Latest news for Plains Acq (OTC:PLQC) Stock

Plains Acquisition Corp is a United States-based bank holding company. It offers a full range of banking services. It provides loans to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in its market area. The Bank operates full-service branch locations in Humble, Houston, Plains, Sugar Land, and Conroe, Texas, and limited-service branches or loan production offices in Houston and San Antonio, Texas.

PLAINS ACQUISITION CORP by Plains Acquisition Corp.

Plains Acquisition Corp

The Board of Directors highlights the growth of the dividend paid during years 2023, 2024 and 2025, which have increased or will increase by 7.1%, 7.0% and 7.2% respectively, the Board is considering a first interim dividend for 2025 (paid in the 4th quarter of 2025) at the level of the final dividend for fiscal year 2024. &nbsp;
<figure class="table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Shareholders</td>
<td>ADS holders</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ex-dividend date</td>
<td>June 19, 2025</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Payment date</td>
<td>July 1, 2025</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>

News

Dividends

TotalEnergies Proposes A Dividend Of €3.22 /Share For Fiscal Year 2024, A 7% Increase YoY

TotalEnergies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TTE#NYSE">TTE</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $1.90 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $1.84 by 3.26 percent. This is a 12.04 percent decrease over earnings of $2.16 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $52.508 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $42.766 billion by 22.78 percent. This is a 11.36 percent decrease over sales of $59.237 billion the same period last year.

Earnings

Earnings Beats

TotalEnergies Q4 2024 Adj. EPS $1.90 Beats $1.84 Estimate, Sales $52.508B Beat $42.766B Estimate

Accordingly, stakeholders are advised that, for the six months ended 31 December 2025:
<ul>
<li>Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and&nbsp;amortisation (adjusted EBITDA&#x2A;) is expected to be between R22&nbsp;billion and R25&nbsp;billion compared to the prior half year adjusted EBITDA of R28&nbsp;billion, representing a decrease of between 11% and 22%;</li>
<li>Earnings per share (EPS) are expected to be between R6,00 and R8,00 compared to the prior half year EPS of R15,19 (representing a decrease of between 47% and 61%); and</li>
<li>Headline earnings per share (HEPS) are expected to be between R13,00 and R15,00 compared to the prior half year HEPS of R20,37 (representing a decrease of between 26% and 36%); and</li>
</ul>

Sasol Projects Up To 61% Drop In EPS And 11%-22% Decline In Adjusted EBITDA Amid Lower Oil Prices And Sales Volumes For Six Months Ended December 2024

