Business 28 January 2026 - 1 February 2026

LegalZoom Drops Ahead of Shareholder Meeting as AI Fight Hangs Over Stock
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LegalZoom Drops Ahead of Shareholder Meeting as AI Fight Hangs Over Stock

LegalZoom.com traded lower in premarket Wednesday, with the stock near $6.53 as investors prepared for the company’s annual meeting. Shares have had trouble translating stronger sales into better numbers on the bottom line. The latest price was off 14.5 cents from Tuesday’s close, giving LegalZoom a market cap near $1.16 billion. The timing sets the scene. U.S. markets are open as usual, and Nasdaq’s 2026 holiday list shows the next full day off is Juneteenth, June 19. LegalZoom’s shareholder meeting is scheduled for later in the day, not on a weekend or holiday.
June 3, 2026
Waymo’s $16B raise plan: Alphabet backs $110B valuation as safety scrutiny returns
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Waymo’s $16B raise plan: Alphabet backs $110B valuation as safety scrutiny returns

Waymo is aiming to raise roughly $16 billion in a funding round that could push its valuation close to $110 billion, Bloomberg News reported, citing sources familiar with the plans. Alphabet is expected to contribute about $13 billion, while the remainder would come from investors like Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and Dragoneer Investment Group. Waymo declined to comment on private financial details but emphasized its focus on “safety-led operational excellence” amid rising demand. The size of the proposed cheque matters—driverless taxi services aren’t cheap to operate. Cars cost money, mapping costs money, and regulators don’t cut fees just because there’s no driver behind the wheel.
February 1, 2026
Capgemini to Sell U.S. Unit After ICE Contract Row — Despite Tiny 0.4% Revenue Hit
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Capgemini to Sell U.S. Unit After ICE Contract Row — Despite Tiny 0.4% Revenue Hit

Capgemini announced it will sell its U.S. subsidiary, Capgemini Government Solutions, following pressure from French lawmakers over a contract tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The company plans to begin the divestment “immediately,” citing U.S. regulations on classified work that, according to Capgemini, hindered “appropriate control” of parts of the unit’s operations. CGS accounts for about 0.4% of Capgemini’s estimated 2025 revenue and less than 2% of its U.S. revenue. This shift is less about the cash and more about the politics. Even a minor, niche contract can quickly snowball into a corporate headache if the client agency faces intense public scrutiny.
February 1, 2026
SpaceX’s $8 billion profit revealed as Starlink fuels record IPO plans
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SpaceX’s $8 billion profit revealed as Starlink fuels record IPO plans

SpaceX generated about $8 billion in profit in 2025 on $15 billion to $16 billion of revenue, two people familiar with the company’s results said, offering a rare look at Elon Musk’s rocket-and-satellite business as it prepares to list its shares later this year. SpaceX did not return a request for comment. The figures, which have not been previously reported, have already shaped early banker estimates that SpaceX could raise more than $50 billion at a valuation above $1.5 trillion, the people said. They added that the timetable being discussed is close to Musk’s 55th birthday on June 28.
January 31, 2026
Charter beats broadband loss estimates, but Spectrum revenue misses as competition bites
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Charter beats broadband loss estimates, but Spectrum revenue misses as competition bites

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan 30, 2026, 12:26 Charter Communications saw its shares jump over 10% on Friday after reporting a smaller-than-anticipated decline in broadband subscribers for the fourth quarter, even though it missed revenue estimates. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/charter-communications-sheds-fewer-broadband-subscribers-than-expected-2026-01-30/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
January 30, 2026
Verizon’s best subscriber surge in six years comes with upbeat 2026 forecast and a $25 billion buyback
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Verizon’s best subscriber surge in six years comes with upbeat 2026 forecast and a $25 billion buyback

Verizon on Friday projected 2026 adjusted profit and free cash flow will beat Wall Street estimates, boosted by aggressive holiday deals that fueled its best quarterly wireless subscriber growth in six years. The telecom giant also announced a share buyback plan of up to $25 billion spanning three years. Reuters The optimistic forecast comes as U.S. wireless carriers ramp up discounts and bundle deals to attract customers who can switch providers effortlessly. Verizon faces pressure to prove it can grow its subscriber base without relying on price hikes that might drive users off.
January 30, 2026
Perplexity’s $750 million Microsoft Azure deal raises a question: why keep AWS too?
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Perplexity’s $750 million Microsoft Azure deal raises a question: why keep AWS too?

