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ASML surges as Q4 bookings soar on AI demand, China sales to see 'normal ratio' in 2025. (00:26) Microsoft (MSFT) said to be probing if DeepSeek improperly used OpenAI data. (01:24) SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBY) to invest in robotics AI startup Skild AI: report. (02:30)
This is an abridged transcript.
ASML is up 8% in premarket action.
The Dutch semiconductor equipment maker gained 11% on the London exchange as it reported better-than-expected net sales and profit for Q4.
Revenue of 9.26 billion euros beat by 200 million euros or an increase of nearly 28% Y/Y.
ASML expects 2025 total net sales to be between 30 billion and 35 billion euros with a gross margin between 51% and 53%.
The company expects Q1 2025 total net sales between 7.5 billion and 8.0 billion euros vs. consensus of 7.24 billion euros and a gross margin between 52% and 53%.
Boosting investor confidence further, the company raised its annual dividend by 4.9% to €6.40 per share.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and OpenAI are investigating if a group linked to Chinese AI startup DeepSeek obtained data output from ChatGPT in an unauthorized manner.
Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter that security researchers at Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) in the fall noted individuals - believed to be linked to DeepSeek - exfiltrating a lot of data using OpenAI's application programming interface (API).
Under OpenAI's terms, developers must pay to use its API to integrate its AI models into their applications.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), OpenAI's largest investor, notified the AI startup of the group's suspicious activity, which could violate its terms of service or indicate that the group may have circumvented restrictions on how much data they could access.
DeepSeek's latest AI model R1 stunned Silicon Valley as it outperformed American rivals and was developed at a fraction of the cost, sparking a tech selloff that caused a $1T market wipeout on Monday.
SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBY) is seeking to invest in robotics AI startup Skild AI at a $4B valuation,
The Financial Times reported that SoftBank, run by Masayoshi Son, would be the lead investor on the new funding round, the news outlet added, citing people familiar with the matter. Skild AI raised $300M in funding in July that valued the firm at $1.5B.
Previous investors in Skild AI include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue, SoftBank and Amazon (AMZN) co-founder Jeff Bezos, via his Bezos Expeditions investment firm.
Skild AI and SoftBank did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.
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Catalyst watch:
Notable companies due to report include Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), Tesla (TSLA), T-Mobile (TMUS), Levi Strauss (LEVI), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), Western Digital (WDC), and General Dynamics (GD).
Options trading implies a double-digit share price swing for Brinker International (EAT) and Teradyne (TER) after their reports are released.
Meta Platforms (META) will hold its earnings conference call. Analysts think the company's update on AI infrastructure spending could impact a wide range of stocks, including NVIDIA (NVDA), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), and Arista Networks (ANET).
Now let’s take a look at the markets ahead of the opening bell. Dow, S&P and Nasdaq futures are in the green. Crude oil is down 0.9% at $73/barrel. Bitcoin is down 0.2% at $102,000.
In the world markets, the FTSE 100 is up 0.2% and the DAX is up 0.6%. Markets in Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and China are closed for the Lunar New Year holidays.
The biggest movers for the day premarket: LendingClub (NYSE:LC) shares plunged 22% after the company reported mixed Q4 results and issued weak Q1 guidance.
On today’s economic calendar:
8:30 am Wholesale Inventories
11:00 am Survey of Business Uncertainty
2:00 pm FOMC Announcement
2:30 pm Fed Chair Press Conference
Programming note: Wall Street Lunch with Kim Khan will be published later in the date to include coverage of the FOMC announcement and chairman Powell’s press conference.
Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.