EV giant Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) has launched a limited-time insurance subsidy of 8000 yuan (about $1100) in China on the purchase of a new Model 3 vehicle, likely in a bid to increase demand.
What Happened: Customers can avail of the subsidy upon placing an order for any variant of the Model 3 before Feb. 28, the company says on its China website. The offer, however, applies only to the Model 3 and not to any of the company&#8217;s other offerings.
Tesla&#8217;s five-year zero-interest financing program also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/10/41605537/tesla-extends-0-loans-in-china-will-it-help-hit-1-81-million-vehicles-in-2024">continues to be available</a> till Feb-end for the two variants of the electric sedan besides the performance one. 
The Model 3 is Tesla&#8217;s cheapest offering, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42907586/tesla-model-3-prices-rise-in-china-as-refreshed-model-y-debuts">starting at 235,500 yuan</a> after the company hiked prices in January by 3,600 yuan. The most premium Performance variant starts at 339,500 yuan. 
Expert Take: Tesla researcher Troy Teslike noted in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday that demand is dwindling for Tesla vehicles. 
&#8220;Tesla is likely to struggle a lot with deliveries this quarter,&#8221; Teslike said. While the subsidy is an effort to improve the demand situation, it will have a limited impact, he said.
&#8220;I expect more promotions for the Model 3 and Model Y in Europe and the Cybertruck in the US,&#8221; Teslike added. 
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Tesla is likely to struggle a lot with deliveries this quarter. They&#39;ve just announced an 8,000 Yuan ($1,114) car insurance promotion for the Model 3 in China. It&#39;s an effort to improve the situation, but it will have a limited impact. I expect more promotions for the Model 3… <a href="https://t.co/0ivbSjKG2l">pic.twitter.com/0ivbSjKG2l</a>
&mdash; Troy Teslike (@TroyTeslike) <a href="https://twitter.com/TroyTeslike/status/1886951402812919881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It Matters: China is an important market for Tesla. In 2024, the company reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42782683/tesla-hits-record-ev-sales-in-china-despite-global-dip" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sold around 657,000 vehicles in China</a>, marking a growth of 8.8% year-on-year, even while its global annual deliveries fell as compared to 2023.
Tesla reported global&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/01/42766117/tesla-stock-tumbles-on-q4-deliveries-whats-going-on" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deliveries of 1.79 million</a>&nbsp;vehicles in 2024, down from full-year deliveries of 1.81 million in 2023, marking the first decline in over a decade.
Tesla launched a refreshed version of the Model Y in China in January, slated to start deliveries in March, in a bid to refresh its lineup. The company has <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43419132/tesla-begins-global-production-of-refreshed-model-y-deliveries-start-in-march">already commenced production</a> of the refreshed vehicle at its gigafactory in Shanghai.
(1 yuan = 14 cents)
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link.</a>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43486319/tesla-bear-expects-ev-giants-earnings-to-fall-below-bullish-estimates-in-2025-notes-majority-of-companys-revenues-come-from-car-deliveries">Tesla Bear Expects EV Giant&#8217;s Earnings To Fall Below Bullish Estimates In 2025, Notes Majority Of Company&#8217;s Revenues Come From Car Deliveries</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Tech

TSLA

Tesla Launches Limited-Time Car Insurance Subsidy for Model 3 In China, Researcher Expects It To Have 'Limited Impact' On EV Maker's Delivery Hardships In Q1

TUYA

Tuya Smart Announced A Partnership With Chery To Create A Smart Cockpit, Accelerate The Integration Of Automotive And Home Ecosystems, And Offer Consumers Unparalleled Convenience And Comfort In Both Travel And Living Spaces

Software-as-a-Service, cloud-based library services and discovery platform to be implemented in nine universities and 82 academic and research libraries across Croatia

CLVT

Clarivate Chosen To Build Croatia's Unified National Library Platform, Enhancing Digital Access And Research

Nokia And Orange France Extend Partnership With Multi-Year 5G Deal To Boost Network Performance And Sustainability

