LMArena, a startup that originally launched as UC Berkeley research project in 2023, announced on Tuesday that it raised an $150 million Series A at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion. The round was led by Felicis and the university’s fund UC Investments. The startup bolted out of the gate as a commercial venture with a $100 million seed round in May at a $600 million valuation. This new rounds means it raised $250 million in about seven months. LMArena is best known for its crowdsourced AI model performance leaderboards. Its consumer website lets a user type a prompt that it sends to two models, with the user then choosing which model did a better job. Those results, which now span more than 5 million monthly users across 150 countries and 60 million conversations a month, the company says, fuel the leaderboards. It ranks various models on a variety of tasks including text, web development, vision, text-to-image, and other criteria. The models it tests include various flavors of OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and Grok, as well as ones that are geared toward specialties like image generation, text to image, or reasoning. The company began as Chatbot Arena, an open research project built by UC Berkeley researchers Anastasios Angelopoulos and Wei-Lin Chiang and was originally funded through grants and donations. LMArena’s leaderboards became something of an obsession among model makers. When LMArena started pursuing revenue, it partnered with select model companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to make their flagship models available for its community to evaluate. In April, a group of competitors published a paper alleging that this helped those model makers game the startup’s benchmarks, an allegation LMArena has vehemently denied. In September, it publicly launched a commercial service, AI Evaluations, in which enterprises, model labs, and developers can hire the company to perform model evaluations through its community. This gave LMArena ...

Oracle Corp . will likely maintain its investment-grade bond rating in the near term despite borrowing tens of billions of dollars to expand its artificial-intelligence push, according to UBS Group AG . The software company’s rating could be cut one notch to the lowest investment-grade tier, but worries that Oracle may be dropped to junk status are likely overblown, UBS strategist Matthew Mish said in an interview Tuesday. Investors have already priced in much of the credit risk and credit-rating companies will likely be “somewhat patient” with the company, he added, citing discussions with the raters. “A downgrade to junk in the first-quarter is not our baseline and in fact is probably quite unlikely,” Mish said. Speculation about the sustainability of Oracle’s credit rating mounted after the company sold $18 billion of bonds in September as part of its data-center expansion, a move to seize on the booming investment in artificial intelligence. The risks posed by its rising debt load drove some investors to buy credit default swaps tied to Oracle, which by December pushed the prices on some of the derivatives to the highest since the Global Financial Crisis. Oracle has about $95 billion of debt outstanding, making it the biggest corporate issuer outside the financial sector in the Bloomberg high-grade index . Mish said Oracle’s ability to maintain its investment-grade standing will ultimately hinge on the outlook for AI and the company’s future borrowing plans. Oracle is rated two tiers above junk by all the three major ratings providers. Oracle declined to comment. Clay Magouyrk , one of the Oracle’s co-chief executive officers, said on a conference call last month that the company is committed to maintaining its high-grade debt rating. Representative for Moody’s Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Photographer: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, the world’s ninth-richest person and head of the most valuable company, said he isn’t concerned about a billionaires tax under consideration in his home state of California. “I’ve got to tell you, I have not even thought about it once,” Huang said Tuesday when asked about the proposed tax on Bloomberg Television. “We chose to live in Silicon Valley, and whatever taxes I guess they would like to apply, so be it. I’m perfectly fine with it.” Most Read from Bloomberg WATCH: Nvidia and Siemens announced plans to build an industrial AI operating system together. CEOs Jensen Huang and Roland Busch speak to Ed Ludlow about this partnership, the need for energy, Nvidia’s new chips, China and Siemen’s potential deals in the operations software space.Source: Bloomberg Under a proposed ballot initiative in the state, billionaires would face a one-time 5% levy to cover funding shortages for health care, food assistance and education. The proposal, which still needs to gather enough signatures to appear on the November 2026 ballot, would apply to people who reside in the state as of Jan. 1. Huang could potentially face one of the largest tax bills if the ballot measure passes. He currently has a $155.8 billion fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Based on his net worth today, Huang could be left with a bill of more than $7 billion after the proposed 5% net worth tax. Nvidia became a dominant company in Silicon Valley by making the chips that develop and run artificial intelligence models. The business, founded in a Denny’s restaurant in San Jose, California, in 1993, is currently based in nearby Santa Clara. While Huang plans to remain in the state, other billionaires made moves to leave ahead of the Jan. 1 residency deadline. On New Year’s Eve, Peter Thiel announced he was opening a Miami office of Thiel Capital as he shifts his residency to Florida. Venture capitalist ...

