Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
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Direct Digital remained a key strategic channel, supporting customer acquisition, margin mix improvement, and first-party data ownership despite a challenging macro and media cost environment. The channel continued to evolve toward a full-funnel model, with increasing contribution from returning customers, improved conversion rates, and greater emphasis on retention and lifecycle engagement.
Repositioning for strategic growth. Ongoing headwinds from media cost inflation, intensifying competition, and platform volatility have persisted in 2025, prompting a strategic shift toward owned-channel development, tighter audience targeting, and stronger cross-functional execution. Looking forward, Direct Digital is increasingly aligned around a more disciplined growth model, prioritizing customer retention, lifetime value, and earnings durability over volume-driven top-line expansion.
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The artificial intelligence boom is no longer just about software models and chips—it’s increasingly about power, land, and infrastructure. That reality came into sharp focus this week as OpenAI and SoftBank jointly committed $1 billion to SB Energy, a fast-growing energy and data center infrastructure company positioned at the center of America’s AI buildout.
Under the deal, OpenAI and SoftBank will each invest $500 million to support SB Energy’s expansion as a large-scale developer and operator of data centers. As part of the partnership, SB Energy has been selected to build and operate OpenAI’s 1.2-gigawatt data center in Milam County, Texas, a facility large enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. The investment highlights a critical shift: for AI leaders, securing reliable energy has become as strategic as securing advanced chips.
AI workloads are extraordinarily power-hungry. Training and running large language models requires enormous computing capacity, which in turn drives unprecedented electricity demand. As a result, hyperscalers and AI developers are now racing to lock down long-term energy sources and infrastructure partners to avoid future bottlenecks. In this environment, companies that can deliver power at scale are emerging as essential enablers of the AI economy.
SB Energy represents a hybrid model well-suited for this moment. Originally founded as a renewable energy and storage developer and long backed by SoftBank, the company has expanded aggressively into data center development, ownership, and operations. This dual exposure to both energy production and digital infrastructure positions SB Energy as a critical middle layer between power generation and AI compute demand.
The investment also ties directly into OpenAI’s Stargate initiative, a massive joint effort with partners including SoftBank and Oracle to invest up to $500 billion in U.S. AI infrastructure over the next four years. Stargate’s ambition underscores how central physical infrastructure has become to sustaining AI growth—and why capital is flowing into companies that can execute at scale.
From an investor’s perspective, this trend carries important implications. While mega-cap tech companies dominate AI headlines, much of the real opportunity may lie one layer below, in infrastructure providers, energy developers, and specialized operators that enable AI expansion. These businesses often generate long-term contracted revenue and may benefit from structural demand regardless of short-term swings in AI sentiment.
However, the rapid interconnection between AI firms, financiers, and infrastructure developers also introduces risk. Heavy capital commitments assume that AI demand will continue to rise at an aggressive pace. If adoption slows or efficiency gains reduce power needs, some projects could face pressure. Investors should therefore favor companies with diversified customers, strong balance sheets, and assets that retain value beyond AI-specific use cases.
Ultimately, the OpenAI–SoftBank investment in SB Energy signals a broader shift: AI is becoming an infrastructure-driven industry. For investors willing to look beyond the obvious names, the companies powering the AI revolution—literally—may offer some of the most compelling opportunities in the years ahead.
Coincheck Group N.V. (Nasdaq: CNCK) has announced a significant expansion of its institutional capabilities through an agreement to acquire approximately 97% of 3iQ Corp., a pioneering digital asset investment manager based in Ontario, Canada. The transaction values 3iQ at approximately $111.8 million and represents a strategic repositioning for the Japan-focused crypto exchange as it pursues aggressive global growth. For small cap investors seeking exposure to the digital asset infrastructure space, this deal offers a compelling case study in how emerging players are consolidating capabilities to compete against larger, established financial institutions entering the crypto market.
