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Anthropic’s making AI boom again — and picking the winners

More compute = more revenues, and going custom has its own particular consequences for different AI stocks.

Luke Kawa

Anthropic is boosting the AI hardware trade today, and it’s not just because of its AI compute deal with CoreWeave.

This announcement came after Bloomberg reported that OpenAI pitched investors on its competitive advantage over the Claude developer due to having secured more computing power. If you buy into the idea that compute equals revenues, as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has argued, that gap matters. And it means Anthropic has some work to do to catch up.

Hence today’s pact with CoreWeave, which is further entrenching demand for compute and the AI accelerators, networking equipment, memory, and power needed to provide it.

That’s one reason sorted, and helps explain why the likes of Applied Optoelectronics, POET Technologies, IREN, Coherent, Nebius, Oklo, Applied Digital, Cipher Digital, Super Micro Computer, and more are ripping today.

Another reason may be tied to how Anthropic could go about sourcing compute, with Reuters reporting that the firm is “exploring the possibility of designing its own chips.”

The ripple effects from “going custom” seem to be leaving their mark within tech stocks on Friday.

Astera Labs is the belle of the ball, up more than 14%. The silicon connectivity company’s offerings enable chips to communicate with each other within racks (scaling up) as well as scale-out solutions. Shares are still down on the year, however, with traders more attracted to pure-play photonics opportunities.

Astera has a tight relationship and partnership with Amazon; Anthropic’s latest models are trained on Trainium chips, according to AWS’s CEO, and Astera’s offerings are used to scale those up in data center environments. Custom chip specialist Marvell Technology is also a Trainium designer and outperforming peers on Friday.

And, of course, Anthropic announced an expansion of its partnership with Google and Broadcom earlier this week, which will see the firm access 3.5 gigawatts of TPU-based AI compute capacity beginning in 2027.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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