This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) and three other chip industry partners said they will help set up a $125 million semiconductor research hub at UCLA, aiming to speed work on AI-focused chips and strengthen the U.S. supply chain. The five-year commitment also includes Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT), GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS) and Syno...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) and three other chip industry partners said they will help set up a $125 million semiconductor research hub at UCLA, aiming to speed work on AI-focused chips and strengthen the U.S. supply chain. The five-year commitment also includes Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT), GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS) and Synopsys (SNPS). UCLA said the hub will connect chip design, software, manufacturing, equipment and materials research under one program. Meta said the effort is meant to support energy-efficient AI hardware, which is drawing more attention as computing needs rise. The university said the project is intended to help build a longer-term collaboration between academia and industry. Applied Materials Chief Executive Gary Dickerson said in a statement that closer ties between companies and universities matter more as semiconductors become more complex and AI development moves faster. The hub is also expected to support workforce training in a field tied to economic growth and national security.
Prevail Innovative Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU - Free Report) by 81.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,205 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 22,268 shares during the quarter. Prevail Innovative ...
Prevail Innovative Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU - Free Report) by 81.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,205 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 22,268 shares during the quarter. Prevail Innovative Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Micron Technology were worth $1,486,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MU. REAP Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Micron Technology in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. High Note Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Micron Technology by 65.4% in the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 86 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Micron Technology by 295.8% in the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 95 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. boosted its position in shares of Micron Technology by 4,800.0% in the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 98 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Micron Technology by 91.2% in the 4th quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 109 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.84% of the company's stock. Get Micron Technology alerts: Sign Up Analyst Ratings Changes MU has been the topic of several recent research report...
Key Points Joby Aviation is a frontrunner in the nascent eVTOL space. The company is participating in a White House program that could see it operating eVTOLs in U.S. cities in late 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Joby Aviation › Consider, for a moment, what life was like in the early 2000s, before Uber (NYSE: UBER) and other ride-hailing apps were available. In that app-less world, getting a ...
Key Points Joby Aviation is a frontrunner in the nascent eVTOL space. The company is participating in a White House program that could see it operating eVTOLs in U.S. cities in late 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Joby Aviation › Consider, for a moment, what life was like in the early 2000s, before Uber (NYSE: UBER) and other ride-hailing apps were available. In that app-less world, getting a ride that wasn't your friend, family member, or spouse meant hailing a taxi from a curb (or calling in advance), taking public transit, or navigating on your own feet. It wasn't frictionless, nor always cheap, and because many cities regulate the number of taxis on the road, you could have been stuck waiting an hour during peak times. When Uber came on the scene, people were primed for something new. The same argument, in a different context, can be made for Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY). Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Joby wants to solve a commuter's thorniest problem: traffic. And it wants to do it with a flying taxi, or what's called an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) craft. If Joby succeeds, it could control a hefty portion of an urban mobility market estimated to be worth $9 trillion by 2050. With Joby stock down about 30% in 2026, is now the right time to buy this potential Uber of the skies before it takes off? Closer to takeoff, not yet close enough to coast Imagine a big drone that you and a few of your friends can sit in, that takes off from the ground and flies over gridlocked traffic and congested streets. That's the world Joby wants you to live in, a world in which air travel becomes a fast route between airports and cities. To get there, Joby Aviation needs a commercial license to put paying passengers in the air. In that regard, it is making progress. In March, i...
What Happened? A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after traders positioned ahead of Nvidia's fiscal Q1 earnings. Nvidia accounted for a significant percentage of the S&P 500's gains heading into the announcement, making the print the binary catalyst for the entire AI-infrastructure complex — networking ASICs, connectivity silicon, memory, and packaging all move together on the read...
What Happened? A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after traders positioned ahead of Nvidia's fiscal Q1 earnings. Nvidia accounted for a significant percentage of the S&P 500's gains heading into the announcement, making the print the binary catalyst for the entire AI-infrastructure complex — networking ASICs, connectivity silicon, memory, and packaging all move together on the read-through. Falling oil prices also supported the bullish sentiment. Semis carry arguably the longest-dated cash flows in the equity market because most of their value sits in 2027–2030 AI capex, not in the current quarter. When Brent crude drops 5.21% (like it did during the session), expected inflation falls, the Fed gets more room to cut, and the discount rate applied to those distant cash flows compresses. A small rate move produces an outsized stock move, which is why a 5% oil decline can power 8%+ chip rallies on the same day. The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks. Among others, the following stocks were impacted: Zooming In On Allegro MicroSystems (ALGM) Allegro MicroSystems’s shares are very volatile and have had 29 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business. The previous big move we wrote about was 2 days ago when the stock dropped 4.4% as a broad-based sell-off hit the semiconductor sector following news of a potential strike at Samsung and a stake sale by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), which rattled global chip supply chains. These events highlighted significant supply-chain risks, triggering a sharp reversal across the chip industry.