The all-stock transaction will see Coincheck Group issue 27.1 million newly issued ordinary shares to Monex Group, its majority shareholder and current owner of the 3iQ stake. Based on an agreed share price of $4.00, the deal also includes provisions for minority shareholders to receive up to 810,435 additional shares, potentially bringing Coincheck Group’s ownership to 100%. Subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.
Founded in 2012, 3iQ has established itself as a trailblazer in bringing digital assets into traditional investment frameworks. The company achieved several industry firsts, including launching North America’s first major exchange-listed Bitcoin and Ether funds on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2020, and introducing the world’s first Ethereum staking ETF in 2023. More recently, 3iQ launched one of the first Solana staking ETFs and a spot-based XRP ETF in 2025. The firm’s QMAP platform, launched in 2023, provides a managed account solution for sophisticated investors seeking risk-managed digital asset exposure. Its recent partnership with UAE-based Further Asset Management to launch a market-neutral, multi-strategy hedge fund demonstrates 3iQ’s expanding geographic reach and product sophistication.
For investors in Coincheck Group, this acquisition represents a meaningful pivot toward institutional services and geographic diversification. While Coincheck has dominated Japan’s retail crypto market—ranking number one in trading app downloads for over six consecutive years—the addition of 3iQ’s institutional infrastructure opens new revenue streams in North America and beyond. This is particularly significant for small cap investors, as the deal transforms CNCK from a single-market operator into a multi-jurisdictional player with products spanning retail trading, institutional prime brokerage, and regulated investment products. The company’s current market capitalization positions it as an accessible entry point for investors who believe traditional finance’s adoption of digital assets is still in early innings. CEO Gary Simanson emphasized that the combination positions Coincheck Group to serve traditional financial institutions now seeking digital asset exposure for their clients. The company expects the acquisition to be earnings accretive, while spreading its public company costs over a more diversified revenue base.
The 3iQ deal follows Coincheck Group’s October 2025 acquisition of Aplo SAS, a Paris-based crypto prime brokerage, and its March 2025 purchase of staking platform Next Finance Tech. Management has indicated plans to create revenue synergies across these businesses, with 3iQ and Aplo cross-selling services to their respective institutional clients, and Next Finance providing staking infrastructure across the group.
The transaction highlights Coincheck Group’s ambition to evolve from a Japan-centric retail exchange into a diversified, global digital asset services provider. For small cap investors, the key questions revolve around execution: Can management successfully integrate these disparate businesses? Will institutional clients embrace the combined platform? And can the company achieve the promised synergies? With 3iQ’s proven track record and Coincheck’s operational expertise, the foundation appears solid. Investors should monitor regulatory approval progress and watch for early signs of cross-selling success as the deal approaches its anticipated Q2 2026 close.
Sandisk Corp. has emerged as one of the most explosive stocks in the early days of 2026, with a rally that has captured Wall Street’s attention and reshaped expectations for the memory and storage sector. Shares of the company surged as much as 25% on Tuesday, marking their best intraday performance since February and pushing the stock to a fresh record high. The move followed comments from Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang at the CES technology conference, where he underscored the critical — and largely untapped — role of storage in the artificial intelligence boom.
Sandisk’s gains extend far beyond a single trading session. The stock has climbed more than 40% in the first three trading days of the new year and has skyrocketed roughly 1,050% since bottoming out in April 2025. On Tuesday alone, it stood as the best-performing stock in the S&P 500, outpacing peers across the memory and storage ecosystem. Western Digital and Seagate Technology also posted double-digit percentage gains, reflecting renewed enthusiasm for companies tied to data storage infrastructure.
At the heart of the rally are Huang’s remarks about what he described as a massive, underserved market. Speaking at CES, the Nvidia CEO said storage represents “a completely unserved market today,” adding that it could become the largest storage market in the world as it evolves to hold the working memory of artificial intelligence systems. His comments reinforced a growing narrative that AI’s next phase will not be limited to compute power alone, but will increasingly depend on fast, scalable, and affordable memory and storage solutions.
