Symbolic imageAlphabet shares tumble after results, reviving worries over AI spending
Alphabet shares fell sharply on Thursday after weaker-than-expected results, pulling US stock futures lower. Microsoft, by contrast, was rewarded for strong cloud growth.
Alphabet missed sales expectations in results released on Wednesday, 28 October, and its stock lost a double-digit percentage, according to Handelsblatt and Bloomberg. Reuters and Bloomberg report that Nasdaq and other US futures slid as investors again questioned the scale of AI spending. Handelsblatt describes growing concern that the AI investment boom may be peaking, even though Microsoft impressed with strong Azure growth and Oracle gave an optimistic cash-flow outlook.
Debt markets show strain
Bloomberg reports that a gauge of Google's debt risk rose after the results, and asks whether investors have already bought all the AI bonds they can handle. It also reports that Microsoft is seeking to raise at least $25 billion in a US bond sale.