The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF offer different benefits for investors. The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMKT:VIG) and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEMKT:SCHD) differ most in dividend yield, sector tilts, and portfolio concentration, with SCHD offering a higher payout and heavier exposure to energy and consumer defensive stocks. Bo...
The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF offer different benefits for investors. The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMKT:VIG) and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEMKT:SCHD) differ most in dividend yield, sector tilts, and portfolio concentration, with SCHD offering a higher payout and heavier exposure to energy and consumer defensive stocks. Both VIG and SCHD aim to capture the long-term benefits of dividend-paying U.S. stocks, but their approaches and resulting portfolios diverge in important ways. This comparison looks at cost, returns, risk, liquidity, and portfolio makeup to help investors decide which style may fit their needs. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VIG SCHD Issuer Vanguard Schwab Expense ratio 0.04% 0.06% 1-yr return (as of 2026-02-04) 12.0% 11.7% Dividend yield 1.6% 3.4% Beta 0.81 N/A AUM $120.1 billion $81.8 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Both funds are low-cost, with SCHD charging 0.02 percentage points more, but SCHD stands out with a notably higher dividend yield—more than double that of VIG. For investors who value income, this difference may be material. Performance & risk comparison Metric VIG SCHD Max drawdown (5 y) -20.39% -16.86% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,597 $1,409 What's inside SCHD tracks 101 dividend-oriented U.S. stocks, focusing on quality and sustainability of payouts. Its sector exposure leans heavily toward energy (20%), consumer staples (18%), and healthcare (16%), reflecting a more defensive tilt. Top holdings include Lockheed Martin (LMT +0.99%), Bristol Myers Squibb, (BMY 1.44%) and Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN). With a fund age of 14.3 years, SCHD is well established but more concentrated than many broad dividend ETFs. VIG, by contrast, holds 338 stocks and emphasizes technology (27%), financial services (22%), and heal...
Alphabet Inc. is looking to raise about $15 billion from a US high-grade dollar bond sale, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Caroline Hyde reports on Bloomberg Open Interest.
Alphabet Inc. is looking to raise about $15 billion from a US high-grade dollar bond sale, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Caroline Hyde reports on Bloomberg Open Interest.
US forces boarded an oil tanker after a cat-and-mouse chase from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon said, as Washington expands its geographic scope in an ongoing crackdown on a global shadow fleet used to export sanctioned crude. The Aquila II had departed from the Jose terminal in Venezuela in early December and appeared to be bound for China, according to ship tracking data compile...
US forces boarded an oil tanker after a cat-and-mouse chase from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon said, as Washington expands its geographic scope in an ongoing crackdown on a global shadow fleet used to export sanctioned crude. The Aquila II had departed from the Jose terminal in Venezuela in early December and appeared to be bound for China, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The ship was intercepted while heading toward the Sunda Strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It’s the latest Venezuela-linked ship the US has taken control of since December, and the furthest from Caribbean waters, underscoring how far Washington is prepared to go to enforce its energy quarantine worldwide. The Suezmax vessel, able to haul about 1 million barrels of oil, was sanctioned for its involvement in the Russian oil trade following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although it was sailing under the flag of Panama when it was sanctioned by the US, as a Treasury Sanctions list search shows, it now appears to be operating under an unknown flag, according to the Equasis international shipping database and Bloomberg data. Previous US tanker seizures were executed before and after US forces captured and removed former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a highly-coordinated operation that included air strikes on Caracas. The last such incident took place in late January, when Motor Vessel Sagitta was captured in the Caribbean Sea. The Trump administration has pledged to crack down on Venezuela’s use of sanctioned ships, which often deploy deceptive satellite positioning signals, false flags and other misleading techniques to illegally export oil and other goods. The episode comes as oil traders and US refiners rush to position for access to Venezuelan crude expected to reach the Gulf Coast soon. The Aquila II appeared on automatic tracking systems on Sunday for the first time since March 2025, according to data compiled by Bloo...
In the dynamic and cutthroat world of business, conducting thorough company analysis is essential for investors and industry experts. In this article, we will undertake a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) and its primary competitors in the Software industry. By closely examining key financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects, our aim is...