格隆汇1月7日｜美国副总统万斯表示，他提前数周就听取了有关委内瑞拉行动的简报，起初他怀疑行动能否在不造成美方人员伤亡的情况下成功。他称此次行动的最终结果“完美无瑕”，并表示委内瑞拉总统马杜罗被俘将有助于降低能源成本。“最重要的是，这意味着我们将对世界上的能源资源拥有更大的控制权，从而为我们的人民带来更好的经济成果，并利用这些能源资源作为杠杆，实现更大的和平与繁荣，”万斯声称。

中国地震台网自动测定：1月7日3时17分，在新疆喀什地区塔什库尔干县附近（北纬37.62度，东经75.10度）发生5.1级左右地震。最终结果以正式速报为准。（央视新闻）

Bank of Nova Scotia ’s international business could benefit from a rightward political shift in Latin America alongside rising US influence in the region, Chief Executive Officer Scott Thomson said. After what he described as a “bit of a lost decade” for regional growth, US President Donald Trump ’s renewed push for Western Hemisphere dominance should prove a longer-term positive, Thomson said Tuesday at Royal Bank of Canada ’s annual Canadian bank CEO conference. US forces ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. “Longer-term, this is a good thing for the Western Hemisphere. It’s a good thing for the US. It’s a good thing for the Bank of Nova Scotia,” he said. Thomson said political movements toward the right or center-right in countries including Chile, Colombia and Peru, along with what he called a “very business-friendly administration” in Mexico, are supportive of stronger growth. That trend should benefit Scotiabank over the next several years, he said. He also pointed to the so-called Trump Doctrine — a modern take on the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine outlined in a national security strategy late last year — as another factor he views as favorable for growth. Toronto-based Scotiabank has the largest proportional international exposure of any Canadian bank. The lender exited Venezuela in 2014, Thomson said, but maintains operations in Mexico and owns a 20% stake in Colombia’s Banco Davivienda SA . Thomson’s view on recent developments in Venezuela contrasts with some analyst assessments. Scotiabank may take a more cautious stance on commercial lending in Latin America, TD Cowen analyst Mario Mendonca said in a report Monday, warning that such restraint could delay loan growth and weigh on its turnaround plan, which is now in its third year. Meanwhile, as Trump pledges to reopen the Venezuelan oil industry, Thomson said Canada must respond. Both countries produce heavy crude, raising the risk of increased competition to supply US Midwest refi...