Industry fundamentals appear to support that thesis. According to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jake Silverman, tight supply conditions and rising memory prices are already benefiting digital storage companies. The surge in demand is being driven by both AI training and inferencing, which require enormous volumes of data to be stored, accessed, and processed efficiently. Huang’s CES commentary, Silverman noted, suggests that demand for NAND storage will remain strong across Nvidia-powered systems.
Pricing trends add further fuel to the bullish outlook. Memory prices have been climbing steadily, and reports from Korea Economic Daily indicate that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are seeking to raise server DRAM prices by as much as 60% to 70% in the first quarter compared with the prior quarter. Such increases signal a supply-demand imbalance that could continue to lift margins across the sector.
Wall Street analysts are increasingly framing Sandisk and its peers as central players in the next leg of the AI investment cycle. Bank of America analysts, led by Wamsi Mohan, recently described memory and storage companies as “key beneficiaries” of the push toward AI inferencing and edge computing in 2026. As organizations retain more data for training, analytics, and regulatory compliance, demand for storage is expected to surge. Mohan highlighted expanding use cases across drones, surveillance systems, vehicles, and sports technology as areas of rapid growth.
While the AI narrative has so far been dominated by capital spending on chips and data centers, analysts argue that the focus is beginning to shift. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, AI inferencing — and the storage required to support it — may dominate the next wave of hardware investment. For Sandisk, that shift has already translated into a historic rally, and investors are betting the momentum is far from over.
The world’s most valuable company is entering 2026 on uncertain footing. Nvidia shares have declined roughly 8% since hitting a record on October 29, losing $460 billion in market value over recent months while underperforming the broader S&P 500. The pullback comes as investors question the sustainability of AI spending and whether the chip giant can maintain its stranglehold on the accelerator market.
The decline is striking given Nvidia’s remarkable three-year run, which saw the stock surge more than 1,200% since late 2022 and pushed its market capitalization above $5 trillion at its peak. The company remains the single biggest contributor to the current bull market, accounting for approximately 16% of the S&P 500’s advance since October 2022—more than double Apple’s contribution. Any sustained weakness in Nvidia would reverberate across most equity portfolios.
Competition is intensifying from multiple directions. Advanced Micro Devices has secured major data center contracts with OpenAI and Oracle, with its data center revenue projected to jump about 60% to nearly $26 billion in 2026. More significantly, Nvidia’s largest customers are developing their own chips to circumvent the expense of buying Nvidia’s accelerators, which can exceed $30,000 each. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft—collectively representing over 40% of Nvidia’s revenue—are all building internal alternatives.
Google has been working on tensor processing units for over a decade and recently optimized its latest Gemini AI chatbot to run on these proprietary chips. The company announced a chip deal with Anthropic valued in the tens of billions of dollars, and reports suggest Meta is negotiating to rent Google Cloud chips for use in 2027 data centers. This shift toward custom silicon is lifting companies like Broadcom, whose application-specific integrated circuit business has helped vault its market capitalization to $1.6 trillion, surpassing Tesla.
Nvidia’s December licensing deal with startup chipmaker Groq appears to acknowledge the growing demand for specialized, lower-cost alternatives. The company plans to incorporate elements of Groq’s low-latency semiconductor technology into future designs, suggesting even the market leader recognizes it must adapt to changing customer preferences.
Despite these headwinds, Wall Street remains largely bullish. Of the 82 analysts covering Nvidia, 76 maintain buy ratings with only one recommending a sale. The average price target implies a 37% gain over the next year, which would push the company’s valuation above $6 trillion. CEO Jensen Huang declared at CES that demand for Nvidia GPUs is “skyrocketing” as AI models increase by an order of magnitude annually, with the company’s next-generation Rubin chips nearing release.
Investors are closely monitoring Nvidia’s profit margins as competition heats up. The company’s gross margin dipped in fiscal 2026 due to higher costs from ramping up its Blackwell chip series, falling to a projected 71.2% from the mid-70s percentage range in previous years. Management expects margins to recover to around 75% in fiscal 2027, but any shortfall would likely trigger concern on Wall Street.