In the dynamic and cutthroat world of business, conducting thorough company analysis is essential for investors and industry experts. In this article, we will undertake a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) and its primary competitors in the Software industry. By closely examining key financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects, our aim is to provide valuable insights for investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry. Palantir Technologies Background Through a detailed examination of Palantir Technologies, we can deduce the following trends: Debt To Equity Ratio The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio measures the financial leverage of a company by evaluating its debt relative to its equity. Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making. By analyzing Palantir Technologies in relation to its top 4 peers based on the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following insights can be derived: Among its top 4 peers, Palantir Technologies has a stronger financial position with a lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03 . This indicates that the company relies less on debt financing and maintains a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be viewed positively by investors. Key Takeaways For Palantir Technologies, the PE, PB, and PS ratios are all high compared to its peers in the Software industry, indicating potentially overvalued stock. On the other hand, the high ROE suggests strong profitability, while low EBITDA, gross profit, and revenue growth may raise concerns about the company's operational efficiency and growth prospects relative to industry competitors. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.
As of February 9, 2026, Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU) stands at a defining crossroads in the global semiconductor landscape. Once viewed primarily as a cyclical manufacturer of commodity memory, the Boise-based giant has successfully repositioned itself as an indispensable pillar of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The explosion of generative AI, spearheaded by titans like Nvidia ...
As of February 9, 2026, Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU) stands at a defining crossroads in the global semiconductor landscape. Once viewed primarily as a cyclical manufacturer of commodity memory, the Boise-based giant has successfully repositioned itself as an indispensable pillar of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The explosion of generative AI, spearheaded by titans like Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA), has transformed memory from a peripheral component into a primary bottleneck for high-performance computing. Today, Micron is not just a participant but a high-stakes contender in the race to provide the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) that fuels the world's most advanced GPUs. Historical Background Founded in 1978 in a dentist's office basement in Boise, Idaho, Micron Technology began as a four-person semiconductor design consulting firm. Its early years were defined by a "David vs. Goliath" struggle against established Japanese and South Korean giants. Key milestones include the release of the world’s smallest 256K DRAM in 1984 and surviving the brutal memory price wars of the late 1980s and early 2000s that saw many competitors exit the field. Over the decades, Micron transformed through strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of Texas Instruments' (Nasdaq: TXN) memory business in 1998 and the critical acquisition of Elpida Memory in 2013, which solidified its position as one of the three global leaders in the DRAM market. Business Model Micron’s business model is centered on the design and manufacture of memory and storage technologies, primarily Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) and NAND flash memory. As of early 2026, the company has undergone a radical strategic shift. In February 2026, Micron officially began the phase-out of its consumer-facing "Crucial" brand to reallocate 100% of its fabrication capacity toward high-margin enterprise and data center products. The company operates through four main segments: Compute & Networking Business Unit ...
As of February 9, 2026, Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU) stands at a defining crossroads in the global semiconductor landscape. Once viewed primarily as a cyclical manufacturer of commodity memory, the Boise-based giant has successfully repositioned itself as an indispensable pillar of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The explosion of generative AI, spearheaded by titans like Nvidia ...
As of February 9, 2026, Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU) stands at a defining crossroads in the global semiconductor landscape. Once viewed primarily as a cyclical manufacturer of commodity memory, the Boise-based giant has successfully repositioned itself as an indispensable pillar of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The explosion of generative AI, spearheaded by titans like Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA), has transformed memory from a peripheral component into a primary bottleneck for high-performance computing. Today, Micron is not just a participant but a high-stakes contender in the race to provide the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) that fuels the world's most advanced GPUs. Historical Background Founded in 1978 in a dentist's office basement in Boise, Idaho, Micron Technology began as a four-person semiconductor design consulting firm. Its early years were defined by a "David vs. Goliath" struggle against established Japanese and South Korean giants. Key milestones include the release of the world’s smallest 256K DRAM in 1984 and surviving the brutal memory price wars of the late 1980s and early 2000s that saw many competitors exit the field. Over the decades, Micron transformed through strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of Texas Instruments' (Nasdaq: TXN) memory business in 1998 and the critical acquisition of Elpida Memory in 2013, which solidified its position as one of the three global leaders in the DRAM market. Business Model Micron’s business model is centered on the design and manufacture of memory and storage technologies, primarily Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) and NAND flash memory. As of early 2026, the company has undergone a radical strategic shift. In February 2026, Micron officially began the phase-out of its consumer-facing "Crucial" brand to reallocate 100% of its fabrication capacity toward high-margin enterprise and data center products. The company operates through four main segments: Compute & Networking Business Unit ...
