TechCheck

Uber had a banner year in 2023 – profitability turned a corner, S&P inclusion, and it became free cash flow positive. But what’s next for the stock, especially as it has underperformed other gig names in the last three months? Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb are all set to report quarterly results this week for a check on the gig economy. We take you through what to expect and what’s next.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was the world’s best-performing major stock market in April and has continued to move up another 5% this week. It may be part of a broader market theme, the unwinding of the “long AI, long Japan, short China” trade, but China is a world leader in AI research too, according to a new study from Georgetown University.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Full Self-Driving, or FSD, is one of the most controversial parts of Elon Musk’s Tesla strategy, with regulators calling the branding misleading and dangerous. But love it or hate it, Tesla has unleashed FSD, with a free trial for millions of U.S. drivers. That means more data -- an essential component to any company trying to develop autonomous driving. Tesla's approach to gathering all that data could prove all of Musk’s naysayers wrong, or leave it continuing to play catch up with more advanced self-driving tech. This week on TechCheck, Tesla’s big FSD gamble. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Closing arguments began today in the landmark antitrust case between the DOJ and Google. But what may ultimately matter more than the ruling is the damage already done to Google's market position, especially around generative AI vulnerabilities and progress. The fear is that under the pressure of regulators, Google has been hesitating or second-guessing itself. And the abundance of chatbots now available to consumers also makes the case, while Google’s Search Generative Experience, or SGE, remains in Beta mode.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Capital spending among the megacaps is now surging as Microsoft, Google and Meta all outline plans for tens of billions of dollars a quarter in AI investments. We dig into what’s in store for Amazon as it gets set to report tonight.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The IPO market is "back," according to Colin Stewart, a top Morgan Stanley banker who led the Reddit and Astera Labs debuts. He expects 10-15 more tech IPOs to come this year, and an even better 2025, especially as the market gets more comfortable with paying for growth again. We chat with him about startup valuations, how the presidential election might impact IPO timing, and more.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past year, Mark Zuckerberg has transformed Meta - and himself. He has gone from a brash young CEO to trained MMA fighter, and a trendsetter with his fur jackets and chains. And thanks to his year of efficiency and stellar stock performance, he's now a Wall Street darling, with Meta outperforming Apple and Alphabet, trailing only Nvidia among the Mag 7. But Meta's latest earnings report has shown it's continuing to bleed cash, and Zuckerberg is now facing a moment of truth. Can he deliver on generative AI, the most important platform shift in decades? This week on TechCheck, the reinvention of Zuck and the arrival of his "show me" moment. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of the software maker Rubrik are up about 20% since its debut on the NYSE yesterday. That success is being cheered in Silicon Valley as the latest sign the public market waters are safe to wade into. Plus, Alphabet and Microsoft shares are both popping after the companies beat on the top and bottom lines. The tech giants emphasized the growth of their respective AI businesses, but that also comes at a big cost.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At the heart of the battle over TikTok is its algorithm - one that overhauled social media, captivated Gen Z, and continues to engage them more than copycats like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels. But without it, a sale of TikTok would be a very different proposition, and interested buyers like Steve Mnuchin have said that he would rebuild the app if there’s no technology transfer.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two Google alumni are among those now turning up the pressure on their former employer. Aravind Srinivas of Perplexity and Dario Amodei of Anthropic are both leading upstart gen AI native companies. This time around, they have less to lose and are unafraid of taking on the giants. Plus, Softbank is reportedly now sinking nearly a billion dollars into developing a new generative AI model -- but is it too little, too late?  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.