Top Companies' AI Moves

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Arista raises 2026 outlook, launches AI security tool for branches

   Arista Networks raised its full-year 2026 revenue outlook and guided to approximately US$2.8 billion（約4500億円） in second-quarter revenue, powered by strong AI-driven networking demand. The company also launched an AI-powered Edge Threat Management solution that combines zero trust security and SD-WAN for branch offices. The revenue upgrade and new security product expand Arista's addressable market beyond core data center switching into branch and edge security, which could help diversify revenue over time and reduce dependence on a small group of hyperscaler customers—a key risk in the current investment case.

   Arista's ability to convert its AI infrastructure momentum into sustained profitability while managing customer concentration risk. The company's narrative projects $18.2 billion（約2.9兆円） revenue by 2029, requiring 23.3% yearly revenue growth, though some analysts assume a more cautious $16.3 billion（約2.6兆円） by 2029, citing risk that hyperscalers may build more networking in-house.

2. 2

   Lowe's stock down 17% but DCF model suggests 10.5% undervaluation

   Lowe's share price has fallen 17.2% year to date in 2026, yet valuation models suggest the stock trades at roughly a 10.5% discount to intrinsic value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model estimates fair value at about $228 per share, while the P/E ratio of 17.3x implies undervaluation compared to a modelled fair multiple of 20.8x. The disconnect between recent weakness and valuation signals hinges on whether Lowe's can execute its stated growth plans — particularly AI-driven operational efficiency and higher-margin professional contractor sales. The company generated about $7.7b in free cash flow over the last twelve months, and the valuation math assumes those cash flows will continue growing; if execution stumbles, the discount may reflect genuine risk rather than opportunity.

   Investors should monitor whether Lowe's delivers on its 2026 growth initiatives (AI tools and professional contractor expansion) and whether free cash generation holds up. The core tension is execution risk: the current valuation offers a reasonable cushion only if the business can sustain its cash flow ambitions without setbacks in acquisitions or operations.

3. 3

   Michaels launches Ask Mike AI shopping assistant

   Michaels announced Ask Mike, an AI shopping assistant built with Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience. The tool was developed in six weeks and is now live on the retailer's website, offering personalized product recommendations and creative guidance based on shoppers' descriptions. The assistant moves beyond keyword filtering to help shoppers find products through natural conversation—for example, describing a child's birthday party or seeking fabric for DIY projects. In just a few weeks, Ask Mike has fueled nearly 75,000 conversations, positioning Michaels to capture market share as it expands party and craft offerings following the closures of Party City and Joann.

   Michaels plans to release more features, including AI-generated product overviews and contextual prompts added to product pages. Other retailers like Ulta Beauty and Macy's have also built Gemini-powered AI assistants, while Lowe's partnered with OpenAI for its Mylow AI adviser.

4. 4

   Uber Cuts 10% of Customer Support Team, Blames AI

   Uber is laying off roughly 10% of its Community Operations team (global customer support) and requiring remote staff to work from an office three days a week. VP Megha Yethadka said in a memo that the restructuring is needed to "layer AI on" and scale customer solutions, framing AI as both the opportunity and the catalyst for the change. Uber joins Salesforce, Block, Klarna, and others attributing customer service cuts directly to AI agents handling more workload. But Gartner predicts half of these companies will end up rehiring for similar roles by 2027, arguing AI still cannot fully replace human judgment in service work. Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Klarna have already reversed their AI-driven cuts after service quality suffered.

   The roles eliminated at Uber tilted toward escalations, training infrastructure, and process design—not front-line scripted work. Employees affected had an average of over 7 years tenure. Whether Uber's restructuring actually works may depend on how well AI handles the "fragmented processes" the company says it must fix first.

5. 5

   Only 6% of hotels appear in AI search results as travel industry grapples with legacy systems

   The Skift Data + AI Summit 2026 convened executives from Hilton, Marriott, Booking.com, Priceline, and Air Canada to discuss AI adoption in travel. Key findings include that only 6% of hotels surface in AI search results, and 95% of GenAI projects report zero ROI. Leaders identified infrastructure modernization, agentic AI deployment, data ownership, and personalization as critical challenges. The travel industry is discovering that AI adoption requires more than technology—it demands workforce capability, organizational accountability, and legacy system overhaul. Marriott's Colin Coleman noted that 'the technology is not the hard part anymore' and that identifying problems worth solving is the true challenge. For hotels and travel platforms, being invisible to AI search is a direct revenue risk, since AI is becoming the primary entry point for travelers.

   The report documents how budget, aspirational, and luxury travelers use AI differently and where they enter the funnel. Speakers from Sierra and Amadeus emphasized that agentic AI (AI systems that can act autonomously) is already in production at leading companies, meaning delay is becoming a competitive disadvantage. Priceline's CTO highlighted preference data as the next personalization layer, requiring customers to see and edit their own data as a trust requirement.

6. 6

   Blackstone profit beats forecasts as assets surge to $1.35 trillion（約220兆円）

   Blackstone reported third-quarter earnings that exceeded profit estimates, driven partly by gains in its artificial intelligence investments. The firm's assets under management reached $1.35 trillion（約220兆円）. Strong AI-related returns helped Blackstone beat market expectations at a time when major financial firms are seeking exposure to AI growth. The milestone asset level signals the firm's expanding scale in an increasingly competitive wealth management market.

   The details on which AI investments or funds drove the outperformance, and whether this trend sustains in coming quarters as AI valuations and investment cycles evolve.