A $1.4trn Hit?

A $1.4trn Hit?

With US President Donald Trump set to announce new tariffs on so-called “Liberation Day”, a study from the UK’s Aston University warns that a full-blown trade war could wipe $1.4trn from the global economy. Proposed 25% import tariffs and subsequent tit-for-tat measures could potentially fuel inflation, disrupt trade and lower living standards across the globe, the Financial Times reported. 

Solar Stock’s 44% Q1 Revenue Growth 

On FTC Solar’s [FTCI] Q1 earnings call, CEO Yann Brandt highlighted key wins, including a five-year, five-gigawatt deal with Recurrent Energy and major projects in Australia and the US. Q4 2024 revenue hit $13.2m, up from $10.1m in Q3. Management expects Q1 2025 revenue of $18m-$20m, a 44% sequential increase at the midpoint. Non-GAAP gross loss improved to $3.4m from $3.9m in Q3, with adjusted EBITDA loss guidance of $10m-$13.3m, Seeking Alpha detailed.

Xiaomi Drops on Fatal Crash 

The tragedy which every self-driving firm dreads: Xiaomi [XIACF] has confirmed an accident in China involving its SU7 electric vehicle, equipped with an advanced driver assistance function. Xiaomi has yet to disclose details on casualties, although local media are reporting three fatalities, according to Bloomberg. The stock fell 5.5% in Hong Kong, extending an 18% drop since its $5.5bn equity sale last week. 

Oracle Under Fire Over Breaches

The tech giant Oracle [ORCL] has been criticized for its handling of two separate data breaches, according to TechCrunch. The first involves Oracle Health, which provides hospitals with online access to health records; the second affects Oracle Cloud, with a hacker claiming to have data on 6 million customers. OPTO’s recent deep dive into the stock may be of interest to those wondering if it will weather this potential storm.

A Further $40bn for OpenAI

OpenAI has raised $40bn in funding from SoftBank [SFTBY] and other investors, the Financial Times reported, valuing the ChatGPT maker at $300bn, which would make it the 27^th biggest company on the S&P 500 if it were listed. According to a source, SoftBank is contributing 75%, with Microsoft [MSFT], Coatue, Altimeter and Thrive providing the rest. The financing will come in two parts: $10bn now and $30bn by the end of 2025. OpenAI is in the process of shifting to a for-profit model. 

Delivery Drones Take to the Skies Again

Amazon [AMZN] has resumed drone deliveries in College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona, after a software update to its fleet, CNBC reported. Prime Air halted operations in January due to altitude sensor issues caused by dust. Despite “unprecedented demand”, Amazon’s drone program faces setbacks, including recent crashes and the closure of a California test site. 

Nebius Is an Under-the-Radar AI Play

Nebius [NBIS] is an Amsterdam-based artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure firm. It recently divested from its parent Yandex, known as Russia’s Google, in a bid to distance itself from the geopolitical turmoil sparked by the war in Ukraine. OPTO considers whether Nebius could be an underappreciated stock, given its growth ambitions and the fact that it offers indirect exposure to Nvidia [NVDA].