ALGN

AMSC

AOSL

APPS

ARAY

ARCC

ARES

ASGN

ASYS

AZTA

BARK

BLBD

BSBR

CENT

CENTA

CMRE

CNMD

CNXN

COHR

CPAY

CPRI

CRTO

CSGS

CTSH

CTVA

DGII

DLHC

ENSG

EQNR

EZPW

FORM

GEOS

HOLX

ITUB

KMPR

LFVN

LSAK

LUCK

LVWR

MSTR

MTRX

MUSA

NOTV

NTGR

NVST

NWSA

ODFL

ORLY

PAHC

PFGC

Earnings Scheduled For February 5, 2025

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>) CEO, Alex Karp, has shown enthusiasm for the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its potential influence on his company.
What Happened: Established by President Trump two weeks ago with Elon Musk at the helm, DOGE aims to implement cost-cutting measures. Despite the possible effects on companies dependent on government contracts, Karp views DOGE as a positive disruptor.
During Palantir&#8217;s Q4 earnings call on Monday, Karp referred to the DOGE initiative as a &#8220;revolution&#8221; that will be &#8220;very good&#8221; for the company in the long run. 
"There will be ups and downs. There's a revolution. Some people are going to get their heads cut off. We're expecting to see really unexpected things and to win."  
Palantir, well known for landing significant federal contracts, reported a 36% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4 2025, with U.S. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43456348/pltr-stock-surges-over-17-in-pre-market-after-ceo-alex-karp-touts-untamed-organic-growth-in-ai-demand">government contracts</a> contributing $343 million—up 45% from the previous year.
Palantir's CTO, Shyam Sankar, reiterated Karp&#8217;s sentiments, stating that the company&#8217;s values align with DOGE&#8217;s mission. He believes that DOGE&#8217;s emphasis on accountability and transparency will create opportunities for Palantir&#8217;s work.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/02/43463909/palantir-stock-is-surging-tuesday-whats-going-on">Palantir Stock Is Surging Tuesday: What&#8217;s Going On?</a>
Why It Matters: Palantir has traditionally relied on federal contracts as the foundation of its revenue.&nbsp;The company&#8217;s Gotham platform, a vital resource for defense and intelligence agencies, highlights its strong foothold in the government arena.
Palantir&#8217;s CEO, Karp emphasized a surge in &#8216;untamed&#8217; demand for its artificial intelligence software. The company forecasted revenue of $3.75 billion in 2025, surpassing analysts' estimates. Following the company&#8217;s better-than-expected financial results for the fourth quarter, several analysts also lifted price targets. The total revenue grew 36% year-over-year, driven by strong U.S. revenue growth of 52% year-over-year.
Wedbush's Dan Ives in an interview on CNBC's "Closing Bell: Overtime." said that<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43476925/buying-palantir-stock-today-is-like-buying-tesla-stock-10-years-ago-dan-ives-says-this-could-be-a-1-trillion-market-cap"> buying Palantir stock </a>right now could be like buying Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) stock in 2015. He stated, "When you start to look out to the next three, four, five years … this could be a $1 trillion market cap."
Price Action: PLTR stock ended 23.99% higher at $103.83 at the market close yesterday, according to data from <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro.</a>
<ul>
<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43482587/elon-musk-appointed-as-special-government-employee-amid-doge-department-push-cant-do-anyth">Elon Musk Appointed As &#8216;Special Government Employee&#8217; Amid DOGE Department Push: &#8216;Can&#8217;t Do Anything Without Our Approval,&#8217; Says Trump</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Markets

PLTR

Alex Karp Says Elon Musk's DOGE Initiative Will Be 'Very Good' For Palantir: 'Expecting To See Really Unexpected Things And To Win'

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) CEO Lisa Su has addressed DeepSeek's AI advancements and their potential impact on the semiconductor market.
What Happened: During AMD's <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43480688/amd-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-data-center-continued-growth">fourth-quarter earnings</a> call on Tuesday, Su expressed optimism about the innovations in AI.
&#8220;The fact that there are new ways to bring about training and inference capabilities with less infrastructure actually is a good thing because it allows us to continue to deploy AI compute in broader application spaces and drive more adoption,&#8221; she stated.
Su also reinforced AMD's commitment to open-source AI, noting that DeepSeek's success aligns with the industry&#8217;s broader shift toward democratized AI models.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/02/43425734/apple-watch-faces-are-a-mess-series-10s-biggest-feature-is-limited-to-just-four-faces-frustrating-users" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Watch Faces Are A Mess — Series 10's Biggest Feature Is Limited To Just Four Faces, Frustrating Users</a>
Regarding the future of AI chips, Su stated that while application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are part of AMD&#8217;s total addressable market, GPUs will continue to play a significant role due to their programmability and adaptability to evolving AI algorithms.
&#8220;My belief is, given how much change there is still going on in AI algorithms, that ASICs will still be the smaller part of that TAM [Total Addressable Market] because it is a more specific workload-optimized solution,&#8221; Su explained. &#8220;GPUs will enable significant programmability and adjustments to all of these algorithm changes.&#8221;
She noted that AMD&#8217;s portfolio spans CPUs, GPUs, and ASICs, positioning the company as a comprehensive compute partner for diverse workloads.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: AMD&#8217;s fourth-quarter report revealed revenue of $7.66 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $7.53 billion.
This performance underscores AMD&#8217;s robust position in the semiconductor industry, particularly in the data center segment, which saw a 69% growth.
The emergence of <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/02/43420277/these-3-stocks-are-at-most-risk-from-chinas-ai-innovation">DeepSeek's low-cost AI assistant</a> app from China has been a significant development in the AI landscape. DeepSeek says they spent only $5.6 million on semiconductor chips. That's about one-tenth of what companies like OpenAI and Meta have spent on chips for their AI apps.
When the market realized that the same AI performance could be achieved with fewer and slower chips, it hit companies supplying expensive chips.
On Jan. 27, Nvidia Corp.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) stock dropped 17%. In the days after the DeepSeek news, chip stocks and AI-focused companies saw a slight recovery.
However, the damage isn&#8217;t contained yet. The idea of a cheaper, equally effective way to build AI models still lingers.
Price Action: AMD's stock fell 8.84% in after-hours trading, closing at $108.94. Earlier on Tuesday, it ended at $119.50, up 4.58%, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43484737/chatgpt-maker-openais-future-hangs-in-the-balance-as-judge-says-musks-lawsuit-will-partially-proceed-to-trial">ChatGPT-Maker OpenAI&#8217;s Future Hangs In The Balance As Judge Says Elon Musk&#8217;s Lawsuit Will Partially Go To Trial</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

