AI Business & Industry

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Nvidia vs Broadcom: Nvidia wins as $96.2 billion dwarfs rival

   Motley Fool picked Nvidia over Broadcom, noting Nvidia generated $96.2 billion in Q2 revenue and expects $108 billion in Q3, versus Broadcom's $115 billion FY 2027 AI chip target. Nvidia's quarterly revenue is close to Broadcom's entire FY 2027 AI semiconductor goal, so Broadcom is seen as gaining ground but not fast enough to threaten Nvidia's lead.

   Nvidia projects about 70% revenue growth for FY 2027, faster than Broadcom's AI chip growth rate; Broadcom also expects $230 billion in FY 2028, so the gap could narrow.

2. 2

   IBM puts z17 mainframe in Marist University incubator

   IBM brought a z17 system to Marist University's new Innovation Incubator. Students and faculty can use it for proposed projects in AI marketing agents, portfolio allocation, and polling methods. IBM shares rose about 0.4% to $227.97. IBM gets its mainframe technology into the hands of people who may build on it or recommend it later. That could pay off, but the case grows stronger when research turns into software, customers or measurable demand.

   The projects have no disclosed budgets or financial targets, so the payoff is not yet proven. Watch whether the research turns into software, customers, or measurable demand.

3. 3

   Walmart CEO John Furner: no AI personalized pricing

   In a Sept. 25 letter, Walmart CEO John Furner said the retailer will not use AI, customers' income, shopping history or other personal information to charge different shoppers different prices. The pledge rules out charging more based on a customer's identity, time of day, income, shopping history, urgency, or what Walmart thinks the customer could afford, Furner said.

   Furner said the policy also covers Sparky, Walmart's AI shopping assistant, and digital shelf labels, which are meant to match shelf prices to checkout prices; whether the commitments hold as the technology changes is the test.

4. 4

   Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 targets cars, edge, data center

   Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Elite Extreme Gen 6 chips with on-device AI, aiming at premium phones while extending to automotive, edge and data center workloads using agentic AI. Management linked the launch to its automotive digital chassis platform, suggesting Qualcomm wants AI processing closer to the device rather than only in phones or the cloud, which may broaden its non-handset base.

   The clearest test is whether Qualcomm breaks out QCT revenue from automotive, IoT and data center in upcoming results and how close those segments get to targets flagged out to fiscal 2029.

5. 5

   Morgan Stanley maps how to play the next AI wave

   MarketWatch reports that Morgan Stanley has laid out how investors should position their portfolios for the next AI wave. The call comes from a major Wall Street firm, so its framing of the next AI wave may shape how investors approach their holdings.

6. 6

   ASML at 31 times forward earnings vs Applied Materials near 27

   ASML trades around 31 times forward earnings and Applied Materials near 27 times, the article notes. ASML reported €9.3 billion in second-quarter sales at a 54% gross margin and €2.9 billion net income, while Applied Materials posted record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25%. The gap between the two multiples is modest, so investors are being asked how much extra they should pay for a supplier the article calls hard to replace; Applied Materials' wider spread across process steps and cheaper multiple are framed as compensation for that difference.

   ASML's 31 times multiple assumes AI-related fab spending stays strong enough to absorb expanded capacity, so the plan hinges on whether that demand holds; Applied Materials' exposure is the test, with 28% of quarterly revenue from China.