Google's advertising business defies AI rivals and Trump's tariffs + New Intel boss announces 'painful decisions' + Procter & Gamble lowers forecast + Pepsico cuts profit target due to tariff dispute + Evotec beckons with 75 million dollars from research alliance with Bristol-Myers Squibb

Google's $GOOGL (+2,11 %)Advertising business defies AI rivals and Trump's tariffs

• Google's online advertising business continues to grow - despite competition from new AI rivals.
• In the past quarter, advertising revenue rose by 8.5 percent year-on-year to just under 66.9 billion dollars (58.9 billion euros).
• This was slightly above analysts' expectations.
• The share price rose by 4.6 percent at times in after-hours trading.
• Advertising at Google continues to generate the majority of the parent company Alphabet's revenues.
• The development of the advertising business is being monitored very closely.
• A key question is whether attempts by competitors to use artificial intelligence to display direct answers instead of links will leave a mark on Google's search engine.
• Meanwhile, Google itself is moving in this direction with AI-generated overviews of search queries.
• These "AI overviews" currently reach 1.5 billion users per month, said CEO Sundar Pichai.
• AI is also increasingly being used in another area at Google.
• "Significantly more" than 30 percent of the software code - the millions of lines of program code behind Google services - is now pre-formulated by artificial intelligence and taken over by humans, said Pichai.
• In the past, this was mainly manual work for programmers.
• There was also an unusual factor behind the strong increase in profits: the revaluation of the stake in a company not listed on the stock exchange contributed eight billion dollars, it was said.
• A name was not mentioned - but according to the Bloomberg financial service, this is Elon Musk's space company SpaceX.
• According to the report, the internet company participated in a SpaceX financing round a decade ago.

New Intel boss $INTC (+1,1 %)announces 'painful decisions'

• The new CEO of the crisis-ridden chip company Intel has announced "painful decisions" and the prospect of job cuts just a few weeks after taking office.
• Intel must reduce costs and remove bureaucratic hurdles, said Lip-Bu Tan after the presentation of quarterly figures.
• He emphasized that this would also involve cutting jobs.
• Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner said at the same time that Intel could not yet give any figures on the extent of the job cuts.
• The company also wants to reduce costs in other ways.
• The financial service Bloomberg recently reported that Intel could soon announce the reduction of around a fifth of its jobs.
• The number of Intel employees had already fallen to just under 109,000 by the end of last year from a good 124,000 at the end of September.
• Intel once dominated the semiconductor market, but has been struggling with problems for years.
• Graphics card specialist Nvidia has conquered a leading position, particularly in the business with chips for artificial intelligence.
• Intel is also under greater pressure in its traditional business with PC processors and chips for data centers.
• Intel disappointed investors with its sales forecast for the current quarter.
• The shares fell by a good five percent in after-hours trading.
• Intel forecast revenues of between 11.2 and 12.4 billion dollars for the second quarter. Analysts had expected an average forecast of around 12.8 billion dollars.
• From the investors' point of view, this weighed more heavily than the results of the first quarter, in which Intel exceeded market expectations.
• Sales stagnated at 12.7 billion dollars, while analysts had expected a decline to 12.3 billion dollars on average.
• At the bottom line, the loss of 800 million dollars was twice as high as a year ago.
• However, Intel's adjusted earnings per share of 0.13 dollars clearly exceeded analysts' forecasts of just 0.01 dollars.

Procter & Gamble $PG (+0,84 %)lowers forecast

• The gloomy consumer sentiment and the ongoing trade disputes are making the consumer goods group Procter & Gamble more pessimistic for the current financial year.
• The company lowered its sales and profit forecasts when presenting its figures for the third financial quarter.
• The company announced in Cincinnati on Thursday that revenue in the 2024/25 financial year (as at the end of June) is likely to grow organically by only around two percent.
• Previously, the Group had forecast growth of three to five percent.
• This excludes currency and portfolio effects.
• Adjusted earnings per share are also likely to increase less than expected.
• Procter & Gamble now expects growth of two to four percent instead of five to seven percent.
• CFO Andre Schulten had already reported in February that deliveries to retailers had slowed down - the manager warned at the time that the company could miss its profit forecast.
• He also pointed to a decline in consumption in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, which he attributed to the "anti-Western sentiment" prevailing there.
• Analysts had already expected earnings per share to be below the previous Group forecast, but Procter & Gamble has now cut its profit expectations even more sharply than expected.
• In the third quarter, sales fell by two percent to 19.8 billion US dollars (around 17.4 billion euros), as the company also announced.
• In organic terms, revenue grew slightly by one percent.
• However, this was less than analysts had expected.
• At 3.8 billion dollars, net profit was roughly on a par with the previous year.
• Adjusted earnings per share increased by one percent to 1.54 dollars.