Interestingly, Nvidia trades at a relatively modest valuation of 25 times forward earnings despite expectations for 57% profit growth on a 53% revenue increase in its next fiscal year. This multiple is lower than most Magnificent Seven stocks except Meta, and cheaper than over a quarter of S&P 500 companies. Some analysts view this as opportunity, arguing the stock is priced as if the AI cycle has already ended.
The AI infrastructure buildout remains massive, with Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta projected to spend over $400 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, much of it directed toward data center equipment. Even as Big Tech develops internal chips, the computing power requirements are so enormous that companies continue purchasing Nvidia’s products. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts expect Nvidia’s market share to remain intact for the foreseeable future, though maintaining 90% dominance will clearly be more challenging than before.
Meta is continuing its aggressive expansion into artificial intelligence with the acquisition of Manus, a fast-growing AI startup, signaling the company’s intent to strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive AI landscape. The Facebook and Instagram parent company confirmed the deal this week, though it did not disclose financial terms. Multiple reports estimate the transaction value at more than $2 billion.
Manus, now headquartered in Singapore, gained industry attention earlier this year after launching a general-purpose AI agent designed to assist users with research, coding, and productivity-driven tasks. The platform operates on a subscription model and has experienced rapid adoption across both individual users and businesses. Within just eight months of launch, Manus surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, highlighting strong market demand for its AI capabilities.
Meta described the acquisition as a strategic fit for its broader AI ambitions. The company plans to scale Manus’ technology across its ecosystem, including integration into Meta AI for both consumer and enterprise use cases. Importantly, Meta indicated that Manus will continue operating its existing services independently, allowing current users to retain access through the startup’s app and website.
Leadership at Manus emphasized continuity following the acquisition. The company views the partnership as an opportunity to grow on a more stable foundation while preserving its operational autonomy and product direction. This approach reflects Meta’s recent strategy of acquiring specialized AI teams while allowing them to maintain their core innovation culture.
The deal also carries geopolitical implications. Manus previously received backing from several Chinese-linked investors and originated from a company founded in China before relocating to Singapore. Meta confirmed that, following the acquisition, there will be no remaining Chinese ownership interests in Manus. The startup will also discontinue operations in China while continuing to expand from its Singapore base, where the majority of its workforce is located.
Meta’s move comes as CEO Mark Zuckerberg intensifies efforts to position the company at the forefront of artificial intelligence development. Facing stiff competition from rivals such as Google and OpenAI, Meta has made AI a central pillar of its long-term growth strategy. Earlier this year, the company made a multibillion-dollar investment in AI data firm Scale and recruited its CEO to help lead advanced AI research initiatives.
By bringing Manus under its umbrella, Meta gains a commercially proven AI platform and a rapidly scaling technology team. The acquisition reinforces Meta’s commitment to embedding AI across its products while accelerating innovation in intelligent agents that could reshape how users interact with digital platforms in the years ahead.
SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc. in a cash deal valuing the digital infrastructure investor at approximately $4 billion, including debt. The transaction underscores SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son’s renewed push to dominate the backbone of the artificial intelligence economy: data centers, computing power, and the infrastructure required to scale AI globally.
Under the terms of the agreement, SoftBank will pay $16 per share for New York–listed DigitalBridge, representing a roughly 15% premium to the firm’s closing price on December 26. Shares of DigitalBridge jumped nearly 10% following the announcement, trading just below the offer price. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
DigitalBridge is one of the largest global investors dedicated exclusively to digital infrastructure, managing roughly $108 billion in assets as of September. Its portfolio includes a roster of major data center and connectivity platforms such as Vantage Data Centers, Switch Inc., AtlasEdge, DataBank, Yondr Group, and AIMS. By acquiring DigitalBridge, SoftBank gains not only physical infrastructure exposure but also deep relationships with institutional investors actively deploying capital into data center development worldwide.