NVDA

AMD CEO Lisa Su On DeepSeek's AI Disruption: 'Training And Inference With Less Infrastructure Is A Good Thing' — But GPUs, Not ASICs, Will Still Power The Future Of AI Chips

2025 Guidance&nbsp;
GSK provides its full-year guidance at constant exchange rates (CER).&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Turnover is expected to increase between 3 to 5 per cent&nbsp;</li>
<li>Core operating profit is expected to increase between 6 to 8 per cent&nbsp;</li>
<li>Core earnings per share is expected to increase between 6 to 8 per cent&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
This guidance is supported by the following turnover expectations for full-year 2025 at CER&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Specialty Medicines – expected increase of a low double-digit per cent in turnover&nbsp;</li>
<li>Vaccines – expected decrease of a low single-digit per cent in turnover&nbsp;</li>
<li>General Medicines – expected to be broadly stable for turnover</li>
</ul>

Guidance

GSK Expects 2025 Turnover Growth Of 3%-5%, Core EPS Rise Of 6%-8%, And Core Operating Profit Growth Of 6%-8%

TRUMP Coin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TRUMP</a>) and Trump Media &amp; Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DJT#NASDAQ">DJT</a>) which zoomed after President Donald Trump&#8216;s swearing-in ceremony on Martin Luther King Day have significantly eroded investor wealth.
What Happened: TRUMP <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43425958/late-trump-memecoin-sale-costs-trader-33-million-in-potential-gains">Coin</a>, which was launched ahead of Trump&#8217;s first day in office has declined by about 40.08% according <a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/official-trump/historical-data/">to</a> CoinMarketCap. Whereas, DJT has fallen by 13.96% in the same period, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05014829/DJT-since-Jan.-19-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-766302" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05014829/DJT-since-Jan.-19-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05014829/DJT-since-Jan.-19-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05014829/DJT-since-Jan.-19-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05014829/DJT-since-Jan.-19-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05014829/DJT-since-Jan.-19.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Trump coin&#8217;s current volume stood at 2.15 billion as compared to the average volume of $8.67 billion since its launch, whereas, DJT&#8217;s volume stood at 3.53 million, in comparison with the average of 20.03 million.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43425958/late-trump-memecoin-sale-costs-trader-33-million-in-potential-gains">TRUMP Memecoin Sale Cost Trader $33 Million In Potential Gains As Memecoin Plunges 76% From Market Top</a>
Why It Matters: Trump coin&#8217;s decline highlights the volatility of meme coins, particularly those tied to celebrities. Launched before Trump&#8217;s presidential inauguration, TRUMP briefly reached a fully diluted valuation of $75 billion but has since dropped 76%, now valued at $17.81 billion. Despite offering some utility, such as for purchasing Trump-branded merchandise, its price fluctuations have largely been influenced by broader market trends.
Furthermore, DJT is broadening its reach into <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43312600/trump-media-group-to-invest-in-bitcoin-financial-services">financial services</a> with the introduction of Truth.Fi, is a fintech division designed to create investment opportunities with a focus on crypto.
The company's board has approved a financial plan that involves allocating up to $250 million of its $700 million cash reserves into various financial instruments, such as customized exchange-traded funds (ETFs), separately managed accounts (SMAs), and Bitcoin.
CEO Devin Nunes, is positioning Truth.Fi as a financial arm of its media network, which already includes Truth Social and the streaming platform Truth+.
The company intends to develop investment products centered on America-first industries, targeting growth sectors, manufacturing, energy, as well as crypto and blockchain-related assets.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/02/43459342/chip-equipment-maker-applied-materials-stock-is-up-over-9-ytd-even-as-charts-point-to-bearish-patterns-heres-what-investors-should-look-at">Chip Equipment Maker Applied Materials Stock Is Up Over 9% YTD Even As Charts Point To Bearish Patterns: Here&#8217;s What Investors Should Look At</a></li>
</ul>