In the fast-paced and highly competitive business world of today, conducting thorough company analysis is essential for investors and industry observers. In this article, we will conduct an extensive industry comparison, evaluating Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) in relation to its major competitors in the Software industry. Through a detailed examination of key financial metrics, market standing, and gro...
In the fast-paced and highly competitive business world of today, conducting thorough company analysis is essential for investors and industry observers. In this article, we will conduct an extensive industry comparison, evaluating Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) in relation to its major competitors in the Software industry. Through a detailed examination of key financial metrics, market standing, and growth prospects, our objective is to provide valuable insights and illuminate company's performance in the industry. Microsoft Background Through a thorough examination of Microsoft, we can discern the following trends: Debt To Equity Ratio The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio indicates the proportion of debt and equity used by a company to finance its assets and operations. Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making. By considering the Debt-to-Equity ratio, Microsoft can be compared to its top 4 peers, leading to the following observations: Among its top 4 peers, Microsoft has a stronger financial position with a lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15 . This indicates that the company relies less on debt financing and maintains a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be viewed positively by investors. Key Takeaways For Microsoft in the Software industry, the PE and PB ratios are low compared to peers, indicating potential undervaluation. However, the high PS ratio suggests overvaluation based on revenue. The low ROE may indicate lower profitability compared to peers, while high EBITDA and gross profit levels suggest strong operational performance. Additionally, the high revenue growth rate indicates potential for future expansion and market competitiveness. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.
Micron Technology Inc's (NYSE:MU) short interest as a percent of float has fallen 7.87% since its last report. According to exchange reported data, there are now 27.61 million shares sold short, which is 2.46% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.0 days to cover their short positions on average. Why Short Interest Matters Short ...
Micron Technology Inc's (NYSE:MU) short interest as a percent of float has fallen 7.87% since its last report. According to exchange reported data, there are now 27.61 million shares sold short, which is 2.46% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.0 days to cover their short positions on average. Why Short Interest Matters Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish. See Also: List of the most shorted stocks Micron Technology Inc Short Interest Graph (3 Months) As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Micron Technology Inc has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted. Comparing Micron Technology Inc's Short Interest Against Its Peers Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis. According to Benzinga Pro, Micron Technology Inc's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 5.05%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.
In today's rapidly evolving and fiercely competitive business landscape, it is crucial for investors and industry analysts to conduct comprehensive company evaluations. In this article, we will undertake an in-depth industry comparison, assessing Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) alongside its primary competitors in the Automobiles industry. By meticulously examining crucial financial indicators, market positio...
In today's rapidly evolving and fiercely competitive business landscape, it is crucial for investors and industry analysts to conduct comprehensive company evaluations. In this article, we will undertake an in-depth industry comparison, assessing Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) alongside its primary competitors in the Automobiles industry. By meticulously examining crucial financial indicators, market positioning, and growth potential, we aim to provide valuable insights to investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry. Tesla Background After thoroughly examining Tesla, the following trends can be inferred: Debt To Equity Ratio The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is a financial metric that helps determine the level of financial risk associated with a company's capital structure. Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making. By evaluating Tesla against its top 4 peers in terms of the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following observations arise: Among its top 4 peers, Tesla has a stronger financial position with a lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18 . This indicates that the company relies less on debt financing and maintains a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be viewed positively by investors. Key Takeaways For Tesla, the PE, PB, and PS ratios are all high compared to its peers in the Automobiles industry, indicating overvaluation. On the other hand, Tesla's high ROE, EBITDA, and gross profit suggest strong profitability and operational efficiency. However, the low revenue growth rate implies a potential slowdown in the company's top-line performance compared to industry competitors. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.
