Alphabet could more than double capital spending in 2026, spooking investors

of the alphabet Fourth-quarter earnings and sales exceeded Wall Street expectations. The company’s cloud division has delivered impressive results, increasing revenue by nearly 48% year over year.

The technology giant expects capital spending to be between $175 billion and $185 billion in 2026. Once the cap is reached, capital spending will be more than double what it was last year. This large rally appeared to have spooked investors, with Alphabet shares falling as much as 3% in after-hours trading, before the loss narrowed to 0.39%.

But at least one name has benefited from this news. shares of broadcom The company, which makes custom chips for Alphabet, rose more than 6% in after-hours trading.

That helped Broadcom, which fell 3.8% in regular trading, recoup some of its losses along with other tech stocks. advanced micro device — down 17.3% from disappointing first-quarter estimates — and oracle.

High-tech oriented Nasdaq Composite lost 1.51%; S&P500 It retreated by 0.51%, marking the fifth negative session out of six. however, Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.53% increase, amgen and honeywell.

Investor confidence in AI efforts has taken a hit, but CNBC Investing Club founder Jim Cramer remains optimistic about the South Korean chipmaker. Kramer told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are “forward-thinking” companies, adding that he would have wanted to work for them if he lived in this country.

However, sentiment around silver remains volatile. The metal’s price fell by as much as 16% on Thursday, ending a two-day rally.

In Europe, French bank BNP Paribas reported a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and raised its net profit target for 2025-2028, while Shell missed its fourth-quarter profit target.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank and Bank of England are scheduled to announce their monetary policy decisions on Thursday, but neither bank is expected to make any moves on interest rates.

—CNBC’s Jennifer Elias contributed to this report.

The United States has proposed a key mineral trade bloc and on Wednesday will announce state-side efforts to mobilize allies, including an adjusted price floor and expanded access to financing in the sector. After this week’s Critical Minerals Cabinet meeting, Washington announced that it had signed bilateral agreements with 11 countries.

China’s EV market continues to slow down. BYD reported domestic sales in January to the lowest level in nearly two years, and at least six major electric vehicle brands, from Xiaomi to Xpeng, reported sharp declines in January sales from December, according to a CNBC analysis.

China reiterates its stance on Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to “handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan carefully.” Trump said he and Xi discussed Iran, Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s energy purchases and Xi’s planned trip in April.

Major U.S. indexes were mostly sold off on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 continuing to fall, weighed down by tech stocks. Asia-Pacific markets fell on Thursday. South Korea’s Kospi led the decline, and the Hang Seng Tech index entered a bear market.

(PRO) Analysts are concerned about AMD’s profitability, with some voicing concerns about the chipmaker’s operating expenses and overall profitability. Here’s what Wall Street is saying.

Why Asia’s richest man and BlackRock CEO wants Indians to choose stocks over gold

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani want Indians to invest in the domestic stock market rather than gold.

The advice comes amidst heightened volatility in the yellow metal, underperformance in Indian stocks and a near 2% decline in the Nifty 50 index since the start of the year.

Speaking to Fink on Wednesday, Ambani said that much of the country’s gold and silver savings are “unproductive”, adding: “Money in the stock market is compounding.”

— Priyanka Salve