The acquisition comes amid an unprecedented surge in demand for data centers, driven by the rapid adoption of generative AI and cloud computing. Major players across finance and technology have poured capital into the sector. BlackRock’s $40 billion purchase of Aligned Data Centers and Oracle’s multiyear agreement to provide OpenAI with up to 4.5 gigawatts of computing power highlight the scale of investment reshaping the industry.
For SoftBank, the deal fits squarely into Son’s long-term vision of building an AI-centric ecosystem. Earlier this year, SoftBank announced the $500 billion “Stargate” initiative alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi-backed MGX, aiming to develop large-scale data centers across the United States. While the project’s rollout has been slower than initially promised due to financing challenges and site selection disputes, the DigitalBridge acquisition strengthens SoftBank’s strategic positioning in the infrastructure layer of AI.
The deal may also pave the way for further consolidation. SoftBank has reportedly held discussions about acquiring Switch Inc., one of DigitalBridge’s portfolio companies, at a valuation approaching $50 billion including debt. If pursued, such a move would further cement SoftBank’s influence over critical AI infrastructure assets.
Despite its reputation for high-profile technology bets—such as Alibaba, Arm Holdings, and the ill-fated WeWork investment—SoftBank has prior experience in asset management. Its 2017 acquisition of Fortress Investment Group, later sold in 2024, demonstrated Son’s willingness to operate across both technology and investment platforms.
Funding the AI push has required difficult trade-offs. Son recently disclosed that SoftBank sold a $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia to reallocate capital toward broader AI investments. The DigitalBridge acquisition signals that SoftBank is betting heavily that control of digital infrastructure—not just software or chips—will define the next phase of the AI revolution.
Nvidia is making its boldest strategic move yet in the artificial intelligence boom, agreeing to acquire key assets from AI chip startup Groq for roughly $20 billion in cash. The transaction, Nvidia’s largest deal on record, underscores how fiercely competitive the race to dominate AI infrastructure has become—and how much capital market leaders are willing to deploy to stay ahead.
Founded in 2016 by former Google engineers, including TPU co-creator Jonathan Ross, Groq has carved out a reputation for designing ultra-low-latency AI accelerator chips optimized for inference workloads. These are the chips that power real-time AI responses, an area of exploding demand as large language models move from experimentation into production across enterprises. While Groq was most recently valued at $6.9 billion in a September funding round, Nvidia’s willingness to pay nearly three times that figure for its assets highlights the strategic value of the technology rather than the startup’s current financials.
Structurally, the deal is notable. Nvidia is not acquiring Groq outright but instead purchasing its assets and entering into a non-exclusive licensing agreement for Groq’s inference technology. Groq will technically remain an independent company, with its cloud business continuing separately, while Ross and other senior leaders join Nvidia. This mirrors a growing trend among Big Tech firms: acquiring talent and intellectual property without the regulatory complexity of a full corporate takeover.
For Nvidia, the rationale is clear. CEO Jensen Huang has said the assets will be integrated into Nvidia’s AI factory architecture, expanding its platform to serve a broader range of inference and real-time workloads. As AI adoption matures, inference—not training—may become the dominant cost driver, and Groq’s low-latency processors directly address that bottleneck. The move also neutralizes a potential competitor founded by engineers who helped build one of Nvidia’s main alternatives: Google’s TPU.
From an investment perspective, the deal reinforces Nvidia’s commanding position in the AI ecosystem. The company ended October with more than $60 billion in cash and short-term investments, giving it unmatched flexibility to shape the market through acquisitions, licensing deals, and strategic investments. In recent months alone, Nvidia has struck similar agreements with Enfabrica, expanded its stake in CoreWeave, announced intentions to invest heavily in OpenAI, and even partnered with Intel. The Groq transaction fits neatly into this pattern of ecosystem consolidation.
Broader market sentiment also plays a role. Investors have rewarded Nvidia’s aggressive strategy, viewing it as a signal that AI spending is far from peaking. Rather than slowing, capital is concentrating around proven winners with scale, distribution, and cash. Smaller chip startups may still innovate, but exits increasingly appear to be strategic partnerships or asset sales rather than standalone IPOs—evidenced by Cerebras Systems shelving its public offering plans.