Pepsico $PEP (+0,77 %)cuts profit target due to customs dispute

• The US food company Pepsico expects lower profits than before this year due to the global customs dispute.
• Pepsico announced on Thursday that earnings per share adjusted for special effects (core EPS), excluding currency effects, are likely to remain at around the previous year's level.
• Originally, Pepsico had targeted an increase in the mid-single-digit percentage range.
• Sales, on the other hand, are expected to continue to grow organically in the low single-digit percentage range.
• The tariffs are likely to make supply chains more expensive, complained Pepsico CEO Ramon Laguarta according to the press release.
• Pepsico is trying to counteract the higher costs.
• However, volatility and uncertainty are likely to increase.
• At the same time, consumer sentiment remains weak in many regions - here, too, the outlook is uncertain.
• In the twelve weeks to March 22, Pepsico missed analysts' expectations.
• Sales fell by 1.8 percent to 17.92 billion US dollars (15.74 billion euros) compared to the same period last year.
• Net income attributable to shareholders fell by around ten percent to 1.83 billion dollars.

Evotec $EVT (+0,14 %)will receive 75 million dollars from research alliance with Bristol-Myers Squibb $BMY (+0,38 %)

• For the Hamburg-based drug researcher and developer Evotec, the long-term collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb is paying off.
• The Hanseatic company announced on Thursday that it had made significant progress in the field of protein degradation.
• Evotec will therefore now receive a total of 75 million dollars in accordance with the agreement.
• The news was well received on the stock market, with the share price rising by almost four percent in pre-market trading.
• Evotec has been working with Bristol-Myers Squibb since 2018 and extended the partnership in 2022.

Friday: Stock market dates, economic data, quarterly figures

Stock exchange holiday Australia

• ex-dividend of individual stocks
• ENGIE EUR 1.48
• Semperit Holding EUR 0.50
• ABN AMRO Bank 0.75 EUR
• BE Semiconductor Industries EUR 2.18

• Quarterly figures / company dates USA / Asia
• 13:00 Colgate-Palmolive quarterly figures
• 13:45 Abbvie quarterly figures

• Quarterly figures / Company dates Europe
• 07:00 Nordex | Südzucker | Safran | Signify quarterly figures | Holcim Trading Update 1Q
• 07:30 Atoss Software quarterly figures
• 08:00 Yara | Palfinger quarterly figures
• 10:00 Bayer | Continental | Merck KGaA AGM | Holcim Analyst Conference
• 14:00 Nordex Conference Call | Akzo Nobel AGM

• Economic data

08:00 DE: Construction industry, new orders and sales February

08:00 UK: Retail Sales March FORECAST: -0.4% yoy/+1.6% yoy previous: +1.0% yoy/+2.2% yoy

08:45 FR: Business Climate Index April FORECAST: 96 previous: 96

16:00 US: Consumer Sentiment Index Uni Michigan (2nd survey) April FORECAST: 50.8 1st survey: 50.8 PREV: 57.0

16:15 US: Atlantic Council, fireside chat with member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, Greene

19:30 US: IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, IMF Steering Committee (IMFC) press conference.

I am currently -17% down on Intel. I hope they will rise again in the medium term thanks to the new CEO $INTC (+1,1 %)

The sudden cancellation of 350 billion dollars worth of chip orders has sent shockwaves through the global semiconductor industry, hitting US technology giants in particular. This unprecedented move resulted in a staggering 10 trillion dollar loss in market value for American companies such as Intel $INTC (+1,1 %) and Qualcomm[1] $QCOM (+1 %) . The catalyst for this upheaval was China's tariff data, which revealed a 21% year-on-year drop in chip imports[1], indicating a major shift in China's semiconductor strategy.

This development is in line with China's broader efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technology and strengthen its domestic chip industry. The country's push for technological self-reliance, coupled with the perceived ineffectiveness of the US CHIPS Act, has accelerated this trend[1]. As a result, the global semiconductor supply chain is undergoing a dramatic restructuring, with Chinese companies increasingly relying on domestic suppliers or non-US alternatives. This shift not only challenges the dominance of US chipmakers, but also raises concerns about the long-term competitiveness of American technology companies in the global marketplace[2][3].