Perplexity, an AI search startup, has struck a $750 million deal with Microsoft for three years of Azure cloud services, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing insiders. The agreement allows Nvidia-backed Perplexity to operate various AI models under Microsoft’s Foundry program. The timing says a lot. Microsoft is investing heavily in AI data centers and chips, but company leaders are already warning about hitting capacity limits amid soaring demand. “We want to be able to allocate capacity while we're supply constrained,” CEO Satya Nadella said this week. CFO Amy Hood also noted that increasing memory-chip prices will pressure cloud margins down the line.
January 30, 2026
Apple earnings: iPhone 17 surge lifts outlook to 16% growth as chip crunch looms
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Apple earnings: iPhone 17 surge lifts outlook to 16% growth as chip crunch looms

Apple expects its revenue to grow between 13% and 16% in the March quarter, beating analyst forecasts. The boost came as strong demand for the iPhone 17 helped the company exceed holiday-quarter estimates and bounce back sharply in China. Shares jumped up to 3.5% in after-hours trading before easing off. For the quarter ending Dec. 27, Apple reported $143.8 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $2.84. The company also forecast operating expenses ranging from $18.4 billion to $18.7 billion and warned of processor supply issues affecting iPhone production, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. supplying the chips. Apple’s outlook is crucial since the company still hinges on hardware cycles, with the iPhone’s holiday quarter providing the clearest indicator of
January 30, 2026
Apple’s second-biggest acquisition ever: Inside the near-$2 billion Q.ai deal for “silent speech” tech
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Apple’s second-biggest acquisition ever: Inside the near-$2 billion Q.ai deal for “silent speech” tech

Apple announced Thursday that it has bought Q.ai, an Israeli AI startup focused on audio technology. The Financial Times pegged the deal at close to $2 billion, though Apple didn’t reveal the exact terms. https://www.reuters.com/business/apple-acquires-audio-ai-startup-qai-2026-01-29/ The purchase comes as investors push Apple to demonstrate clearer AI progress, with the company set to release its results later Thursday. “Apple can probably generate a positive return on very little AI investment, thanks to its distribution,” said Gerrit Smit, manager of the Stonehage Fleming Global Best Ideas Equity fund. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/strong-iphone-sales-power-apples-holiday-quarter-google-ai-deal-in-focus-2026-01-28/
January 29, 2026
Comcast’s broadband losses deepen again — and the company is freezing prices in 2026
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Comcast’s broadband losses deepen again — and the company is freezing prices in 2026

Comcast saw a bigger-than-expected drop in broadband subscribers in Q4, highlighting the growing threat from wireless and fiber competitors to its main business. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/comcast-sheds-more-broadband-customers-wireless-competition-mounts-2026-01-29/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Timing is crucial as the U.S. home internet market shifts into a price war. Fixed-wireless access—broadband delivered via 5G—is dropping in cost, while fiber companies continue to offer promotions that cable providers struggle to compete with.
January 29, 2026
Musk’s next mega-merger? SpaceX talks with xAI ahead of IPO plans
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Musk’s next mega-merger? SpaceX talks with xAI ahead of IPO plans

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly negotiating a merger with his AI startup xAI ahead of a planned IPO later this year, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The deal would unite SpaceX’s rockets, Starlink satellites, the X social media platform, and xAI’s Grok chatbot under a single entity. https://www.reuters.com/world/musks-spacex-merger-talks-with-xai-ahead-planned-ipo-source-says-2026-01-29/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Investors are gearing up for what could be one of the largest IPOs in years, as Musk attempts to weave a single narrative connecting launch capacity, satellites, data, and AI. This aligns with his vision of shifting computing to orbit—turning rockets into the backbone of “data centers,” the server farms powering AI systems. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-musks-spacex-merger-talks-184045612.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
January 29, 2026
Dover beats Q4 estimates as AI data-center liquid cooling drives 2026 outlook
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Dover beats Q4 estimates as AI data-center liquid cooling drives 2026 outlook

Downers Grove, Illinois, January 29, 2026, 11:33 AM CST Dover Corp posted a jump in fourth-quarter profit and revenue on Thursday, driven by strong demand from data centers for its liquid cooling solutions tailored to AI computing. The Illinois-based industrial firm expects adjusted earnings of $10.45 to $10.65 per share in 2026. For the quarter ending Dec. 31, adjusted earnings climbed 14% to $2.51 per share, narrowly beating analysts’ $2.50 forecast, while revenue rose 9% to roughly $2.1 billion. https://www.reuters.com/technology/dovers-quarterly-profit-rises-high-demand-ai-data-center-cooling-products-2026-01-29/
January 29, 2026
SAP and ServiceNow rattle Wall Street — U.S. software stocks slide on AI disruption fears
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SAP and ServiceNow rattle Wall Street — U.S. software stocks slide on AI disruption fears

