Finance
Verizon Shares Take a Hit After Q1 Sales Warning
March 13, 2025
Skip the IOU shuffle — now you can Venmo JetBlueJBLU $8.07 (2.01%) directly for flights. The airline just became the first to accept payments via PayPal’sPYPL $89.93 (0.22%) Venmo app. Not great news for your friend hoarding credit card points, but pretty convenient for everyone else.
Meanwhile, megacap tech stocks flexed their muscle, pushing the S&P 500 to a new intraday peak before falling just short of a record close. Investor optimism was fueled by Netflix’sNFLX $976.50 (-0.85%) blockbuster earnings and Stargate’s ambitious $500B AI initiative (details coming up).
TFW you’re left off the roster… Elon Musk cast doubts yesterday on the financial firepower of Stargate, the $500B AI mega-project spearheaded by OpenAI in collaboration with OracleORCL $184.44 (-1.09%), SoftBankSFTBY $33.86 (1.38%), and NvidiaNVDA $145.20 (-1.38%). Despite Musk’s skepticism, AI-related stocks stayed hot, fueled by Trump’s endorsement of Stargate’s plan to supercharge US AI infrastructure. With OpenAI running the show, SoftBank managing finances, and partners like MicrosoftMSFT $446.23 (-0.11%) and ArmARM $167.07 (0.31%) supplying cutting-edge tech, the stakes are sky-high.
Musk’s mic drop: On X, Musk claimed, “They don’t actually have the money” and noted SoftBank had secured “well under $10B.”
Altman’s clapback: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fired back, saying Musk was mistaken and quipping, “What’s good for the country isn’t always great for your businesses.”
Big money moves: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella flexed hard, declaring, “I’m good for my $80B.”
Zooming out: Stargate, conceived under the Biden administration, has already begun building data centers in Texas and plans to deploy $100B immediately to scale domestic AI infrastructure. With the US racing to maintain its AI edge over China (which some experts say is just six months behind), the government estimates $1T will be spent on US data centers over the next five years.
It’s not all dollars and data: The energy demand for AI is enormous. Training AI models like ChatGPT eats up 10x the energy of a Google search, with its annual electricity consumption capable of charging 3M EVs.
Risk vs. reward: In a controversial move, Trump recently scrapped Biden-era AI safety measures aimed at protecting Americans from the tech’s risks. As resources pour in, questions linger: will AI deliver on its promises, or are we charging ahead with more hype than substance?
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1 The partnership relationship varies between companies and can include the following: inclusion on a preferred vendor list, invitations to participate in certain forums; listed on the other company's website, and introduction and networking opportunities.
YouTuber, chocolatier… TikTok mogul? Internet sensation MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) has thrown his hat in the ring to buy TikTok, joining a lineup of heavyweight bidders. Backed by a group of deep-pocketed investors, he’s reportedly submitted an all-cash offer for the wildly popular app, which boasts 170M US users. Despite a 75-day reprieve from President Trump for TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent ByteDance or face a ban, ByteDance insists it has no plans to sell.
The bidding frenzy: Billionaire Frank McCourt and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary have already offered $20B for TikTok’s US operations—minus its coveted algorithm. Trump, meanwhile, suggested Elon Musk or Oracle founder Larry Ellison as potential buyers.
Splitting the difference: Trump also floated the idea of a US-based company purchasing a 50% stake in TikTok to form a joint venture, hinting that future tariffs on Chinese imports could hinge on Beijing’s approval of such a deal.
Copycats cash in: Social media giants are scrambling to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain future. X and Bluesky are rolling out vertical video tabs, while MetaMETA $645.32 (1.39%) is sweetening the pot with $50K/month incentives for TikTok creators to jump ship to Reels. Meta is also launching a TikTok-style editing tool, aiming to win over creators. Meanwhile, 700K so-called “TikTok refugees” have flocked to RedNote, a Chinese-owned competitor.
The algorithm dilemma: TikTok’s secret weapon—the world-class recommendation algorithm—remains off-limits. Often likened to the Coca-Cola recipe of social media, the algo isn’t part of the sale thanks to US legal restrictions and likely resistance from China. Without it, even deep-pocketed buyers may find themselves stuck trying to replicate the magic that tech titans like Meta and YouTube have failed to match.
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And by the time the rest of us hear about industry-changing disruptions like these, it's usually too late... but right now there’s a tech-startup making waves behind the scenes. Like Uber turned vehicles into income-generating assets, they’re turning smartphones into an easy passive income source — already making over $325M for their customers!
And this time, you have a chance to invest5 in their pre-IPO offering2 at just $0.26/share.3
Advertiser's disclosures:
¹ The rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.
² Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.
³ December 23, 2024 will be the last day to invest and be considered a shareholder in 2024. Any investments made after this date will only be considered shareholders starting in 2025.
⁴ Please read the offering circular and related risk at invest.modemobile.com. This is a paid advertisement for Mode Mobile’s Regulation A+ Offering.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing in private company securities is not suitable for all investors because it is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. It should only be considered a long-term investment. You must be prepared to withstand a total loss of your investment. Private company securities are also highly illiquid, and there is no guarantee that a market will develop for such securities.
DealMaker Securities LLC, a registered broker-dealer, and member of FINRA | SIPC, located at 105 Maxess Road, Suite 124, Melville, NY 11747, is the Intermediary for this offering and is not an affiliate of or connected with the Issuer. Please check our background on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
² This is a paid advertisement for Atombeam’s Regulation A+ Offering. This Reg. A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Please read the Offering Circular and related risks at Atombeam’s webpage on StartEngine before investing.
This was a paid for ad. Sherwood Media has been compensated for this ad by the Atombeam Reg A+ Campaign hosted on StartEngine.
In addition, as described in the Offering Circular, the Company retains the right to continue the offering beyond the Termination Date, in its sole discretion.
Investing in private company securities is not suitable for all investors because it is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. It should only be considered a long-term investment. You must be prepared to withstand a total loss of your investment. Private company securities are also highly illiquid, and there is no guarantee that a market will develop for such securities.
³ The up to 35% bonus requires a minimum investment of $5000 and either a membership in the StartEngine Venture Club or meeting an additional bonus requirement listed on their StartEngine Atombeam website.
