Google Doubles Down on Spending as AI Fear Returns | Prof G Markets
Google Doubles Down on Spending as AI Fear Returns | Prof G Markets
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Quick Insights

The enterprise software sector is experiencing a significant sell-off due to AI fears, creating a potential buying opportunity in high-quality names like Adobe (ADBE) that are being unfairly punished. In the weight-loss drug market, consider favoring winner Eli Lilly (LLY), which is executing flawlessly, over Novo Nordisk (NVO) as it faces significant pricing and market share challenges. Google's (GOOGL) stock dip, caused by massive AI spending plans, may represent a buying opportunity for investors with a long-term horizon of at least three years. Finally, aggressive AI infrastructure spending by tech giants serves as a strong bullish signal for key suppliers like NVIDIA (NVDA).

Detailed Analysis

Google (GOOGL)

  • The company reported very strong fourth-quarter earnings, with annual revenue surpassing $400 billion for the first time.
  • Growth was driven by its core businesses:
    • Search revenue grew 17%, with the business now generating almost $300 billion annually. The integration of AI overviews into search results is seen as a positive driver.
    • Cloud revenue growth was exceptional, up 48% year-over-year, significantly beating the expected 38%.
  • The main point of concern for investors was a massive increase in planned capital expenditures (CapEx).
    • Google plans to spend $175 to $185 billion this year, a huge jump from the consensus estimate of $120 billion.
    • This aggressive spending is for building out its AI infrastructure.
  • The market had a "knee-jerk" negative reaction, with the stock initially falling 7% after hours before recovering, as investors digested the news.

Takeaways

  • Short-Term Caution, Long-Term Bullish: The massive spending on AI may pressure profits in the short term, but the podcast analysts view it as the "right investment" for long-term growth and dominance in the AI space.
  • Patience Required: The real returns or "harvest period" from this investment cycle are not expected until 2027 or 2028. This suggests a long-term investment horizon of at least 3 years is needed.
  • A Familiar Pattern: The podcast draws a parallel to the fear around ChatGPT supposedly killing Google Search. After an initial 40% stock drop, Google integrated AI and its stock has since risen 285%. This suggests the current fear about spending could be another buying opportunity for long-term believers.

Enterprise Software Sector (CRM, NOW, ADBE, etc.)

  • The entire enterprise software sector is described as being in "free fall" due to fears about AI.
  • Numerous high-quality software stocks have seen significant drops in the past week alone:
    • Salesforce (CRM): down 8%
    • ServiceNow (NOW): down 6%
    • Atlassian (TEAM): down 16%
    • HubSpot (HUBS): down 19%
    • Shopify (SHOP): down 20%
  • The fear stems from new AI tools, specifically Anthropic's Claude Cowork, which investors worry could replace the functions of these traditional software companies, making their business models obsolete.
  • The podcast argues this is a market overreaction driven by panic and uncertainty, similar to what happened to Google after ChatGPT's launch.

Takeaways

  • Potential Buying Opportunity: The widespread sell-off is described as a "dislocated market". This creates an opportunity to buy "Dislocated, High-Quality" (DHQ) companies at a discount.
  • Be Selective: The key is to identify high-quality companies that can successfully integrate AI into their products rather than be replaced by it. Not all software companies will be winners.
  • Look for Quality Amidst the Rubble: The podcast specifically mentions Adobe (ADBE) as an example of a company that could be a long-term winner by embracing AI. Investors should look for other strong businesses that are being unfairly punished by the sector-wide fear.
  • Time Horizon: An analyst on the podcast suggests it will take a one to three year period for the market to sort out the winners and losers in the software space.

Eli Lilly (LLY)

  • Presented as the clear winner in the GLP-1 (weight loss drug) market battle.
  • Fourth-quarter earnings "blew past estimates" with revenue up 43% year-over-year.
  • The company raised its 2026 guidance to $80 billion in revenue.
  • The stock reacted very positively, closing up 10%.
  • Eli Lilly is confident that volume growth will more than make up for any government-negotiated price reductions.

Takeaways

  • Bullish Sentiment: The discussion is overwhelmingly positive. Eli Lilly is seen as executing flawlessly and gaining significant market share.
  • Winning the Race: Even though its rival has an oral pill on the market first, the market seems to believe Eli Lilly will ultimately be the "winner eventually" in the oral market, just as it was with injectables. The company is now valued at over a trillion dollars.