aprott/iStock via Getty Images Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner, says Hims & Hers ( HIMS ) could face serious regulatory consequences after the company attempted to sell an unapproved oral GLP-1 drug that mimicked Novo Nordisk’s ( NVO ) semaglutide pill. In an interview with CNBC, Gottlieb explained that the FDA’s immediate referral to the Department of Justice signals the agency intends to...
aprott/iStock via Getty Images Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner, says Hims & Hers ( HIMS ) could face serious regulatory consequences after the company attempted to sell an unapproved oral GLP-1 drug that mimicked Novo Nordisk’s ( NVO ) semaglutide pill. In an interview with CNBC, Gottlieb explained that the FDA’s immediate referral to the Department of Justice signals the agency intends to take aggressive enforcement action, potentially including an injunction or seizure. “We have a drug approval process for a reason—to ensure the drugs are safe and effective,” Gottlieb said. “If any company can operate under the guise of a pharmacy license, come up with completely novel formulations of drugs, and market them directly to consumers, why have a drug approval process?” Gottlieb, who serves on the boards of Illumina, Pfizer, and UnitedHealth, explained that Hims & Hers ( HIMS ) claimed to have developed an alternative technology using a liposomal formulation to deliver the oral semaglutide. However, since this technology has never been tested or approved, it constitutes an unapproved new drug. Novo Nordisk spent ~$1.8 billion acquiring the patented technology that allows just 2% of their oral peptide drug to be absorbed. Hims & Hers ( HIMS ) on Monday called a patent lawsuit filed by Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) over IP rights linked to the Danish drugmaker’s weight loss therapy, semaglutide, “a blatant attack” targeting “millions of Americans who rely on compounded medications for access to personalized care.” The former FDA chief noted that Hims & Hers has developed a reputation for pushing regulatory boundaries. “My perception is that Hims and Hers has just tried to push the line progressively and probably didn’t think this would be stepping across it,” he said. He contrasted this with competitor Ro, whose CEO he described as “operating in a very responsible fashion.” Gottlieb suggested pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to partner with Hims & Hers going forward d...
We’ve picked the best non-naff pressies for partners and friends. Plus, the best boots and soup makers, tested • Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here You can be a Grinch about it or, as Jess Cartner-Morley wrote in her latest Filter edit , you can embrace it for the “daft festival of joy in the bleakest moment of the calendar” that it is. Valentine’s Day, if nothing else, is ...
We’ve picked the best non-naff pressies for partners and friends. Plus, the best boots and soup makers, tested • Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here You can be a Grinch about it or, as Jess Cartner-Morley wrote in her latest Filter edit , you can embrace it for the “daft festival of joy in the bleakest moment of the calendar” that it is. Valentine’s Day, if nothing else, is a reminder in the depths of unromantic February to cherish those you love. And let’s be honest, the world needs a bit more of that sentiment right now. But there are Valentine’s Day gifts, and there are Valentine’s Day gifts . In our guide, we decided to eschew the throwaway and unimaginative in favour of a selection of thoughtful, creative ideas that will last well beyond 14 February (we included flowers, because who doesn’t love flowers, but opted for longer-lasting stained-glass alternatives and subscriptions over a single bunch of blooms). The best flower delivery for every budget: eight favourites, freshly picked The best women’s lingerie: 22 favourites for every mood and budget Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones review: an ultra-light vacuum you’ll actually enjoy using I tried 75 low- and no-alcohol drinks: here are my favourite beers, wines and spirits The best treadmills for your home: up your indoor miles with our runner-approved picks 15 of the best men’s coats for winter – from puffer jackets to parkas to trenchcoats The best soup makers for healthy, thrifty meals – tested ‘Opened with a satisfying phwummp’: the best supermarket sauerkraut, tasted and rated Continue reading...
Shadowy urban terror gives way to airborne exuberance as the festival celebrates its 20th edition with a programme that disturbs and delights Suited dancers swing around a streetlight in Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau ’s Horses but it’s not exactly Singin’ in the Rain . The mood is more like a stray dog has sidled up to that lamp-post and cocked its leg. The lamps multiply on these squalid, me...
