Meta's big AI bet and our not-so-hot-take on fintech IPOs
The move signals Meta's growing urgency to keep up in the AI race, even if its strategy for competing with heavyweights like OpenAI and Google is still a little confusing.
Today, on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Max Zeff, and Anthony Ha break down the deal, dig up an interview from Kirsten's archives featuring Wang's early predictions for AI, and ask whether Meta's really buying a game-changer or just adding a well-connected dealmaker to its roster at a time when its own AI ambitions are falling further and further behind.
Listen to the full episode to hear more highlights from the week, including:
How Chime's IPO priced above expectations at $27 per share and jumped in early trading, and Anthony's not-so-hot takes on what this signals for the tech IPO market
Why Y Combinator's Demo Day was packed with 'agentic' AI startups building autonomous software, and how a recent chat with Fiverr's CEO sheds light on AI-driven task automation in the gig economy
How Jony Ive's LoveFrom spent 18 months quietly collaborating with Rivian on their first electric bike, a spinout product confirmed to have a bike-like form factor
Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!
Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.
Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tariff trajectory is a 'net positive,' strategist says
Catalyst Funds co-founder, chief investment officer, and senior portfolio manager David Miller joins Morning Brief with Julie Hyman to discuss the impact of tariffs on this quarter's earnings, some of his top stock picks, and his thoughts on Meta's (META) artificial intelligence (AI) spending. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Morgan Stanley Boosts Meta Target to $850—Here's Why
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is one of the . On July 31, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak raised the price target on the stock to $850.00 (from $750.00) while maintaining an 'Overweight' rating. According to the firm, improvements in GPU-enabled algorithmic are helping drive better-than-expected engagement and monetization metrics. This is, it believes, evident in Meta's second-quarter results and third-quarter guidance. 'Super Core and Superintelligence… and More to Come: META's 2Q results and 3Q guide speak to how continued GPU-enabled algorithmic improvements and advances are driving even better-than-expected lifts to engagement and monetization… as our '25/'26 revenue estimates rise by ~3%/4%. '25/'26 EPS rises by 5%/9%. The firm further highlighted how Meta has been increasing investments in core operations and long-term projects. It's improving core business can fund these initiatives, and boost profitability at the same time. 'META's investment is stepping up (in core and long-term projects)… but the continuously improving core can fund this… while also driving higher profitability." While we acknowledge the potential of META as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Take this simple step as you approach retirement
While most retirement portfolios include allocations to stocks and bonds in the years leading up to retirement, most retirement savers don't hold much more than an emergency cushion in cash. Thus, an important job in the years before retirement is building up that cash cushion. The good news is that cash yields are up, meaning cash holdings aren't the 'dead money' they were a few years ago. And equity investments have performed well, too—at least until very recently. That means that most investors can build their cash stakes, at least in part, by pruning appreciated holdings. Here's some guidance on the amount, source, and location of those liquid reserves, according to the Bucket approach to retirement portfolio planning. Rightsizing Bucket 1 Your cash bucket should consist of one to two years' worth of portfolio withdrawals, not living expenses. In order to set up Bucket 1 initially, think through your cash flow sources for the first few years of retirement. For example, let's say a 66-year-old wants to retire in two years and expects that he'll need to spend $80,000 per year, in total, from his $1.5 million portfolio, at that time. He wants to delay filing for Social Security until age 70, so all of his spending will come from his portfolio in those first few years of retirement. After that, roughly half his spending needs will come from Social Security. If he wanted to be conservative, he could build a cash cushion consisting of $160,000—his years 1 and 2 portfolio withdrawals. His Bucket 2—high-quality bonds—would consist of eight years' worth of portfolio withdrawals, which at that point will be $40,000 per year. The remaining $1 million and change could go into a globally diversified equity portfolio. Where to put the money? It's also worth considering the 'where' of your liquid reserves. To do so, consider your sequence of withdrawals in retirement. Taxable accounts are often first in the queue for retirement withdrawals because their ongoing tax costs are higher than tax-sheltered accounts. But some retirees may benefit from spending from their tax-deferred accounts early in retirement, with an eye toward reducing future required minimum distributions and tax bills. This is a good spot to get some advice from a financial or tax advisor. Armed with the knowledge of where you'll turn for your spending in the first part of your retirement, you can then figure out where best to hold your liquid reserves. Where to get the money? The next step is figuring out how to build up this reserve. Ideally, you'd give yourself a couple of years to enlarge your cash position rather than having to find the money just before retirement. For preretirees who are still saving for retirement, start by directing new contributions into cash. Say, for example, the aforementioned retiree is directing a couple years' worth of IRA and 401(k)contributions to cash. He could arrive at nearly half his target cash allocation by the time he reaches his retirement. There's also potential bonuses and inheritances. If you've recently received a surprise cash injection, the assets are a logical source for bulking up cash reserves. Another solid option is to build up cash by peeling back on highly appreciated asset classes, especially US stocks. Trimming equities and adding those assets to cash and bonds reduces risk and helps cover cash flows for the first few years of retirement. Finally, you can reduce risky positions. Consider the employer stock you know you should scale back on or the individual-stock portfolio that's duplicative of what's in your mutual funds. Such holdings can be ideal sources when building up your cash reserves, but mind the tax consequences if you're selling them from a taxable account. ___ This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to Christine Benz is director of personal finance for Morningstar.