Novo Nordisk (NVO)

  • Presented as the clear loser in the GLP-1 market compared to Eli Lilly.
  • The company warned that 2026 sales and operating profit will both fall.
  • The stock crashed, closing down 18% on the news.
  • The company is facing a "recipe for a very challenging near term" due to two main issues:
    1. Price Degradation: They are facing pricing pressure from government deals.
    2. Market Share Challenges: Their share of the injectable market is slipping, and while their new oral pill has high volume, it is sold at a fraction of the price of injectables, hurting overall revenue quality.
  • The stock is now trading at the same price it was in 2021, before the GLP-1 craze began.

Takeaways

  • Bearish Sentiment: The fundamental story presented is very negative, with the company facing significant headwinds.
  • Potential Contrarian Play? An analyst notes that the stock seems "overpunished" for falling back to pre-craze levels. While the near-term outlook is poor, the deep sell-off might attract investors who believe the negative sentiment has gone too far.

Big Tech & AI Infrastructure (META, AMZN, NVDA)

  • Google's massive spending plans are seen as validation for the entire AI infrastructure space.
  • Other "hyperscalers" are also in a heavy "investment mode":
    • Meta (META) is spending $125 billion on CapEx.
    • Amazon (AMZN) is estimated to spend $155 billion, with the potential to go even higher.
  • This spending directly benefits the companies that supply the hardware for AI data centers.

Takeaways

  • Bullish for AI Suppliers: The massive spending from Google, Meta, and Amazon is a strong positive signal for infrastructure companies like NVIDIA (NVDA), confirming that the demand for their AI chips is real and growing.
  • Investment Cycle: The "year of discipline" is over for Big Tech. They are now in an aggressive spending cycle to win the AI race. This may temper their own stock performance in the short-term but is a sign of long-term ambition.

Netflix (NFLX)

  • The company is facing a Senate Antitrust Committee hearing over its planned merger with Warner Brothers Discovery.
  • The hearing was described as a "sideshow," with the real power to block the deal lying with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
  • Netflix's core argument for the merger is that its true competition is not other streaming services, but massive attention platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
  • The stock fell 3.5% during the week of the hearing.

Takeaways

  • Regulatory Risk: The main takeaway is the regulatory uncertainty surrounding the proposed merger. The outcome is not dependent on the Senate hearing but on a formal review by the DOJ.
  • Strategic Positioning: Netflix's argument reveals its long-term strategic view: it sees itself competing for user attention against all forms of digital media, not just traditional TV and film. This justifies its need for more scale and content.

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • Mentioned briefly in the market summary.
  • The price was described as continuing its "slide towards $72,000."

Takeaways

  • Neutral/Slightly Bearish: The mention was a simple market update. The term "slide" implies recent downward price movement. No further analysis or prediction was offered.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

  • Mentioned briefly in the market summary.
  • The stock suffered its "steepest drop in seven years" after reporting "disappointing earnings."

Takeaways

  • Bearish: The news was clearly negative, driven by a poor earnings report that caused a historic single-day drop for the stock.

Uber (UBER)

  • Mentioned briefly in the market summary.
  • The stock fell 5% after the company reported "softer than expected guidance" and announced a new CFO.

Takeaways

  • Bearish: The negative stock reaction was due to the company's weak future outlook (guidance), which is often more important to investors than past performance.
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Video Description
Ed Elson breaks down Google’s earnings with Scott Devitt, Managing Director of Equity Research at Wedbush Securities. They discuss the implications of Google doubling its capital expenditures, and what the broader tech selloff says about markets right now. Ed then unpacks Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk’s earnings with Jared Holz, Healthcare Equity Strategist at Mizuho. He also dives into the Netflix/WBD hearing on Capitol Hill with Rohan Goswami, Business Reporter at Semafor. And finally, Ed shares his thoughts on why software stocks are getting crushed right now. Timestamps 00:00 - Today's Number 00:26 - Market Vitals 01:03 - Google Earnings (ft. Scott Devitt) 09:19 - Ad Break 10:04 - Novo Nordisk/Eli Lilly Earnings (ft. Jared Holz) 16:06 - Ad Break 17:21 - Netflix-WBD Testimony (ft. Rohan Goswami) 24:11 - Break 24:41 - Software Stocks 29:43 - Credits — Subscribe to the Prof G Markets newsletter: https://links.profgmedia.com/markets-newsletter Order "Notes On Being A Man" now! https://amzn.to/4nl4VKo Subscribe to No Mercy / No Malice: https://links.profgmedia.com/nmnm-yt-sub-desc Follow Scott on Instagram: https://instagram.com/profgalloway Follow Ed on Instagram, X and Substack: https://instagram.com/ed_elson_/ https://twitter.com/edels0n https://substack.com/@edwardelson Note: We may earn revenue from some of the links we provide.
About The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway
The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway

The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway

By @theprofgpod

NYU Professor, best-selling author, business leader and serial entrepreneur Scott Galloway cuts through the biggest stories in ...