EU at War with Big Tech

EU at War with Big Tech

Alphabet’s [GOOGL] Google is facing a new EU investigation over whether it abused market power in rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) tools, Bloomberg reported, days after Meta [META] was hit with a similar probe. Regulators will examine whether Google unfairly favored its own AI models. Elsewhere, Elon Musk’s X has blocked the European Commission (EC) from posting adverts, after the EC fined the social media network €120m over its blue tick badges, which, it says, expose users to scams, the BBC noted.

Judge Throws Out Trump Wind Ban; Stocks Jump

Shares in Ørsted [DNNGY] climbed to a four-month high after US District Judge Patti Saris struck down President Donald Trump’s ban on new wind projects, calling it “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law”. The ruling lifted wind stocks broadly, with Vestas Wind Systems [VWSYF] also gaining, easing uncertainty for developers after months of policy and cost pressures.

Seeking Alpha: Top AI Adopter Stocks

Wall Street research appears to be rotating away from the classic AI trade toward companies that apply AI rather than build it, Seeking Alpha outlined. Thus, instead of backing chipmakers and hyperscalers in megacap tech, strategists are focusing on AI adopters in sectors including financials, industrials and healthcare. The top five AI adopter stocks by Quant rating are Nutex Health [NUTX], GRAIL [GRAL], Ponce Financial [PDLB], Indivior [INDV] and Nuvation Bio [NUVB]. 

Are Crypto Treasuries a Bubble? Is it Bursting?

Digital asset treasuries (DAT) like Strategy [MSTR], BitMine [BMNR] and SharpLink [SBET] give investors indirect exposure to bitcoin and ethereum, but recent crypto selloffs have weakened sentiment. Nonetheless, despite such volatility and bubble fears, long-term bulls believe DATs could outperform if bitcoin and ethereum resume strong uptrends. OPTO unpacks what investors need to know about this dynamic space.

Investors Step Up Bets on ECB Hike 

Markets are increasingly pricing in rate hikes in the Eurozone next year, even as the US Federal Reserve is expected to continue cutting, highlighting a rare policy divergence, the Financial Times reported. Swap markets now see the ECB more likely to raise rates in 2026 than cut them, while investors also expect rate increases in Australia and Canada. The shift could further pressure the dollar, which is down over 8% this year. 

IBM On the Verge of Another Major AI Move

The legacy tech giant [IBM] is in advanced talks to acquire data analytics firm Confluent [CFLT] for about $11bn, the Wall Street Journal reported. Confluent, known for its real-time data software and Apache Kafka platform, has been used by OpenAI to feed AI models fresh data. The deal would accelerate IBM’s pivot into software, cloud and AI following its Red Hat and HashiCorp acquisitions. 

What’s Driving Onsemi’s Recent Rally?

Scottsdale, Arizona-headquartered ON Semiconductor Corp [ON], also known as onsemi, manufacturers semiconductors for the automotive, industrial, cloud and consumer markets. A Q3 earnings beat, an ambitious expansion plan and a share buyback announcement have drawn investor attention. OPTO examines whether it can capitalize on its financial strength despite considerable macroeconomic headwinds.