Ultimately, Nvidia’s Groq deal is less about one startup and more about the trajectory of the AI economy. It reflects a market where speed, efficiency, and control over the full AI stack are paramount. For investors, the message is clear: AI is entering a consolidation phase, and Nvidia intends not just to participate, but to dictate its direction.
Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
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New Contract. Late last week, Bit Digital’s key investment, WhiteFiber, announced its Enovum Data Centers Corp. subsidiary has executed a long-term colocation agreement with Nscale Global Holdings, an AI infrastructure and cloud services provider serving enterprise and public sector customers. The contract represents approximately $865 million in contracted revenue over the initial 10-year term.
NC-1. The agreement secures the first 40 megawatt delivery of critical IT load at WhiteFiber’s flagship NC-1 data center campus in Madison, North Carolina. The contract includes contractual annual rate escalators and required non-recurring installation services, but excludes electricity and certain other costs passed through to the customer. Nscale is deploying the capacity to power the AI infrastructure of leading global investment grade technology customers.
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Alphabet is making a decisive move to secure the energy backbone of its artificial intelligence ambitions. The Google parent announced it will acquire clean energy developer Intersect in a $4.75 billion cash deal, including assumed debt, underscoring how access to power has become a strategic priority in the global AI race.
The acquisition comes as Big Tech companies pour billions into expanding computing capacity to support generative AI models, cloud services, and data centers — all of which require enormous and reliable amounts of electricity. As U.S. power grids strain to keep pace with surging demand, technology firms are increasingly turning upstream, investing directly in energy generation rather than relying solely on utilities.
Intersect brings scale that few developers can match. The company has roughly $15 billion in assets that are either operating or under construction, with projects expected to deliver about 10.8 gigawatts of power by 2028. That capacity is more than twenty times the electricity generated by the Hoover Dam, highlighting the magnitude of energy now required to sustain AI-driven growth.
Under the agreement, Alphabet will acquire Intersect’s energy and data center projects that are currently under development or construction. These assets are designed to support large-scale computing infrastructure, aligning closely with Google’s expanding network of U.S. data centers. Intersect’s operations will remain separate from Alphabet, preserving operational independence while strategically supporting Google’s long-term power needs.
Notably, Intersect’s existing operating assets in Texas and its operating and in-development projects in California will not be included in the deal. Those assets will continue as an independent business backed by existing investors. Among them is Quantum, a clean energy storage system in Texas built directly alongside a Google data center campus — a model increasingly favored by hyperscalers seeking to pair computing facilities with on-site or adjacent power sources.
The deal builds on Alphabet’s broader push into energy partnerships. Earlier this month, NextEra Energy expanded its collaboration with Google Cloud to develop new energy supplies across the U.S. Together, these moves signal a shift in how tech giants approach infrastructure: energy security is no longer a background consideration, but a core component of competitive advantage.
For Alphabet, the acquisition also reinforces its commitment to clean energy. As AI workloads expand, the environmental footprint of data centers has drawn scrutiny from regulators and investors alike. By investing directly in renewable generation and energy storage, Alphabet aims to mitigate emissions while insulating itself from grid bottlenecks, price volatility, and regulatory risk.
Intersect will also explore emerging energy technologies to diversify supply, according to Alphabet, positioning the company to adapt as AI-driven electricity demand continues to grow. This forward-looking approach reflects a broader industry trend, where control over power generation is becoming just as critical as control over chips, data, and algorithms.
Ultimately, Alphabet’s purchase of Intersect highlights a defining reality of the AI era: the battle for intelligence is also a battle for energy. As demand accelerates, companies that can secure scalable, reliable, and clean power may hold a decisive edge in shaping the future of technology.
Oracle (ORCL) shares jumped roughly 8% Friday after the cloud computing company confirmed it will join a group of investors set to lead TikTok’s U.S. operations, a move that eases national security concerns and removes a major overhang for the popular social media platform. The rally marked a sharp reversal for Oracle stock, which has faced heightened volatility in recent weeks amid broader uncertainty around artificial intelligence infrastructure spending.