Shadowy urban terror gives way to airborne exuberance as the festival celebrates its 20th edition with a programme that disturbs and delights Suited dancers swing around a streetlight in Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau ’s Horses but it’s not exactly Singin’ in the Rain . The mood is more like a stray dog has sidled up to that lamp-post and cocked its leg. The lamps multiply on these squalid, mean streets: uprooted, they become giant props for performers to illuminate and edit the action on a vast stage with its wings exposed and no artificial backdrop. A suspicious figure roams the outskirts with a torch; another drives a vehicle back and forth in the distance. One long-necked light snakes down from above like a tendril, its glow deepening the chiaroscuro. Bodies melt and morph. It is as if a film noir has caught fire in the projector, distorting each scene. Nederlands Dans Theater’s production, at the 20th edition of Holland Dance festival , confounds from its ragged beginnings to the final seconds, when even the curtain is not allowed to fall in peace. Horses starts with the house lights up and a solo with instinctive flinches and hoof-like hands suggesting hunter and hunted before a second dancer arrives nose-first, as if led by scent. The animality briefly evokes NDT’s Figures in Extinction but this is an acutely urban nightmare, with humans’ survival skills put to the test. Suddenly, the auditorium’s doors slam shut and we are plunged into darkness. Continue reading...
(RTTNews) - Stock of MDJM Ltd (UOKA) is soaring about 179 percent on Monday morning trading despite no corporate-related announcements to influence the movement. The company's shares are currently trading at $3.19 on the Nasdaq, up 179.16 percent. The stock opened at $2.28 and has climbed as high as $4.2 so far in today's session. Over the past year, it has traded in a range of $0.86 to $6.15. MDJ...
(RTTNews) - Stock of MDJM Ltd (UOKA) is soaring about 179 percent on Monday morning trading despite no corporate-related announcements to influence the movement. The company's shares are currently trading at $3.19 on the Nasdaq, up 179.16 percent. The stock opened at $2.28 and has climbed as high as $4.2 so far in today's session. Over the past year, it has traded in a range of $0.86 to $6.15. MDJM's stock closed trading at $1.19 on Friday. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and CEO of Databricks. Databricks Databricks said Monday it has raised $5 billion in funding and $2 billion in new debt capacity at a $134 billion valuation. The privately held data analytics software company also said that its annualized revenue exceeded $5.4 billion for the January quarter, up 65% year over year, while delivering free cash flow over the past year. That typ...
Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and CEO of Databricks. Databricks Databricks said Monday it has raised $5 billion in funding and $2 billion in new debt capacity at a $134 billion valuation. The privately held data analytics software company also said that its annualized revenue exceeded $5.4 billion for the January quarter, up 65% year over year, while delivering free cash flow over the past year. That type of performance might whet the appetites of public market investors, who have not seen many new issuances of technology companies with high growth rates. Databricks is prepared to go public "when the time is right," co-founder and CEO Ali Ghodsi told CNBC in an interview. This year is shaping up to potentially feature notable tech IPOs. Fast-growing artificial intelligence labs Anthropic and OpenAI are also considering 2026 initial public offerings, according to people familiar with the matter. Elon Musk said in December that his rocket company SpaceX could also go public this year. Like many other companies, Databricks is generating revenue from AI. The company helps its clients connect their data with AI models to launch custom agents, in addition to providing tools for storing, processing and querying data. AI products now generate $1.4 billion in annualized revenue, Databricks said in a statement. The pace of Databricks' overall expansion is accelerating — in June, the company forecast 50% growth . The company said in December that it was raising more than $4 billion in the round at a valuation of $134 billion . "We weren't sure we're going to actually be able to raise all of the five," said Ghodsi, adding that there was heavy interest in recent weeks. He said it can take months for venture capital to reflect major changes in equity markets. Goldman Sachs, Glade Brook Capital, Morgan Stanley, Neuberger Berman and the Qatar Investment Authority are among the investors in the new round. JPMorgan led the debt round, and now Databricks has billions in cash on hand. "If thi...
