Musk Empire Merger Possibility, Memory Costs Weigh on Apple

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss how President Trump’s selection of Kevin Warsh to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, is affecting tech markets. Plus, Apple reports record sales but the rising cost of memory worries investors. And SpaceX is said to be considering a merger with Tesla or xAI.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple delivered record quarterly sales and a better-than-anticipated forecast for the current period, even as the company warned that rising component costs are threatening to squeeze margins.Revenue will rise 13% to 16% in the second quarter, which runs through March, the company said Thursday during a conference call with analysts. That exceeded the 10% projected by Wall Street — showing that Apple can maintain momentum after an iPhone-fueled sales surge in the December quarter.For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Businessweek Daily cohosts Carol and Tim speak with: Bloomberg News Managing Editor for Global Consumer Tech Mark Gurman Bloomberg Tech Co-Host Ed Ludlow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss AI capital expenditures after Meta, Microsoft and Tesla all reported raising spend in their earnings. Plus, Apple is set to release results after the bell with investors focused on holiday sales and memory costs. And, Amazon reported hundreds of thousands of pieces of content it believed included child sexual abuse material, which it found in data gathered to improve its AI models.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Businessweek Daily hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec break down earnings from Tesla, Microsoft and Meta as heard live on Bloomberg Radio and on YouTube.Microsoft's spending surged to a record high and cloud sales growth slowed, sending the shares down amid investor concerns that it could take longer than expected for the company’s AI investments to pay off. Microsoft shares fell about 5% in extended trading after closing at $481.63 in New York.Meta Platforms topped projections for quarterly revenue and gave a strong forecast for the current period, boosted by a robust online advertising business that is making it possible for the company to invest in artificial intelligence at record levels this year. The social-media company’s shares jumped more than 11% in extended trading. Meta on Wednesday said first-quarter sales will be $53.5 billion to $56.5 billion, beating the $51.3 billion average analyst estimate.And Tesla plans to invest about $2 billion into xAI, giving Elon Musk’s artificial-intelligence startup a cash infusion despite a shareholder vote last year that failed to win approval. Its shares rose in extended trading.Carol and Tim speak with: Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Technology Analyst Anurag Rana James Cakmak, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Clockwise Capital Bloomberg News Senior Technology Reporter Kurt Wagner Bloomberg Tech Co-Host Ed Ludlow Bloomberg Intelligence Global Autos and Industrials Research Manager Steve Man See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss Amazon’s plans to cut nearly 5% of its corporate workforce. Plus, ASML posts record fourth-quarter orders as AI drives demand for its most sophisticated chipmaking equipment. And sources tell Bloomberg that SoftBank is in talks to invest as much as $30 billion more in OpenAI.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss stocks closing in on record highs driven by tech shares with earnings imminent. Plus, Bridgit Mendler, CEO and co-founder of Northwood, discusses the company’s $100 million Series B to modernize space infrastructure on Earth. And Amazon is shuttering its physical stores, doubling down on deliveries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss Nvidia’s additional $2 billion investment in CoreWeave, to accelerate the buildout of AI factories. Plus, IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi discusses the quantum company’s continued acquisition spree, as it buys chipmaker SkyWater Technology in a cash-and-stock deal worth $1.8 billion. And investors gear up for big tech earnings with Meta, Apple and Tesla all set to report this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss Intel’s manufacturing struggles as the company’s shares fall post-earnings. Plus, China's largest tech firms get an initial green light from Beijing to start preparing orders for Nvidia's H200 AI chips. And, TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance have closed a long-awaited deal to transfer parts of their US operations to a group of American investors led by Oracle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss Elon Musk’s comments on AI costs and the future of robots at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Plus, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is lining up funding from Middle East investors that could total $50 billion and a whopping $830 billion valuation. And Blue Origin successfully launches its latest crewed mission, marking more than 90 passengers that the Jeff Bezos company has sent above the Karman line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow discuss President Trump’s call for "immediate negotiations” on Greenland during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Plus Netflix shares slid as spending on programming mounts. And Zipline's CEO Keller Cliffton discusses the drone delivery startup's new $7.6 billion valuation and expansion plans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.