OVO Hydro, Glasgow Moving seamlessly through extravagant choreography between bubblegum–rap and darker, rockier material, the singer is always in full command Since her breakout almost a decade ago, singer and rapper Doja Cat has been musically restless: bouncing between the pop-rap of her first album Amala to her darker, toothier 2023 release Scarlet; collaborating with SZA then heel-turning to c...
OVO Hydro, Glasgow Moving seamlessly through extravagant choreography between bubblegum–rap and darker, rockier material, the singer is always in full command Since her breakout almost a decade ago, singer and rapper Doja Cat has been musically restless: bouncing between the pop-rap of her first album Amala to her darker, toothier 2023 release Scarlet; collaborating with SZA then heel-turning to cover Hole. Last year’s fifth album Vie saw her negotiate the tension between the pop persona she once denounced as a “cash grab” and her true freak artistic self – a tension she plays to perfection during tonight’s show. After a prelude where Doja hovers above the stage in Klaus Nomi-esque shoulder pads and a 20-metre long train – perhaps elaborate trolling aimed at fans who complained about her lack of outfit changes earlier in the tour – she arrives fully formed as a purple-clad bandleader for a run of 80s inflected tracks from Vie and 2021’s Planet Her. Fronting a 10-person band, she’s an immediately commanding presence, wearing pasties, a high-waisted bodysuit, tights and gloves, her zebra print microphone matching her heels. She has the look of a scene-kid Prince, the blond of recent shows swapped for an acid green wig. Appropriately, the synergy between her and her band is reminiscent of Purple Rain, or a glam-rock Stop Making Sense. She moves seamlessly between modes and poses, from slow jam Make It Up – more muscular live than on record – to the swagger of Ain’t Shit and Paint the Town Red. Continue reading...
We committed, we delivered. 商业世界从不缺少热衷于设定宏大目标的人。 尤其是在科技行业，估值常常膨胀在业绩指标达成之前，资本市场愿意为足够动人的故事提前买单，也愿意为足够激进的叙事等待多年。但商业世界中也始终存在着另一类公司：它们未必擅长制造情绪，也很少依靠宏大口号吸引目光，却在更长的时间维度里，持续累积着另一种更难得的资产——信用。 这种信用不倚仗于鼓动人心的口号，而...
We committed, we delivered. 商业世界从不缺少热衷于设定宏大目标的人。 尤其是在科技行业，估值常常膨胀在业绩指标达成之前，资本市场愿意为足够动人的故事提前买单，也愿意为足够激进的叙事等待多年。但商业世界中也始终存在着另一类公司：它们未必擅长制造情绪，也很少依靠宏大口号吸引目光，却在更长的时间维度里，持续累积着另一种更难得的资产——信用。 这种信用不倚仗于鼓动人心的口号，而是来自于一次又一次极限周期考验后，终于让市场相信：这家公司说过的话、做出的承诺，确实值得被认真考量。因为它承诺过的事，最终总能在业绩里找到交付结果。 联想集团就属于后一类。“说到做到”是这家企业的核心文化，即便在一个鼓励喧嚣叙事的资本市场里，朴实多数时候反而吃亏：说出的话，不够戏剧化；做到的事，也不会主动反复放大炒作。 北京后厂村，一处占地约2.6平方公里的区域，见证了中国科技产业多年来的潮起潮落，也汇聚了中国科技行业的“老钱”与“新贵”，联想集团的全球总部即坐落于此。 2026年5月初，联想集团正式披露2025/26财年业绩的半个月前，在这家公司总部的一间狭长的会议室里，董事长兼CEO杨元庆突然挺直了背，他高声要求来自全球各地的一众高管：“不论是过去、现在还是未来，有一点是绝不能少的！那就是我们曾说过什么，我们是不是按照我们说的去做了？我们曾承诺过什么，我们是不是按照承诺去交付了？” “We committed, we delivered.（承诺必须如期兑现） ”检验这句话的客观标尺，来自于联想集团在22日发布的财报数据。 01 最新一笔账：逆风财报的验收 过去整个财年的大多数时候，对于营收来自于全球180个国家和地区的联想集团来说，都算不上好时光。宏观层面，地缘政治冲突与关税政策的变数已几乎无法预判；产业层面，存储等核心零部件成本迅速而猛烈地大幅上涨、PC出货量持续承压、AI基础设施投入高企，竞争者在更拥挤的赛道上加速下注。 在如此逆风局面下，联想集团却交付了一份远超市场预期的报表：2025/26第四财季，该公司实现营收近1500亿元，同比增长27.1%；净利润同比增479.5%，调整后净利润同比增101%；毛利率进一步逆势升至16.4%。 四季度业绩的大爆发，推动联想集团以历史最佳财年收官：全年营收达5899亿元，同比增长20.3%，创历史新高；调整后净利润达到145...