According to an internal memo sent to employees, TikTok’s U.S. business will be operated through a new joint venture that includes Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based investment group MGX. The deal is expected to close on January 22 and is designed to comply with U.S. legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest control of the app’s U.S. operations.
The agreement effectively prevents a potential shutdown or ban of TikTok in the United States, which had loomed after President Joe Biden signed legislation mandating divestiture over national security concerns. President Donald Trump previously extended deadlines for a deal multiple times and approved a potential framework through an executive order earlier this year, setting the stage for the current agreement.
Under the terms outlined in the memo, Oracle will play a critical role in ensuring compliance with U.S. national security requirements. The company will be responsible for auditing and validating that TikTok adheres to agreed-upon safeguards, including how sensitive U.S. user data is handled and stored. Oracle’s cloud infrastructure will house this data, reinforcing the company’s position as a trusted enterprise technology provider.
While China has not formally confirmed the transaction, reports from Chinese state media suggest the deal is expected to move forward. Commentary cited by CNBC indicates the structure aligns with Chinese regulations and does not constitute a sale of TikTok’s core recommendation algorithm, a key sticking point in past negotiations.
Investors responded positively to the announcement, viewing it as both a strategic win and a stabilizing development for Oracle. In a note to clients, Evercore ISI described the move as a “nice win” for the cloud provider, highlighting potential upside as the market reassesses Oracle’s longer-term growth outlook. The firm suggested that the recent pullback in shares may present an attractive entry point for investors with a six- to twelve-month time horizon.
The TikTok news arrives after a turbulent period for Oracle stock. Shares have been pressured by concerns over the sustainability of the artificial intelligence trade and the capital intensity required to build out large-scale AI data centers. Earlier this week, Oracle shares slid following reports that negotiations over a $10 billion data center deal with Blue Owl Capital had stalled, amplifying investor anxiety about funding risks tied to AI infrastructure expansion.
Despite Friday’s rally, Oracle stock remains down more than 20% over the past month, reflecting the market’s reassessment of high-multiple tech names. Year to date, however, shares are still up about 8%, underscoring the company’s ability to rebound when strategic clarity emerges.
Oracle’s involvement in TikTok’s U.S. operations reinforces its growing role at the intersection of cloud computing, data security, and large-scale digital platforms. While questions around AI spending persist, the TikTok partnership offers a timely boost to sentiment and highlights Oracle’s relevance in high-profile, mission-critical technology deals.
Tesla shares moved sharply higher Monday after confirmation that the company has begun testing its Robotaxi service without a safety driver, a milestone that investors and analysts see as a major step toward fully autonomous transportation.
The rally followed social media footage showing a Tesla Robotaxi operating in Austin, Texas with no human driver inside the vehicle. The video quickly gained traction after Ashok Elluswamy, who leads Tesla’s AI and autonomous driving efforts, acknowledged the clip with a brief but telling comment: “And so it begins.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk later confirmed the development, stating that testing is underway with no occupants in the car.
Shares of Tesla rose roughly 4% following the confirmation, pushing the stock closer to its prior all-time highs and reinforcing renewed optimism around the company’s long-promised autonomy strategy. The move lends credibility to Musk’s recent claim that Tesla is only weeks away from unsupervised robotaxi operations.
Austin has emerged as the proving ground for Tesla’s Robotaxi ambitions, with limited deployments already underway using safety drivers. The latest test suggests the company is moving closer to removing that final safeguard, a critical hurdle before broader commercial expansion. Musk has previously said Tesla plans to expand Robotaxi testing beyond Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area into markets such as Phoenix and Nevada.
Wall Street bulls were quick to seize on the news. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives reiterated his long-standing optimism on Tesla, describing the development as the beginning of the company’s “autonomous chapter.” In a note to clients, Ives said 2026 could be a defining year for Tesla as autonomous driving and robotics move from concept to scale.