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

Equities

Market Summary

General

$TRUMP

Trump Media Or Trump Coin: Where Have Investors Lost More Money Since The 47th President Entered The White House?

GSK (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GSK#NYSE">GSK</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $0.59 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $0.43 by 38.37 percent. This is a 17.13 percent decrease over earnings of $0.72 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $10.404 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $9.579 billion by 8.61 percent. This is a 3.37 percent increase over sales of $10.065 billion the same period last year.

GSK Q4 2024 Adj. EPS $0.59 Beats $0.43 Estimate, Sales $10.404B Beat $9.579B Estimate

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) decided not to comply with the European Union&#8217;s AI Code of Practice. Joel Kaplan, the new head of global affairs at Meta, made this announcement, escalating the company&#8217;s ongoing disputes with European regulators.
What Happened: Kaplan voiced his stance at Meta&#8217;s&nbsp;EU Innovation Day event in&nbsp;Brussels, as per&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-04/meta-s-kaplan-signals-pushback-against-eu-regulation-for-ai">Bloomberg</a>. He criticized the Code of Practice, aimed at unifying AI industry regulations across Europe, as &#8220;unworkable and infeasible.&#8221;
Kaplan believes the Code imposes &#8220;additional burdens on&nbsp;Western open source AI models,&#8221; aligning with the industry&#8217;s current trajectory. He also stated that Meta would keep the U.S. administration updated on the regulatory hurdles it encounters overseas.
Previously, Mark Zuckerberg&#8216;s Meta was forced to postpone the launch of its AI chat assistant in the EU amid regulatory concerns. Kaplan emphasized the U.S. administration&#8217;s commitment to supporting and advocating for American technology and tech companies.
Meta, a staunch supporter of open-source technology in AI, has justified its significant investment in the technology, particularly after the rise of a cheaper open-source AI model from a Chinese rival.
Kaplan also announced that Meta will soon introduce Community Notes, a feature allowing users to fact-check content on its platforms in the U.S. This tool is anticipated to replace third-party fact-checkers on social networks.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43458412/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-says-some-ai-systems-are-too-dangerous-to-release-and-may-halt-development-if-it-sees-critical-risk">Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Meta Says Some AI Systems Are Too Dangerous To Release And May Halt Development If It Sees &#8216;Critical Risk&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: This development adds to Meta&#8217;s growing list of conflicts with European regulators. In November, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/11/41981957/meta-hit-with-841-million-eu-fine-over-antitrust-violations-tied-to-facebook-marketplace">European Commission fined Meta $841 million</a> for violating EU antitrust laws. The company was found to have abused its dominant market position by integrating its classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, with its primary social media network, Facebook.
In January, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43160342/metas-pay-or-consent-policy-faces-fresh-criticism-from-eu-consumer-group">European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) raised concerns</a> about Meta&#8217;s &#8220;pay-or-consent&#8221; data policy, suggesting it might breach consumer protection laws, data privacy regulations, and the Digital Markets Act.
Europe is the second-largest market for Meta after the U.S. In its fourth-quarter results, the company posted an ad revenue growth of 22% for Europe on a user geography basis, exceeding that of North America at 18%.
Meta&#8217;s refusal to adhere to the EU&#8217;s AI Code of Practice could potentially intensify the ongoing regulatory tensions with the EU. &#8220;.. we continue to monitor an active regulatory landscape, including legal and regulatory headwinds in the EU and the U.S. that could significantly impact our business and our financial results.&#8221; said Susan Li, the CFO at Meta said during the earnings release on Jan. 29.
Earlier, it was reported that Brussels was reportedly revisiting its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/01/42967007/eu-reconsiders-apple-meta-and-google-investigations-ahead-of-trumps-potential-white-house-return-its-going-to-be-a-whole-new-ballgame">scrutiny of major U.S. tech giants</a> as President Donald Trump returned to the White House. A senior EU diplomat, aware of the review, highlighted the influence of tech leaders close to Trump, saying, &#8220;It&#8217;s going to be a whole new ballgame.&#8221;
<ul>
<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43474406/nvidia-still-a-top-pick-as-microsoft-meta-stick-with-gpus-despite-deepseek-challenge-analyst">Nvidia Still A Top Pick As Microsoft, Meta Stick With GPUs Despite DeepSeek Challenge: Analyst</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Meta's Global Affairs Chief Slams EU AI Code, Calls It A Burden On 'Western Open Source AI Models'