KVLADIMIRV/iStock via Getty Images Since my last Amazon ( AMZN ) analysis , the stock has gained nearly 18% price. I view valuation caution as wise at this juncture based on macro dynamics, while recognizing the long-term durability of the company and its expanding infrastructure moat. The company is positioning itself to own the execution layer of the AI economy. My concern and the reason for thi...
KVLADIMIRV/iStock via Getty Images Since my last Amazon ( AMZN ) analysis , the stock has gained nearly 18% price. I view valuation caution as wise at this juncture based on macro dynamics, while recognizing the long-term durability of the company and its expanding infrastructure moat. The company is positioning itself to own the execution layer of the AI economy. My concern and the reason for this thesis is not the business quality, but the reality of valuation dynamics that could leave shareholders too exposed if buying at this juncture. There is too little margin of safety in AMZN for suitable positioning for active traders through the looming AI capex digestion cycle. Amazon Intends To Own The Execution Layer When a consumer wants to buy something, Amazon is increasingly owning most of the entire stack from surfacing the product with ranking, pricing, advertising, payment, shipping, and returns. Many of these aspects are becoming increasingly automated with AI. When an enterprise wants to build with AI, AWS can provide compute, storage, custom silicon, model access, data infrastructure, security, deployment tools, and agent orchestration. If AI proves deflationary, Amazon will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of lower internal costs and higher demand for surfacing low-cost goods online. This is good for both corporation and consumer; it is not good for enterprises who do not adopt autonomy. Autonomy will de facto become the cost of doing business in the future. Non-autonomous business will have to position themselves as niche, luxury, or handmade, with higher price points accepted for other intangible reasons. Functional scale and utility will be in lower cost of goods. In Q1 2026 , AWS grew 28% year-over-year to $37.6B, while advertising grew 24% to $17.2B, and paid units rose 15%. The AI case only looks like it will strengthen growth rates. For Amazon, the winning outlook is volume growth and lower operating expenses offsetting low costs of services and pro...
KVLADIMIRV/iStock via Getty Images Since my last Amazon ( AMZN ) analysis , the stock has gained nearly 18% price. I view valuation caution as wise at this juncture based on macro dynamics, while recognizing the long-term durability of the company and its expanding infrastructure moat. The company is positioning itself to own the execution layer of the AI economy. My concern and the reason for thi...
KVLADIMIRV/iStock via Getty Images Since my last Amazon ( AMZN ) analysis , the stock has gained nearly 18% price. I view valuation caution as wise at this juncture based on macro dynamics, while recognizing the long-term durability of the company and its expanding infrastructure moat. The company is positioning itself to own the execution layer of the AI economy. My concern and the reason for this thesis is not the business quality, but the reality of valuation dynamics that could leave shareholders too exposed if buying at this juncture. There is too little margin of safety in AMZN for suitable positioning for active traders through the looming AI capex digestion cycle. Amazon Intends To Own The Execution Layer When a consumer wants to buy something, Amazon is increasingly owning most of the entire stack from surfacing the product with ranking, pricing, advertising, payment, shipping, and returns. Many of these aspects are becoming increasingly automated with AI. When an enterprise wants to build with AI, AWS can provide compute, storage, custom silicon, model access, data infrastructure, security, deployment tools, and agent orchestration. If AI proves deflationary, Amazon will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of lower internal costs and higher demand for surfacing low-cost goods online. This is good for both corporation and consumer; it is not good for enterprises who do not adopt autonomy. Autonomy will de facto become the cost of doing business in the future. Non-autonomous business will have to position themselves as niche, luxury, or handmade, with higher price points accepted for other intangible reasons. Functional scale and utility will be in lower cost of goods. In Q1 2026 , AWS grew 28% year-over-year to $37.6B, while advertising grew 24% to $17.2B, and paid units rose 15%. The AI case only looks like it will strengthen growth rates. For Amazon, the winning outlook is volume growth and lower operating expenses offsetting low costs of services and pro...