Veteran investor, CIO and founder of Navellier & Associates, Louis Navellier, has warned against chasing the recent “junk rally” in low-quality stocks, urging investors to pivot back to stocks with strong earnings growth as the 2026 financial year begins. A ‘Big Flip’ Back To Quality In his latest Navellier Market Buzz video, Navellier argued that the fourth-quarter mean reversion—where the worst-performing stocks suddenly led the market—is unsustainable. He believes January will mark a “big flip” where quality companies, which he defines as those with accelerating sales and earnings, will reassert their leadership. Don't Miss: Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse — Just $0.85 a Share GM-Backed EnergyX Is Solving the Lithium Supply Crisis — Invest Before They Scale Global Production He cited an intraday explosion in data center stocks on the first trading day of January as evidence that institutional buying pressure is already returning to this sector. Top Picks For Earnings Season Navellier is positioning his portfolio ahead of what he calls “judgment day” for corporate earnings. He argues that data center demand and AI implementation will drive significant growth for specific companies. His top pick remains Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), his largest holding, which he expects to report a 66.7% increase in sales and a 71% jump in earnings, buoyed by new chip sales to China. Beyond Nvidia, Navellier is bullish on Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) for its role as a top “AI implementer” for government contracts, forecasting a 64.1% earnings surge. He also highlighted Seagate Technology Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:STX) and Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) as beneficiaries of the data center boom, with earnings forecasted to rise 37.6% and 58.1%, respectively. Trending: 7 Million Gamers Already Trust Gameflip With Their Digital Assets — Now You Can Own a Stake in the Platform Before the Raise Ends 1/19 Macro Outlook: Deflation Is The Risk Navellier's ...

Veteran investor, CIO and founder of Navellier & Associates, Louis Navellier, has warned against chasing the recent “junk rally” in low-quality stocks, urging investors to pivot back to stocks with strong earnings growth as the 2026 financial year begins. A ‘Big Flip’ Back To Quality In his latest Navellier Market Buzz video, Navellier argued that the fourth-quarter mean reversion—where the worst-performing stocks suddenly led the market—is unsustainable. He believes January will mark a “big flip” where quality companies, which he defines as those with accelerating sales and earnings, will reassert their leadership. Don't Miss: Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse — Just $0.85 a Share GM-Backed EnergyX Is Solving the Lithium Supply Crisis — Invest Before They Scale Global Production He cited an intraday explosion in data center stocks on the first trading day of January as evidence that institutional buying pressure is already returning to this sector. Top Picks For Earnings Season Navellier is positioning his portfolio ahead of what he calls “judgment day” for corporate earnings. He argues that data center demand and AI implementation will drive significant growth for specific companies. His top pick remains Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), his largest holding, which he expects to report a 66.7% increase in sales and a 71% jump in earnings, buoyed by new chip sales to China. Beyond Nvidia, Navellier is bullish on Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) for its role as a top “AI implementer” for government contracts, forecasting a 64.1% earnings surge. He also highlighted Seagate Technology Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:STX) and Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) as beneficiaries of the data center boom, with earnings forecasted to rise 37.6% and 58.1%, respectively. Trending: 7 Million Gamers Already Trust Gameflip With Their Digital Assets — Now You Can Own a Stake in the Platform Before the Raise Ends 1/19 Macro Outlook: Deflation Is The Risk Navellier's ...

格隆汇1月7日｜丹麦外交部长：丹麦和格陵兰岛已准备好与美国讨论所有问题。

格隆汇1月7日｜丹麦外交部长：如果美国想在格陵兰岛进一步投资，我们愿意展开对话。

敘利亞過渡政府部隊與庫爾德武裝在北部地區爆發衝突，釀成多人傷亡。 在敘利亞北部阿勒頗周二街頭傳出槍聲。 由庫爾德武裝主導的敘利亞民主力量連續多日襲擊過渡政府軍事要點，以及居民區釀成傷亡。這個組織又宣稱，過渡政府相關派別曾在部分地區無差別炮擊，導致平民被殺。有醫生指部分傷者是兒童，他們遭炮彈碎片擊中。 敘利亞民主力量目前控制敘利亞北部和東部區域。早前曾跟過渡政府簽署協議，將武裝分子併入政府軍，但過程不順利。當局指責敘利亞民主力量試圖破壞協議。