Robotics company Figure AI is leaving its collaboration agreement with OpenAI following a &#8216;major breakthrough&#8217; on its in-house robot AI, the company&#8217;s CEO Brett Adcock said in a social media post on Tuesday.
What Happened: &#8220;We&#8217;re excited to show you in the next 30 days something no one has ever seen on a humanoid,&#8221; the founder said, without providing more details.
Figure AI did not immediately respond to Benzinga&#8217;s request for a comment.
OpenAI and Figure <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37399976/nvidia-microsoft-back-figure-ai-with-675m-investment-for-humanoid-robots-integration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced a partnership</a> in February last year to develop AI models for humanoid robots. The ChatGPT parent company is also an investor in the robotics company.
Figure AI was launched in 2022 with the aim of developing humanoids to address labor shortages and reduce the number of workers in unsafe jobs. In August, the company unveiled Figure 02, weighing 70 kg and 5&#8217;6 tall.
The company then said the robot will have a five-hour runtime and be capable of speech-to-speech conversation with humans, thanks to custom AI models trained in partnership with OpenAI.
Why It Matters: The Figure founder&#8217;s announcement is in line with Tesla&#8217;s approach. The EV giant is also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/37416207/elon-musk-says-bring-it-on-to-openai-microsoft-and-bezos-675m-humanoid-robot-venture-pitches-teslas">developing a humanoid robot</a> nicknamed Optimus which is being trained with the company&#8217;s in-house AI.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said late last month that the company intends to make several thousand units of its Optimus humanoid robot this year for deployment in its factory which will inform the next version of the robot slated for launch next year and likely to be <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43325888/tesla-likely-to-sell-optimus-to-rival-companies-in-2026-price-point-of-humanoid-robot-to-be-detemined-by-demand-says-ceo-elon-musk">sold to rival companies</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link.</a>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43486319/tesla-bear-expects-ev-giants-earnings-to-fall-below-bullish-estimates-in-2025-notes-majority-of-companys-revenues-come-from-car-deliveries">Tesla Bear Expects EV Giant&#8217;s Earnings To Fall Below Bullish Estimates In 2025, Notes Majority Of Company&#8217;s Revenues Come From Car Deliveries</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Figure AI

Tesla Rival Figure AI Ends Collaboration With OpenAI After 'Major Breakthrough,' Says It Will Show 'Something No One Has Ever Seen On A Humanoid' In Next 30 Days

