Markets
markets
Luke Kawa

AMD soars after striking megadeal with OpenAI that “is expected to deliver tens of billions of dollars in revenue”

OpenAI’s cash burn makes the investing world go ’round, and today, makes shares of Advanced Micro Devices go way up.

The chip designer is surging after being the latest to strike a pact with the Sam Altman-led venture to accelerate the AI build-out, which AMD CFO Jean Hu said “is expected to deliver tens of billions of dollars in revenue.”

The deal will see AMD sell multiple generations of its flagship GPUs to OpenAI, powering 6 gigawatts of its AI infrastructure. The first deployment is slated to start in the second half of 2026.

AMD’s AI GPU sales are expected to total $6.56 billion in fiscal 2025 and $10.26 billion in fiscal 2026 — and that latter figure is likely heading higher as analysts adjust estimates following this announcement.

This accord “quickly brings Lisa Su and AMD right into the core of the AI chip spending cycle and is a huge vote of confidence from OpenAI and Altman,” wrote Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. “Any lingering fears around AMD should now be thrown out the window as this gives them a major platform to monetize the AI Revolution.”

The deal also marks the latest in a recent series of aggressive steps from OpenAI to amass computing power for the AI boom, including massive agreements with Broadcom and Oracle. To make good on these pacts will likely require equally aggressive moves from OpenAI to raise capital through private markets or, potentially, an IPO down the road.

Shares of Nvidia, the leader in AI GPUs, turned from positive to negative after this deal was announced.

As part of this agreement, AMD has issued warrants to OpenAI that enable the ChatGPT developer to receive 160 million shares, or about 10% of the company, if certain operational and stock price targets are hit over time.

“This partnership brings the best of AMD and OpenAI together to create a true win-win enabling the world’s most ambitious AI build-out and advancing the entire AI ecosystem,” AMD CEO Lisa Su said.

“AMD’s leadership in high-performance chips will enable us to accelerate progress and bring the benefits of advanced AI to everyone faster,” added OpenAI cofounder and CEO Sam Altman.

More Markets

See all Markets
markets

SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

markets

Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

markets

Rocket Lab deal lifts space stocks

Shares of Rocket Lab are surging after announcing an $8 billion acquisition of satellite communications operator Iridium Communications, helping lift a broader basket of space-related stocks as investors piled back into the sector.

Planet Labs, AST SpaceMobile and Redwire all traded higher alongside Rocket Lab, extending gains in an industry that has drawn enhanced investor attention in recent months in light of the strategic importance that governments place on space and satellite communications infrastructure.

In a presentation, Rocket Lab’s management called the purchase “a shortcut” for its satellite communications business.

Under the terms of the agreement, Iridium shareholders will receive $27 in cash and Rocket Lab stock, valuing Iridium at $54 per share. Backed by a $3.6 billion bridge loan committed by Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo, Rocket Lab absorbs Iridium’s globally licensed spectrum and an active base of 2.5 million subscribers.

Rocket Lab has also remained one of the most active launch providers in the sector. The company completed its 12th launch of the year last week, maintaining one of the highest launch cadences among commercial space companies.

Today's rally helps offset a brutal stretch for the group. Rocket Lab shares had fallen over 35% over the prior month, while Planet Labs stock was down more than 40% and AST SpaceMobile stock was down around 30% over the same window.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC and Chartr Limited produce fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and are fully owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, Robinhood Money, LLC, Robinhood U.K. Ltd, Robinhood Derivatives, LLC, Robinhood Gold, LLC, Robinhood Asset Management, LLC, Robinhood Credit, Inc., Robinhood Ventures DE, LLC and, where applicable, its managed investment vehicles.