#tech
#tariffs
$GOOGL (+2,11 %)
$NVDA (+2,04 %)

Sources

[1] Breaking! $350 billion chip orders canceled, U.S. companies - Binance https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/22733265150521

[2] Tariffs on China could upend tech industry, increase prices of ... https://www.abcactionnews.com/politics/economy/tariffs-on-china-could-upend-tech-industry-increase-prices-of-electronics

[3] China Stands Firm Amidst Tariff Chaos https://www.eetimes.com/china-stands-firm-amidst-tariff-chaos/

{Source Perplexity}

AMD CEO Lisa Su has already made the impossible possible once: under her leadership, AMD overthrew $AMD (+1,52 %) the chip giant Intel $INTC (+1,1 %) from its throne and increased its market value from just USD 2 billion at the time to around USD 160 billion today. Su made the company a serious player in the data center market. While Intel is still wavering, having just announced a new CEO, Su is already setting her sights on her next target: To beat Nvidia $NVDA (+2,04 %) which dominates the lucrative AI chip business with a market share of around 90 %. AMD, on the other hand, currently only has a market share of less than 5%.

Dr. Lisa Su

Investors are skeptical despite AMD's strong figures for 2024 - 14% more sales and a 22% increase in gross profit - as the share price has recently reacted cautiously. The reason: the lag in the crucial software area, where Nvidia is still clearly superior with its CUDA platform. This is precisely where Lisa Su wants to start. Her strategy: long-term investment in better, open software solutions, intensive support for AI models, consistent solutions close to the customer. But Su asks for patience. She sees the competition as a marathon, not a sprint - true to the motto: the steady drip of innovation wears away the stone.

AMD Ryzen AI Max

Nvidia's primary focus on data center solutions gives it a "blind spot" on the local LLM trend, which Su wants to take advantage of. The need of users for Sovereign AI and Sovereign Data is intensifying, especially in Europe and also fueled by the current protectionist US policy. Rising API costs are also driving interest in local hardware solutions that are cheaper, more accessible, more powerful and more efficient than Nvidia's offerings. With the latest M4 Max and M3 Ultra Mac Studios, Apple already has $AAPL (+0,03 %) already has a small lead in this area. However, with the Ryzen AI Max Platform, AMD is entering the race with a promising, more cost-effective and versatile alternative.

#nvidia
#amd
#intel
#ai
#lisasu
#ryzenai
#ryzenaimax
#Apple
#m4pro
#m3ultra
#macstudio

Sources:

https://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/it/neuer-intel-chef-lip-bu-tan-kann-dieser-mann-intel-wieder-auf-die-erfolgsspur-fuehren/30253768.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/amd-lisa-su-ceo-nvidia-competition-2025-3

https://www.heise.de/news/Ryzen-AI-Max-AMD-tritt-mit-dicker-integrierter-GPU-gegen-Apples-M4-Pro-an-10225777.html

Intel wows Wall Street with new CEO

Intel $INTC (+1,1 %) has brought a breath of fresh air to the company's management with the appointment of a new CEO, causing a stir on Wall Street. This decision comes at a critical time when the company is facing a number of challenges. Investors are optimistic about the new leadership impetus, but the question remains as to how well Intel can realize its strategic goals. The focus is on increasing competitiveness and modernizing product lines to meet ever-increasing market demands. The next few months will be crucial to see if the new initiatives can deliver the hoped-for results and get the company back on track. An exciting chapter in Intel's history lies ahead, and expectations are high.

Foxconn misses profit forecasts, focuses on AI growth

In the USA, Foxconn $2354a major supplier for Nvidia $NVDA (+2,04 %) and Apple $AAPL (+0,03 %)is facing a difficult profit situation. The company has announced a 13% drop in net profit, which has alarmed investors. Despite these setbacks, Foxconn remains optimistic and has high hopes for the growth trend in artificial intelligence (AI). According to forecasts, sales in this promising sector could even double in the coming year. This is crucial for Foxconn as it could play a key role in overcoming financial challenges and sustaining the company's growth. The next steps in the AI strategy could be the turning point for Foxconn and catapult the company into a new phase of growth.

Sources:

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/d3d43859-2107-36dc-ae3c-dd419ac869fc/intel%E2%80%99s-new-ceo-thrills-wall.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/video/nvidia-supplier-foxconn-misses-profit-140154048.html

$INTC (+1,1 %)

Tan, a longtime industry leader and former CEO of $CDNS Cadence Design Systems, helped more than double sales and increase the stock price by 3,200% during his tenure

He now wants to accelerate Intel's turnaround, strengthen its manufacturing presence and restore investor confidence

Today I decided to sell my 20 $INTC (+1,1 %) shares today. I went out with a total loss of around €500.