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Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. CES 2026 live: all the news, announcements, and innovations from the show floor and beyond We’re not even a full week into 2026 yet, but Nvidia has already announced several products and updates to start the new year. Nvidia’s new Vera Rubin architecture was launched earlier than expected at CES, joined by announcements for its own Tesla-rivaling self-driving car technology, and the latest updates coming to DLSS, G-Sync display tech, and the GeForce Now cloud gaming platform. While none of these hold quite the same appeal as a new generation of consumer graphics cards — something we might see at CES 2027, following the RTX 50-series launch last year — it can still be a lot to parse, especially through the vast slurry of everything else being promoted at the giant Consumer Electronics Show. We’ve rounded up the most significant announcements that Nvidia has made so far to help you stay on top of the news. Vera Rubin ‘AI supercomputer’ The Vera Rubin launch wasn’t expected until later this year. Image: Nvidia Nvidia launched the Vera Rubin platform during its CES keynote, its next-generation successor to the Blackwell architecture that’s currently used in its most powerful AI chips. Nvidia says this new architecture, which is named after American astronomer Vera Rubin, can train large “mixture of experts” (MoE) AI models as quickly as Blackwell, but with far greater efficiency. Dion Harris, Nvidia’s senior director of HPC and AI infrastructure solutions, described Vera Rubin as “six chips that make one AI supercomputer,” which include the Vera CPU, Rubin GPU, NVLink 6th-gen switch, Connect-X9 NIC, BlueField4 DPU, and Spectrum-X 102.4T CPO. Autonomous driving solutions Watch out, Tesla, Nvidia is coming for your lunch. Image: Nvidia Nvidia is racing against Tesla and Waymo to build technology that will allow cars to fully drive themselves without human assistance, and it may now hav...

Quantum computing is on course to take several steps forward this year. Quantum computing is a cutting-edge technology that has yet to be proven out, but numerous companies are working on producing commercially viable systems. While 2026 won't be the year that it reaches the mainstream, it's likely that there will be several impressive breakthroughs in the field. I think that these four quantum computing stocks will do well in 2026, and each one has its own set of circumstances that will drive its success. Alphabet and Microsoft Alphabet (GOOG 1.08%) (GOOGL 0.98%) and Microsoft (MSFT +0.79%) are two of my top picks in the quantum computing realm. These tech behemoths have nearly unlimited resources to throw at developing quantum computing, making them forces to be reckoned with. Each also has a massive cloud computing division, which gives them another incentive to develop quantum computing technology in-house. By developing their own viable quantum computing hardware, they can control the costs and earn better margins when they eventually rent out capacity on those systems. Furthermore, it's also a hedge against competitors developing viable quantum computing technology first. Expand NASDAQ : GOOGL Alphabet Today's Change ( -0.98 %) $ -3.11 Current Price $ 313.43 Key Data Points Market Cap $3.8T Day's Range $ 311.80 - $ 320.94 52wk Range $ 140.53 - $ 328.83 Volume 753K Avg Vol 36M Gross Margin 59.18 % Dividend Yield 0.26 % If a pure-play quantum computing company does bring a commercially viable quantum computer to market ahead of the giants, that still wouldn't be too problematic for Alphabet and Microsoft; the hyperscalers could simply buy those systems, install them in their data centers, and rent capacity on them much as they do today with graphics processing units (GPUs). While this wouldn't be the best scenario for their margins, it would maintain the current status quo in the cloud computing industry. However, if Alphabet were to develop a viable quantum com...