U.S. software stocks tumbled Thursday following SAP’s cloud forecast and a sharp post-earnings drop in ServiceNow, sparking renewed concern that AI is transforming enterprise software faster than many companies can leverage for pricing power. The S&P 500 Software and Services Index dropped 6.5%. Timing is crucial. Investors now want actual returns from the AI spending surge, not just promises of growth. “The market appears to be questioning whether these massive capital expenditure hikes will generate sufficient returns,” noted Jesse Cohen, senior analyst at Investing.com.
January 29, 2026
Report: Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon weigh up to $60 billion OpenAI investment
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Report: Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon weigh up to $60 billion OpenAI investment

Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon are in talks to invest up to $60 billion in OpenAI, The Information reported on Wednesday, in what could become one of the largest cash infusions yet into the ChatGPT maker. Nvidia has discussed putting in as much as $30 billion, Microsoft less than $10 billion, and Amazon more than $10 billion and potentially over $20 billion, the report said; Reuters could not immediately verify it. The talks matter because OpenAI’s costs are rising fast as it trains and runs larger artificial intelligence models, forcing the company back to investors even as demand for AI tools spreads across business software and consumer apps.
January 29, 2026
Meta’s $135 billion AI spending plan lands as Zuckerberg chases “superintelligence”
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Meta’s $135 billion AI spending plan lands as Zuckerberg chases “superintelligence”

MENLO PARK, California, Jan 29, 2026, 07:34 On Wednesday, Meta Platforms announced a massive capital expenditure plan for 2026, with up to $135 billion allocated to expanding its AI infrastructure. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is doubling down on what he terms “superintelligence.” https://www.reuters.com/business/meta-expects-annual-capital-expenditures-rise-superintelligence-push-2026-01-28/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
January 29, 2026
Tesla’s $20B spending surge: Musk to end Model S/X and pour cash into robotaxis, robots
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Tesla’s $20B spending surge: Musk to end Model S/X and pour cash into robotaxis, robots

Tesla is set to ramp up capital spending to over $20 billion in 2026, more than twice last year’s outlay, as Elon Musk pushes beyond human-driven vehicles toward robotaxis and humanoid robots. This move follows Tesla losing the global EV sales crown to China’s BYD last year. Musk announced Tesla will halt production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV, repurposing its California factory space to build Optimus robots. CFO Vaibhav Taneja added that a large chunk of the spending will fund the steering-wheel-free Cybercab, semi-trucks, battery factories, and lithium production. REX Financial COO Scott Acheychek called it “the bigger story” of a business model shift. Musk described 2026 as “a very big capex year” with “big investments
January 29, 2026
House probes Ford’s CATL battery pivot as data-center storage plans widen
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House probes Ford’s CATL battery pivot as data-center storage plans widen

Rep. John Moolenaar, the GOP chair of a House committee, is demanding clarity from Ford on its move to turn U.S. battery plants toward producing lithium iron phosphate cells and grid-scale energy storage tech licensed from China’s CATL. In a letter to CEO Jim Farley released Wednesday, Moolenaar flagged “important questions” about any changes to the licensing terms tied to the data center battery shift and probed whether Ford is planning a joint venture with China’s BYD. This scrutiny comes as Ford aims to repurpose EV battery capacity into a business supplying power to the grid and large energy consumers. Meanwhile, Washington is tightening rules on which projects qualify for federal incentives if they involve Chinese technology or partners.
January 28, 2026
C3.ai merger talks with Automation Anywhere: reverse-merger route could take shape
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C3.ai merger talks with Automation Anywhere: reverse-merger route could take shape

C3.ai is said to be in merger discussions with Automation Anywhere, a private software firm, sources told The Information. Reuters has not confirmed the report, and neither company has commented so far. If talks go well, Automation Anywhere aims to acquire the publicly traded AI company and go public via a reverse merger—a faster route than a standard IPO. This method allows a private company to access the stock market by taking control of a public firm.
January 28, 2026
Google’s $135 Million Android Data Settlement: Who Could Get Paid and What Changes Next
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Google’s $135 Million Android Data Settlement: Who Could Get Paid and What Changes Next

Google has agreed to a $135 million settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by smartphone users who claimed the company programmed Android to gather their cellular data without consent, according to a court filing. The agreement was submitted Tuesday in federal court in San Jose, California, and awaits judicial approval. This case hits home since it involves something users actually pay for — cellular data — and treats the supposed data draining as a property issue, not just a privacy complaint. It comes at a time when tech companies are under increasing legal scrutiny over the way their software gathers and utilizes data behind the scenes.
January 28, 2026
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