Tariffs and AI Spending in Focus as Traders Brace For Earnings

The S&P 500 is up 11% year-to-date, fueled in-part by a frenzy over artificial intelligence that has also driven rallies in stock markets the world over. Earnings estimates have risen in tandem: Analysts tracked by Bloomberg Intelligence expect profit growth of 7.4% for US stocks in the third quarter, up nearly two basis points since mid-August. With trade tensions once again soaring and worries of a tech-fueled bubble percolating beneath the surface, Corporate America will need to deliver strong results to justify the nearly 32% gain the S&P 500 has notched from its April low.

🎬 Hollywood-AI Copyright Clash: OpenAI vs Studios

OpenAI’s Sora 2 technology has led to escalating tensions in Hollywood, with studios, talent agencies, and unions contesting copyright and consent around AI-generated content. The focus on AI’s implications for creator rights highlights significant legal and ethical challenges. Key players include major film studios and talent organizations.

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China's lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race

Wu, however, immediately outlined a clear road map for Alibaba’s AI development, with a goal towards so-called artificial superintelligence (ASI) – when the firm’s Qwen open-source models and cloud services would serve as the software and computing infrastructure of the future. In essence, Alibaba aimed to become the “world’s leading full-stack AI service provider”, he said. Alibaba owns the Post. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers wi