On Tuesday, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) CEO Sundar Pichai recognized the progress made by China&#8217;s DeepSeek but said that Google&#8217;s Gemini remains ahead in efficiency, cost, and performance
What Happened: During Alphabet's <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43479274/alphabet-q4-earnings-highlights-ai-cloud-youtube-momentum-continues-capex-guidance-sends-shares-lower">fourth-quarter earnings</a> call, analyst Eric Sheridan asked Pichai about the impact of DeepSeek's AI developments.
While acknowledging DeepSeek's achievements, he said the Gemini model leads in the Pareto frontier of cost, performance, and latency, outperforming DeepSeek&#8217;s V3 and R1 models.
&#8220;If you look at one of the areas in which the Gemini models shine, it's the Pareto frontier of cost, performance, and latency,&#8221; Pichai said. &#8220;And if you look at all three attributes, I think we lead this Pareto frontier.&#8221;
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/01/43325503/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-pays-trump-25-million-to-settle-lawsuit-over-facebook-instagram-ban-after-jan-6-riot-a-big-year-for-redefining-our-relationships-with-governments" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Meta Pays Trump $25 Million To Settle Lawsuit Over Facebook, Instagram Ban After Jan. 6 Riot: ‘A Big Year For Redefining Our Relationships With Governments&#8217;</a>
He also said that the focus on inference over training is paying off.
&#8220;If you look at the trajectory over the past three years, the proportion of the spend towards inference compared to training has been increasing, which is good because obviously, inference is to support businesses with good ROIC (Return on Invested Capital).&#8221;
Why It Matters: Alphabet reported total revenue of $96.5 billion for the fourth quarter, reflecting a 12% year-over-year increase. However, this figure fell slightly short of the Street consensus estimate of $96.6 billion, as per <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent020425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also praised <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/01/43326499/mark-zuckerberg-says-chinas-deepseek-did-some-novel-things-were-still-digesting-but-meta-may-keep-pouring-billions-into-ai-infrastructure-anyway">DeepSeek&#8217;s novel approaches</a> but said his company will continue pouring investment in AI infrastructure. 
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also appreciated DeepSeek&#8217;s innovations but did not confirm if they <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43327016/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-accepts-deepseek-ai-has-some-real-innovations-but-wont-say-if-they-mark-a-turning-point-for-ai-cost-reduction">would lead to reduced AI costs</a>.
OpenAI is <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43426111/openai-rethinks-open-source-as-deepseek-gains-ground-sam-altman-hints-at-major-changes-in-ai-model-development">reconsidering its open-source strategy</a> due to DeepSeek&#8217;s growing influence. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that DeepSeek has narrowed OpenAI&#8217;s lead in AI.
Meanwhile, Palantir advised its clients <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43453280/peter-thiels-palantir-sounds-alarm-on-chinas-deepseek-citing-national-security-threat-but-says-it-wont-drop-clients-who-use-it">against using DeepSeek&#8217;s</a> AI models, citing national security concerns.
Price Action: As of this writing, Alphabet&#8217;s Class A shares had dropped 7.59% in after-hours trading, while Class C shares were down 7.27%. Earlier on Tuesday, Class A shares closed 2.56% higher at $206.38, while Class C shares rose 2.50% to $207.71.
Image via Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43221770/apples-ipad-turns-15-today-heres-a-throwback-to-when-steve-jobs-explained-called-it-the-third-category-after-phones-and-notebooks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple's iPad Turns 15 Today: Here's A Throwback To When Steve Jobs Explained Called It The ‘Third Category' After Phones And Notebooks</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

GOOG

GOOGL

MSFT

Sundar Pichai Downplays DeepSeek Threat — Google's Gemini Still Leads In Cost, Performance, And Latency