Today, I’m talking with Roland Busch, who is the CEO of Siemens. Siemens is one of those absolutely giant, extremely important, but fairly opaque companies we love to dig into on Decoder . At a very basic, reductive level, Siemens makes the hardware and software that allow other companies to run and automate their stuff. Everyone has seen the Siemens logo somewhere, whether it’s under the hood of ...
Today, I’m talking with Roland Busch, who is the CEO of Siemens. Siemens is one of those absolutely giant, extremely important, but fairly opaque companies we love to dig into on Decoder . At a very basic, reductive level, Siemens makes the hardware and software that allow other companies to run and automate their stuff. Everyone has seen the Siemens logo somewhere, whether it’s under the hood of their cars, stamped on control systems in fancy buildings, or scattered across factory floors. But since it’s not really a consumer-facing company, it’s hard to know what ties all these ideas together — and what some 320,000 Siemens employees across the world are actually working on. How all those people are organized and work together is wildly complicated. Roland and I spent some real time just talking through the Siemens corporate structure, which, for my true Decoderheads out there, was incredibly fascinating. Verge subscribers, don’t forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Decoder wherever you get your podcasts. Head here . Not a subscriber? You can sign up here . We also spent a lot of time talking about automation broadly and what happens as AI brings automation from the physical world of factories into the digital world of accounting and procurement — the things that help decide what factories should be doing. Roland’s vision is for Siemens to automate the whole factory process, upstream and downstream of actually making things. And you’ll hear him describe that outcome as fairly utopian: a smooth, seamless, optimal operation. Very German. But I wanted to press him on how dystopian it sounds to me. Because in Roland’s vision, it seems like there’s a whole class of people who just… don’t have jobs anymore. And the ones who do have jobs don’t really have a whole lot of autonomy or fulfillment from them, but basically just serve as the hands for the all-seeing AI. So I asked him fairly directly about that. And if that’s not already all complicated enough: Siemens is...
Yuriy T/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Amazon: Spending $200B In AI To Retain Its Throne Amazon ( AMZN ) investors have the "honor" of owning the title to the highest level of AI capital expenditures ever declared for a full fiscal year as we ended last week’s full slate of top hyperscaler earnings (while we await Oracle ( ORCL ) to announce its results subsequently). Hyperscaler spending spree...
Yuriy T/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Amazon: Spending $200B In AI To Retain Its Throne Amazon ( AMZN ) investors have the "honor" of owning the title to the highest level of AI capital expenditures ever declared for a full fiscal year as we ended last week’s full slate of top hyperscaler earnings (while we await Oracle ( ORCL ) to announce its results subsequently). Hyperscaler spending spree (The Information) That $200B number bested Google’s ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) midpoint of $180B by a cool $20B. Suddenly, Meta Platforms’ ( META ) $125B in AI CapEx outlay seems too “unambitious,” even as the digital advertising leader aims to attain superintelligence first among peers. However, for AMZN, the question about the impact on its margins and operating leverage also suggests it’s about to join Oracle in the negative free cash flow club for 2026, as the AI arms race has taken on new imperatives with Anthropic ( ANTHRO ) having proven its mettle to take on OpenAI ( OPENAI ), particularly in the enterprise space. For Amazon, I believe the question about spending big on CapEx has never really troubled the shareholder class. As a reminder, Amazon’s core business is a big customer per se, with the gargantuan e-commerce, and advertising business (now at $69B in revenue in the past 12 months) setting the stage to underpin AWS’s demand. However, that alone doesn’t fully explain the growth manifested in AWS, as well as the tremendous profitability driven by its immense scale. And I think that level of scale is simply one of Amazon’s most formidable moats because it could deploy all this capacity profitably and not worry about not having the utilization metrics to drive capacity. Hence, since these are ultimately capital intensive businesses, it is inherently risky to commit such a monolithic level of CapEx (to the tune of $200B in fiscal 2026) if Amazon wasn’t confident enough to prove and validate that it has the commensurate capacity to justify the response, while also trumpin...