Edith Renfrow Smith, pioneer and witness to history, dies at 111 toggle caption Edith Renfrow Smith family collection/Drake Community Library Archive Collection Edith Renfrow Smith died Friday at her home in Chicago. She was 111. In addition to a notably long life — she was one of a very small number of "supercentenarians," or people who live to at least 110 — she bore witness to major events and came into personal contact with historical figures. She was a pioneering Black woman with an unassuming personality. Renfrow Smith's daughter, Alice Smith, confirmed her death to NPR. Lifting a heavy burden At the time of Edith Renfrow's birth, Poweshiek County, Iowa, had 20,000 residents. Just 55 of them were Black. Her grandfather, George Craig, had made his way there after escaping enslavement with the aid of John Brown, and was working as a barber in the town of Grinnell. Her own parents, Lee and Eva Renfrow, worked as a cook and a laundress. It was only a few decades after Plessy v. Ferguson established "separate but equal," and yet despite it all the Renfrows made sure all six of their children attended college. Sponsor Message "My mother insisted that education was the only thing that could not be taken away," Renfrow Smith told NPR's Scott Simon in 2023. "My sister, who was eight years older than I, went into service so she could keep my brother in Hampton Institute in Virginia until he graduated from college. Everybody helped each other." Renfrow Smith would attend Grinnell College, the small liberal arts school just blocks from her home. She was at that point the school's only Black student and with her graduation in 1937 became the first Black woman graduate in the college's history. It was during her time on campus that Renfrow Smith met Amelia Earhart. "She was one of the celebrities that came to Grinnell to talk to the students," Smith recalled. "She was just like another one of us. It was a delightful visit." Working outside the home Renfrow Smith entered the...

Key Points Alphabet and Microsoft are well-funded competitors. Nvidia is playing a supporting role in the quantum computing realm. IonQ leads the world in quantum computing error reduction. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Quantum computing is a cutting-edge technology that has yet to be proven out, but numerous companies are working on producing commercially viable systems. While 2026 won't be the year that it reaches the mainstream, it's likely that there will be several impressive breakthroughs in the field. I think that these four quantum computing stocks will do well in 2026, and each one has its own set of circumstances that will drive its success. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Alphabet and Microsoft Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) are two of my top picks in the quantum computing realm. These tech behemoths have nearly unlimited resources to throw at developing quantum computing, making them forces to be reckoned with. Each also has a massive cloud computing division, which gives them another incentive to develop quantum computing technology in-house. By developing their own viable quantum computing hardware, they can control the costs and earn better margins when they eventually rent out capacity on those systems. Furthermore, it's also a hedge against competitors developing viable quantum computing technology first. If a pure-play quantum computing company does bring a commercially viable quantum computer to market ahead of the giants, that still wouldn't be too problematic for Alphabet and Microsoft; the hyperscalers could simply buy those systems, install them in their data centers, and rent capacity on them much as they do today with graphics processing units (GPUs). While this wouldn't be the best scenario for their margins, it would maintain the current status quo in the cloud computing industry. However, ...

The stock offers a high yield, but the underlying business hasn't been doing all that well. Dividend stocks can be alluring for investors, especially ones that offer high yields. As interest rates come down, stocks that offer high payouts can provide investors with a lot of incentive to just buy and hold and collect dividend income. But the risk that often comes with pursuing high yields is that they might not end up lasting. If a dividend proves to be unsustainable, a company may not have much option but to cut or suspend the dividend in the future. If that happens, then not only could your dividend income disappear, but the stock could suddenly go into a free fall. Altria Group (MO 2.27%) is one of the highest-yielding stocks on the S&P 500, as it pays investors 7.4%. That's more than six times higher than the S&P average of 1.1%. It's an incredibly attractive yield, but the big question for investors is whether it's safe. Altria has a fantastic track record for paying dividends -- but does that matter? When dividend investors look at potential stocks to buy, they often focus on stocks that have been paying dividends for a long time and that have excellent track records. Tobacco company Altria certainly falls into that category. It has increased its dividend 60 times in 56 years. It falls into the exclusive category of Dividend Kings. But that only tells you about what it has done in the past; by no means is that a guarantee that the dividend will continue to expand in the future. Investors need to consider more than dividend history to assess whether a stock is a good one and whether its payout can be relied upon. Advertisement The big problem with Altria is its lack of growth If a business isn't growing and its future prospects don't look encouraging, it can be a sign of trouble, even for a dividend stock that may not be primarily focused on growth. That's because if its earnings are diminishing or even stagnant, that can make it difficult for the company to pay...

