the U.S.-Iran conflict and concerns over rising energy costs that could dampen spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. The decline followed a broader dip in the Nasdaq composite, which faced pressure from mixed signals on Middle East diplomacy and climbing oil prices. Alphabet Class A shares (GOOGL) opened near $299.11 but dipped to around $296.83, while Class C shares (GOOG) traded between $293 and $295. The stock’s drop came amid a year marked by volatility, with shares trading in a wide range from a low near $140.53 to an all-time high of $349 in early 2026. The decline extended a mixed performance for Alphabet, which closed Monday slightly higher at $302.06 but remains down about 3.4% year-to-date. Despite a strong 2025 that saw shares rise over 65%, the stock now faces headwinds from macroeconomic challenges and elevated capital expenditure plans. Analysts maintain a strong buy rating, with price targets clustering around $387 to $443, reflecting confidence in Alphabet’s AI-driven growth despite its heavy spending commitments. The company’s forward price-to-earnings ratio hovers near 27-28 times estimates, underscoring market optimism about its long-term prospects. Recent developments have spotlighted Alphabet’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence. In February, the company reported record-breaking fourth-quarter results, with annual revenue surpassing $400 billion for the first time and Google Cloud growing 48% year-over-year. Adjusted earnings per share rose 31% to $2.#us_iran_conflict #nasdaq_composite #google_cloud #waymo #alphabet_inc

AI Stock Could Reach $5 Trillion by End of 2026 Artificial intelligence is driving significant growth for one of the world’s largest tech companies, with analysts predicting its stock could surpass a $5 trillion valuation by the end of 2026. The company’s cloud computing division, powered by advancements in AI, has seen explosive revenue growth, while its core advertising business and other AI-driven initiatives are also contributing to strong financial performance. This momentum could position the stock for a 35% increase in value, bringing it to a valuation of $5 trillion. The company’s cloud computing business has experienced a 48% year-over-year revenue surge in the fourth quarter, driven by rising demand for AI infrastructure and services. This growth is fueled by the company’s custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), which offer superior performance for training and running large language models. These TPUs have attracted interest from major AI developers, including Anthropic and Meta, despite the latter’s own efforts to develop custom AI accelerators. The shift toward TPUs could further improve the company’s operating margins, which have already shown substantial gains. The company’s AI services, based on its Gemini models, are also gaining traction. These models have narrowed the gap with those of OpenAI and Anthropic, leading to increased adoption of the company’s Vertex AI platform and Gemini APIs. These tools enable developers to build and deploy generative AI applications, boosting demand for the company’s cloud services. Additionally, the integration of AI into the company’s core products, such as Google Search, has led to higher user engagement and improved monetization.#gemini #google #meta #anthropic #waymo

Tesla's Robotaxi Ambition Faces A New Threat: A 50,000-Vehicle Alliance Tesla, Inc. has long positioned its robotaxi vision as a cornerstone of its future. However, the company’s dominance in this space is now being challenged by a concrete deployment plan involving Rivian Automotive, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc. This initiative, which aims to deploy up to 50,000 R2 robotaxis across 25 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe by 2031, marks a significant shift in the competitive landscape. Unlike Tesla’s gradual rollout, this plan emphasizes rapid scaling and real-world application, redefining the race for autonomous mobility. Tesla’s strategy has centered on building a vertically integrated autonomy stack, relying on its existing vehicle fleet to gradually introduce Full Self-Driving capabilities. The company’s bet is that once the technology is perfected, mass adoption will follow naturally. In contrast, Rivian and Uber are adopting a collaborative approach, combining Uber’s demand-side infrastructure with Rivian’s vehicle hardware to accelerate deployment. This partnership aims to compress the timeline between development and commercialization, positioning the R2 robotaxi as a viable service rather than a prototype. The partnership highlights a fundamental divergence in approaches: Tesla’s closed system versus an open ecosystem. While Tesla seeks control over the entire stack—vehicle, software, and eventually the network—Rivian and Uber are prioritizing interoperability and optimization of individual components. This model aligns with broader industry trends, as companies like Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo already operate commercial driverless services in multiple U.S. cities. The competition is no longer limited to technological superiority but also includes execution, distribution, and data accumulation.#waymo #tesla_inc #rivian_automotive_inc #uber_technologies_inc #alphabet_inc

My Top 2 Mega-Cap Stocks to Buy After Microsoft's Latest Pullback Microsoft has underperformed the "Magnificent Seven" in 2026, with its stock declining due to slower growth in Azure and rising costs to compete in the AI sector. Despite this, the article argues that megacap stocks remain viable investments, highlighting two tech companies as potential buys. Alphabet, a competitor to Microsoft in cloud computing, is noted for its significant capital expenditures. Last year, the company spent $91 billion on infrastructure and plans to invest $175 billion to $185 billion in 2026. While Alphabet’s Google Gemini AI platform entered the market later than competitors like ChatGPT, it has gained traction with users. The company’s Google Cloud division is growing faster than its digital ad business, suggesting a shift toward AI-driven services. Additionally, Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit, Waymo, is expected to contribute significantly to future revenue. Despite investor skepticism about AI, Alphabet’s stock has remained flat this year. Its P/E ratio of 29 aligns with the S&P 500 average, making it an attractive option for investors seeking growth. The article suggests that Alphabet’s AI investments could drive long-term value. Amazon is also highlighted as a potential buy, despite its high capital spending. The company pledged $200 billion in capex for 2026, following $132 billion in 2025. Rising energy costs for logistics and delivery networks could weigh on Amazon, but the company’s Amazon Web Services division has shown strong growth. AI is already enhancing Amazon’s e-commerce operations, from product recommendations to supply chain efficiency. The company’s stock trades at a 30 P/E ratio, lower than its historical average of over 50, which the article cites as a buying opportunity.#microsoft #alphabet #amazon #waymo #the_motley_fool

Oscars 2026: Conan O’Brien hosts the ceremony, takes opening shots at AI and Timothée Chalamet Conan O’Brien opened the 98th Academy Awards with a self-deprecating joke about his role as the last human host, joking that next year’s ceremony would be hosted by a Waymo self-driving car in a tuxedo. The comedian, 62, took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the ABC telecast, delivering his opening remarks with a mix of humor and reflection. “I am Conan O’Brien and I am honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” he said, referencing the growing influence of artificial intelligence. The opening segment featured a pre-recorded bit in which O’Brien donned Amy Madigan’s iconic “Aunt Gladys” makeup from the film Weapons, a role that earned her an Academy Award for best supporting actress just minutes earlier. The clip showed O’Brien being chased by angry children, a nod to Gladys’s character in the movie. The segment then transitioned into animated clips, with O’Brien appearing in KPop Demon Hunters, playing table tennis against Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme, and running across a Shakespearean stage in Hamnet. O’Brien’s hosting duties were met with high security, as he joked about the event’s safety measures. “It’s his first time in a theater!” he quipped, referencing the audience’s presence. The comedian, who previously hosted the Oscars in 2025, was rehired after a three-year gap during which the ceremony lacked a host. This year’s event marked a return to stability for the Academy Awards, which had faced uncertainty about its hosting format. O’Brien’s return to the role came after a year of preparation, during which he avoided the disruptions of the 2025 wildfires that displaced him in Los Angeles.#conan_obrien #academy_awards #amy_madigan #timothe_chalamet #waymo