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Tuesday.
U.S. stocks settled higher on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones index gaining more than 100 points during the session despite escalating geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties between the world's two largest economies.
China responded to President Donald Trump‘s 10% import tariff with targeted countermeasures, including restrictions on key mineral exports to the U.S. and tariffs on American energy products.
Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPOT#NYSE">SPOT</a>) shares gained more than 13% on Tuesday after the company reported better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter 2024 financial results. Shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) jumped 24% after the company reported better-than-expected financial results for the fourth quarter.
On the economic data front, U.S. job openings declined by 556,000 to 7.6 million in December, compared to market estimates of 8.0 million. U.S. factory orders fell by 0.9% from the previous month to $578.5 billion in December, compared to a revised 0.8% decline in the previous month.
Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a positive note, with energy, information technology, and communication services stocks recording gains on Tuesday. However, utilities and consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.
The Dow Jones closed higher by around 134 points to 44,556.04 on Tuesday. The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.72% to 6,037.88, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.35% at 19,654.02 during Tuesday's session.
Investors are awaiting earnings results from The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIS#NYSE">DIS</a>), Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>), and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) today.
What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?
At a current reading of 39, the index remained in the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Tuesday, versus a prior reading of 36.7.
The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43460681/jim-cramer-says-no-to-bigbear-ai-recommends-buying-this-tech-stock">Jim Cramer Says No To BigBear.ai, Recommends Buying This Tech Stock</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Pre-Market Outlook

Trading Ideas

SPOT

UBER

Nasdaq Jumps Over 1% Despite China's Trade Concerns As Palantir, Spotify Surge: Greed Index Remains In 'Fear' Zone

Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>) will release its fourth-quarter financial results before the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/uber/earnings">opening bell on Wednesday, Feb. 5.</a>
Analysts expect the San Francisco, California-based company to report quarterly earnings at 50 cents per share, down from 66 cents per share in the year-ago period. Uber projects quarterly revenue of $11.77 billion, compared to $9.94 billion a year earlier, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Uber&#8217;s gross bookings grew by 16% to $40.97 billion in the third quarter, though this growth rate was slower than the previous year. The company reported 161 million users in the third quarter, up 13.4% year-over-year.
Uber shares gained 3.7% to close at $69.75 on Tuesday.
Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/09/28888638/exclusive-study-finds-benzinga-analyst-ratings-data-yields-market-beating-strategie">Analyst Stock Ratings</a> page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating change or other variables.
Let's have a look at how Benzinga's most-accurate <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/UBER/analyst-ratings">analysts have rated the company</a> in the recent period.
<ul>
<li>UBS analyst Lloyd Walmsley maintained a Buy rating and cut the price target from $114 to $107 on Feb. 3, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 85%.</li>
<li>JMP Securities analyst Andrew Boone reiterated a Market Perform rating on Jan. 31, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 82%.</li>
<li>Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos reiterated a Hold rating on Jan. 31, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 76%.</li>
<li>Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Deepak Mathivanan maintained an Overweight rating and boosted the price target from $75 to $80 on Jan. 28, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 80%.</li>
<li>Piper Sandler analyst Thomas Champion maintained an Overweight rating and cut the price target from $98 to $82 on Jan. 28, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 69%.</li>
</ul>
Considering buying UBER stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="627" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05023823/image-34-1024x627.png" alt="" class="wp-image-766377" style="width:609px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05023823/image-34-1024x627.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05023823/image-34-300x184.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05023823/image-34-768x470.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/05023823/image-34.png 1086w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Read This Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43460681/jim-cramer-says-no-to-bigbear-ai-recommends-buying-this-tech-stock">Jim Cramer Says No To BigBear.ai, Recommends Buying This Tech Stock</a></li>
</ul>

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

Uber Earnings Are Imminent; These Most Accurate Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead Of Earnings Call

KDDIY

KDDI Q3 Sales $9.90B Down From $10.06B YoY, Profit Attributable To Owners $1.22B Up From $1.16B YoY

PFSI

Reported Earlier, PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust Prices $150M Public Offering Of 9.00% Senior Notes Due 2030

Plains Acq

Comments

Plains Acq

News

Latest news for Plains Acq (OTC:PLQC) Stock

Popular Channels

Tools & Features

Partners & Contributors

About Benzinga