According to Ives, Tesla is on track for an accelerated Robotaxi rollout across the U.S., with volume production of the company’s purpose-built Cybercab expected to begin in the spring. The futuristic two-seat vehicle, unveiled last year without a steering wheel or pedals, has become central to Tesla’s long-term autonomous strategy.
Early feedback on Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving software has also added fuel to the rally. Automotive reviewers and journalists who have tested the newest version report smoother driving behavior and fewer required interventions compared with prior iterations. While competitors like Alphabet-backed Waymo still lead in publicly reported safety metrics, the gap appears to be narrowing.
The market reaction highlights a broader shift in how investors are valuing Tesla. Rather than focusing solely on vehicle deliveries and margins, attention is increasingly turning to software, AI, and recurring revenue opportunities tied to autonomy. Wedbush maintains an Outperform rating on the stock and a $600 price target, arguing that autonomous driving could unlock a path toward a multi-trillion-dollar valuation.
Still, challenges remain. Regulatory approval, public trust, and demonstrable safety performance will be essential before Tesla can scale Robotaxi services nationwide. But for the first time in years, tangible evidence appears to support Tesla’s autonomy narrative.
For investors, the confirmation of driverless Robotaxi testing marks more than just a technical achievement — it signals that Tesla’s long-awaited autonomous future may finally be arriving.
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm, has launched a research study examining provider capabilities within the fast-growing Snowflake services ecosystem.
The study results will be published in a comprehensive ISG Provider Lens® report, called Snowflake Ecosystem Partners, scheduled to be released in June 2026. The report will cover companies offering Snowflake-focused modernization and AI and ML enablement capabilities, along with ongoing managed data and optimization services.
Enterprise buyers will be able to use information from the report to evaluate their current vendor relationships, potential new engagements and available offerings, while ISG advisors use the information to recommend providers to the firm’s buy-side clients.
Snowflake has emerged as a critical data platform that redefines how enterprises store, process and activate data for analytics and AI. Its cloud-native architecture offers improved scalability, flexibility and cost efficiency, helping enterprises move beyond the constraints of traditional data warehouses. Globally, enterprises are increasingly adopting this platform to unify structured, semi-structured and unstructured data under a single governance and security model. This approach streamlines complex data operations while enabling faster insights and AI-driven innovation.
“Enterprises are prioritizing providers that offer automation maturity, FinOps discipline and robust governance,” said Aman Munglani, senior director and principal analyst at ISG. “Using Snowflake-native tools such as Snowpark, Cortex AI and Native Apps enables them to achieve meaningful, measurable improvements in data management.”
ISG has distributed surveys to more than 100 Snowflake ecosystem partners. Working in collaboration with ISG’s global advisors, the research team will produce two quadrants representing the Snowflake offerings the typical enterprise is buying, based on ISG’s experience working with its clients. The two quadrants are:
Modernization and AI/ML Enablement Services, evaluating providers that deliver end-to-end strategy, advisory and implementation support to help enterprises get the most from their Snowflake investments. These providers are assessed on their ability to guide data modernization efforts and facilitate integration of AI and ML into operations.
Managed Data and Optimization Services,assessing providers offering management, monitoring and optimization services for Snowflake environments. These providers should specialize in managing Snowflake infrastructure across cloud platforms and offer training and change management initiatives.
Geographically focused reports from the study will cover the global Snowflake ecosystem and examine products and services available worldwide. ISG analysts Gowtham Kumar Sampath and Hemangi Patel will serve as authors of the report.
A list of identified providers and vendors and further details on the study are available in this digital brochure. Companies not listed as Snowflake ecosystem partners can contact ISG and ask to be included in the study.
All 2025 ISG Provider Lens® evaluations feature expanded customer experience (CX) data that measures actual enterprise experience with specific provider services and solutions, based on ISG’s continuous CX research.
About ISG Provider Lens® Research
The ISG Provider Lens® Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG’s global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG’s enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.
About ISG
ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.
