Keyword → RCL

Consumer Confidence Hits Lowest Since 2020 as Inflation Expectations Surge; Recession Watch Intensifies

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell sharply to 88.3 in March, its lowest reading since the pandemic lows of 2020, as one-year inflation expectations jumped to 5.8% — the highest since 2022 — in a combination that is forcing economists to sharply revise their recession probability models and raising fresh questions about the durability of U.S. consumer spending.

Super Micro Computer Plunges 28% After DOJ Charges Co-Founder in $2.5 Billion AI Chip Smuggling Scheme to China

Super Micro Computer shares collapsed nearly 28% on Friday after the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed criminal charges against co-founder Yih-Shyan 'Wally' Liaw and two associates for allegedly orchestrating a $2.5 billion scheme to smuggle advanced AI servers packed with Nvidia GPUs to China through Southeast Asian shell companies, in direct violation of U.S. export control laws. The indictment — described by prosecutors as the highest-profile AI technology smuggling crackdown to date — sent shockwaves through the AI hardware supply chain.

Micron Technology Reports Record Q2 Revenue of $23.9B — Nearly Triple Year-Ago Levels — as AI Memory Demand Explodes

Micron Technology delivered the most stunning quarterly earnings report in the memory chip industry's history on Wednesday, posting Q2 fiscal 2026 revenue of $23.9 billion — up 196% year-over-year — and guiding to a further record of $33.5 billion in Q3. The company raised its quarterly dividend by 30%, signed its first five-year strategic customer agreement, and said it is capacity-constrained across both DRAM and NAND, unable to meet the full demand of its AI-driven customer base.

Accenture Posts Record $22.1B Bookings and Raises Full-Year Guidance as Enterprise AI Spending Defies Macro Headwinds

Accenture reported Q2 fiscal 2026 revenue of $18.0 billion — beating estimates — on Thursday morning, while announcing record new bookings of $22.1 billion and raising its full-year revenue and earnings guidance. The results, which included 41 clients with quarterly bookings above $100 million, provide strong confirmation that enterprise demand for AI-driven consulting, technology transformation, and digital services remains robust even as the broader macroeconomic backdrop grows cloudier.

Alibaba Reports Q3 Fiscal 2026 Results: Revenue Misses Estimates but Cloud and AI Growth Accelerate Ahead of Key Catalyst Period

Alibaba reported its December quarter fiscal 2026 results Thursday before the U.S. market open, posting earnings per share of $6.96 — missing the $11.88 consensus estimate — alongside revenue that fell short of expectations. However, the company's Alibaba Cloud and AI services divisions showed continued acceleration, and investors are closely watching for guidance on the company's capital allocation plans and the domestic Chinese economic environment heading into the new fiscal year.

Micron Technology Reports Q2 Fiscal 2026 Earnings After the Bell; $19.3B Revenue and $8.66 EPS Expected as HBM Demand Hits Record

Micron Technology reports its fiscal second-quarter 2026 earnings after the close on Wednesday, with Wall Street consensus projecting revenue of approximately $19.3 billion — a 138% year-over-year explosion — and EPS of $8.66, up more than 450% from the prior year. The chipmaker has already sold out its entire 2026 HBM allocation and guided for record gross margins near 68%, positioning the report as a potential inflection catalyst for the entire semiconductor sector.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Raises AI Revenue Forecast to $1 Trillion Through 2027 at GTC, Unveils Vera Rubin and Groq LPU

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed at the company's annual GTC developer conference in San Jose that he now expects 'at least $1 trillion' in purchase orders for Blackwell and Vera Rubin GPU systems through 2027 — doubling a prior $500 billion estimate — while also debuting the Groq 3 Language Processing Unit and announcing Uber as an autonomous vehicle partner across 28 cities. The announcements supercharged an already-rallying AI infrastructure sector and sent Nvidia shares to fresh multi-week highs.

Meta Shares Surge Nearly 3% as Reuters Reports Planned 20% Workforce Reduction to Offset $135 Billion AI Spending

Meta Platforms shares climbed nearly 3% on Monday after Reuters reported that the social media giant is weighing layoffs affecting 20% or more of its roughly 79,000-person workforce — potentially eliminating more than 15,000 jobs — as the company seeks to offset its $135 billion AI capital expenditure plan for 2026, roughly double last year's spending. The news accelerated a sector-wide narrative of tech giants using AI efficiency gains to justify historic reductions in headcount.

Disney Trades at Lowest P/E Since 2019 as Analyst Sees 30%-Plus Upside; $7 Billion Buyback and Streaming Inflection Fuel Bull Case

Walt Disney Co. is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio below 15 — its lowest level since early 2019 — creating what Sarat Sethi of Douglas C. Lane & Associates called 'one of the best values in the market today' on CNBC Tuesday. With streaming income of $500 million expected this quarter, a planned $7 billion share buyback, operating cash flow projected above $19 billion for the year, and a new CEO taking over on March 18, Disney's bull case is gaining momentum even as the stock sits below $102.