HJBC The EU has made little progress in discussions with Anthropic ( ANTHRO ) to get its banks and companies tested for digital vulnerabilities that the company's new Mythos AI model uncovers, Bloomberg News reported, citing Spain’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Business Carlos Cuerpo Caballero. "Unfortunately, there has been limited progress in this area and we will raise the issue again at tod...
HJBC The EU has made little progress in discussions with Anthropic ( ANTHRO ) to get its banks and companies tested for digital vulnerabilities that the company's new Mythos AI model uncovers, Bloomberg News reported, citing Spain’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Business Carlos Cuerpo Caballero. "Unfortunately, there has been limited progress in this area and we will raise the issue again at today’s meeting," said Cuerpo on Friday ahead of a meeting of EU finance chiefs in Nicosia." It is undoubtedly one of the most important elements not only in the medium and long term, but also in the short term." Anthropic did not immediately respond to Seeking Alpha's request for comment. Cuerpo’s comments come several weeks after EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis noted that the bloc was discussing the issue with Anthropic, the report added . Earlier this month, the European Commission noted that OpenAI ( OPENAI ) was in talks with the EU over access to its new cyber model, but Anthropic was holding out on releasing Mythos to the bloc, but discussions were ongoing with the company. Last month, Anthropic unveiled its most powerful model Claude Mythos Preview, a general-purpose frontier model, which the company called its "most capable yet for coding and agentic tasks." Mythos can identify unknown flaws in IT systems, and this has triggered anxiety across the EU. Officials say they need additional information to prepare Europe’s financial system for cyberattacks if malicious actors repurpose Mythos-discovered vulnerabilities, the report noted. "Financial stability is global," said Cuerpo. "The impact that a disruptive model such as Mythos, or others that will follow, may have on banks in the UK, Canada, and Europe can also spread to the US through an interconnected system." "This is not something that affects only one country," said Cuerpo. European authorities, the Group of 20 countries, and the Financial Stability Board should also be involved, he added. More on Anth...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify As Memorial Day kicks off the unofficial start of summer travel, another major force is shaping vacation plans and corporate forecasts: FIFA World Cup 2026. While retailers, airlines and short-term rental companies are already cashing in on the global tournament buzz, many hotels in host cities say bookings ...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify As Memorial Day kicks off the unofficial start of summer travel, another major force is shaping vacation plans and corporate forecasts: FIFA World Cup 2026. While retailers, airlines and short-term rental companies are already cashing in on the global tournament buzz, many hotels in host cities say bookings have yet to meet expectations. With millions of fans expected across North America, companies like United Airlines ( UAL ), Airbnb ( ABNB ), and Marriott ( MAR ) are betting late-breaking travel demand will still turn this summer into a winning season. This is an abridged transcript. The unofficial start to summer is here. With Memorial Day just days away, millions are preparing to take advantage of the three-day weekend by traveling to see loved ones, make new memories, and unwind. AAA says nearly 45 million Americans will travel over Memorial Day which is the highest total on record. However, the association says year-over-year growth is less than one percent. It’s the smallest year over year increase in more than a decade. After the three day weekend is over, what’s next? What are you planning to do to keep you busy this summer? Maybe it's something you can’t escape. Everyone from retail to hospitality is getting in on the action. It hit me that FIFA World Cup 2026 was literally everywhere when I saw Lego in Costco ( COST ) featuring multiple sets. You can also find the building blocks at places like Kohl’s ( KSS ) and Target ( TGT ). The most costly of which is the replica trophy which will set you back about 200 bucks. The soccer tournaments that will last more than 5 weeks kick off in just under 21 days on June 11. Three countries, 16 host cities, 48 teams, and 6.5 million fans in stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the United States. In the U.S. those cities include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, the combined metro of New York/New J...
Rathbones Group PLC lessened its position in shares of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 48.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 44,502 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 41,477 shares during the quarter. Rathbones Group PLC's holdings in Oracle were worth $8,674,000 at the end...