The 2026 Consumer Electronics Show , the world's largest annual tech trade show held every January in Las Vegas, this week hosted a keynote address by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who took the stage Monday to announce new artificial intelligence products. Wall Street was keen to hear Huang's presentation to gauge future chip demand and assess sentiment, especially since Nvidia shares have recently been rangebound, rising less than 2% in three months. Huang at CES unveiled Nvidia's Rubin platform — the successor to its Blackwell architecture and an integrated ecosystem of six distinct chips co-designed to work one AI supercomputer — and also introduced Alpamayo, an open reasoning model family for autonomous vehicle development. Huang has previously said that robotics, including self-driving cars, is Nvidia's second most important growth category after AI. Nvidia confirmed to CNBC on Monday that it is working with robotaxi operators in hopes of their using Nvidia's AI chips and Drive AV software stack to power their fleets of autonomous vehicles by as soon as 2027. Several Wall Street banks — among them, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Piper Sandler — left Huang's speech with positive takeaways on Rubin's unique design and anticipated faster adoption than Nvidia's previous Blackwell and Hopper generation of chips. JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur notably said in a Tuesday report to clients that Nvidia's development of physical AI products "could potentially drive the next leg of revenue growth" for the company. NVDA 1Y mountain Nvidia stock performance over the past year. Analysts stayed bullish on Nvidia after Huang's keynote, with their consensus price target suggesting about 33% potential upside ahead over the next year, according to LSEG. Of the 65 analysts covering Nvidia, 23 rate it a strong buy and 36 a buy. Only five analysts have a hold rating on shares, with just one underperform rating. Take a look at what the biggest names on the Street had to say: Wells Fargo: Overweigh...

格隆汇1月7日｜美国白宫办公厅副主任斯蒂芬·米勒坚称，格陵兰岛“应该属于美国”，并表示如果美国对格陵兰岛提出主权要求，没有人会在军事上反对美国。米勒的言论加剧了特朗普对北约盟国进行领土扩张的野心，促使北欧和欧洲领导人发表声明捍卫其领土完整。

WTI原油期货跌幅扩大至2%，报57.15美元/桶。

Demonstrators hold a large Venezuelan flag outside the National Assembly, on the day Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was formally sworn in as the country's interim president, as U.S.-deposed President Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York court after the Trump administration removed him from power, in Caracas, Venezuela Jan. 5, 2026. Maxwell Briceno | Reuters Venezuela's long-defaulted bonds are suddenly one of the hottest trades in emerging markets. Prices on the country's benchmark notes due in October 2026 have surged to about 43 cents on the dollar, more than doubling since August. The rally comes as traders reassess recovery prospects on the distressed securities following the surprise removal of President Nicolas Maduro and a shift in U.S. policy that has opened the door to a potential restructuring of the nation's debt. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Investors are betting that a faster-than-expected political transition along with a clearer path to asset recovery could unlock value that has been frozen for nearly a decade. Venezuela fell into default in late 2017 after failing to make payments on overseas bonds issued by both the government and its state-owned oil producer PDVSA. Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price are among the holders that own significant amounts of these defaulted bonds, according to reports. Donato Guarino, an emerging-market strategist at Citi, said uncertainties remain particularly given lingering questions about the new government's political alignment with Washington. "To the Trump administration, it's key to extract the oil reserves the Venezuela has at the moment. That means that the GDP of Venezuela will go higher. That means that the ability to pay bondholders will be higher," Guarino told CNBC. "However, in the short term, you may see some risks because what Trump did is a big gamble... there is a question of loyalty of the current new president towards Trump." Trump has, in recent days, said the U.S. would "run" Venezue...

美国特使史蒂夫·威特科夫表示，在巴黎举行的乌克兰问题会议上，安全保障框架方面取得了“重大进展”。 威特科夫在X平台上的帖子中发布了关于巴黎-乌克兰会议的相关消息。 威特科夫写道，美国将于今天晚些时候和明天继续与乌克兰官员进行磋商。 责任编辑：丁文武