Rathbones Group PLC lessened its position in shares of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 48.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 44,502 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 41,477 shares during the quarter. Rathbones Group PLC's holdings in Oracle were worth $8,674,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in Oracle by 14.3% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 46,442 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $9,052,000 after buying an additional 5,799 shares in the last quarter. Quantum Private Wealth LLC increased its position in Oracle by 45.8% in the fourth quarter. Quantum Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,753 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $1,316,000 after buying an additional 2,120 shares in the last quarter. Northbridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Oracle in the fourth quarter worth about $222,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its position in Oracle by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 64,896 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $12,650,000 after buying an additional 4,929 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its position in Oracle by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 6,076 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $1,184,000 after buying an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 42.44% of the company's stock. Get Oracle alerts: Sign Up Oracle Trading Up 0.9% NYSE ORCL opened at $189.76 on Friday. Oracle Corporation has a 12-month low of $134.57 and a 12-month high of $345.72. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $165.70 and a two-hundr...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis Lyft ( LYFT ) has a lot of doubters and does face some serious headwinds. Yet the stock’s current price suggests that it’s undervalued according to fundamentals and a reverse DCF calculation. The long-term threat posed by robotaxis is definitely something to keep an eye on, but I’d expect that even if the bottom does start falling out, a privat...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis Lyft ( LYFT ) has a lot of doubters and does face some serious headwinds. Yet the stock’s current price suggests that it’s undervalued according to fundamentals and a reverse DCF calculation. The long-term threat posed by robotaxis is definitely something to keep an eye on, but I’d expect that even if the bottom does start falling out, a private equity firm, robotaxi company, or another party would end up snatching Lyft up. You shouldn’t make investments on such hypotheticals, but crucially, the current undervaluation justifies the risks and could open several paths to favorable outcomes. I last rated LYFT as a buy in February. The stock is up only about 1.5% since then, trailing the market's ~9% growth, but I believe this is simply an opportunity for investors to get in at an affordable price. While concerns over autonomous vehicles shouldn't be ignored, I also believe that they are overstated. LYFT Appears To Be Deeply Undervalued I generally approach investing by looking at the larger story and developments surrounding a company. In a sense, I expect many of the basic fundamental aspects to be priced in to a considerable extent. Usually, when I’m digging through fundamentals, my biggest priority is identifying potential red flags, especially if they could undermine my larger thesis. With Lyft, however, I’m switching gears and focusing on the fundamentals first. The vanilla reverse DCF shown below demonstrates why (explanations for the DCF calculator follow the discussion). Author To justify its current price, Lyft would need to secure negative free cash flow growth of 26%, suggesting that the stock is currently deeply undervalued. I’m not particularly surprised when I find companies undervalued with simple reverse DCF calculations, but -26% is likely the highest number I’ve ever seen. But let’s assume that Lyft’s most recent levered free cash flows are a bit of an anomaly. As of December 2024, according to See...
In today’s CEO Daily: The debate is raging over how to manage humans in the AI era. The big leadership story: Deep cuts at Meta The markets: In the black as investors remain upbeat about AI. Plus: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune. Good morning. For companies leaning into AI, what’s the value of the human resources function? For Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow, the answer is nada. As he told at...
In today’s CEO Daily: The debate is raging over how to manage humans in the AI era. The big leadership story: Deep cuts at Meta The markets: In the black as investors remain upbeat about AI. Plus: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune. Good morning. For companies leaning into AI, what’s the value of the human resources function? For Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow, the answer is nada. As he told attendees at Fortune’s Workforce Innovation Summit this week, “We got rid of our HR team.” To be fair, Breslow eviscerated HR last year along with thousands of other employees when he returned to the CEO role. The fintech firm he’d cofounded in 2014 had dropped from an $11 billion valuation in 2022 when he first stepped down to a reported value of about $300 million two years later. It went from a “peacetime” headcount of 2,500 to what he now calls a “wartime” footing of around 100 people. While Breslow reports his company is better off without HR, I’d argue the art and science of managing humans is more important than ever—and it’s also evolving fast. I recently spoke to Himanshu Palsule, the CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand, a learning and talent software company. With 140 million users and 7,000 enterprise customers who are taking a hard look at their own HR spend, Palsule has a vested interest in the conversation. But I’m impressed by the agentic platform it launched yesterday that leverages AI to help assess, train, and mobilize employees. “People will enable agents to take over the enterprise,” he told me at a customer event in New York. “If you lose your people, those agents aren’t doing anything in your company—they’re just creating chaos.” Other thoughts: On Gen Z: “The greatest irony of our time is we are leaving out a generation that’s most skilled to do AI. We have to make room for that generation if we want AI to thrive within a company. We dismiss them, like they’ve done something wrong. These are people we asked to grow up digitally different. We shoved an iPad in t...