Starboard Value, led by Jeff Smith, fully exited its positions in Salesforce and Autodesk in Q1 2026, shifting focus to Lamb Weston and CarMax. The hedge fund's activism helped Salesforce improve margins and execute a $25 billion share buyback before exiting. Lamb Weston and CarMax represent distressed consumer economy plays with cost-cutting and restructuring plans underway. CarMax has already seen leadership changes and raised savings targets, while Lamb Weston is mid-restructuring with operational improvements. This shift highlights Starboard's strategy of moving from software activism to turning around old-economy companies with clear cost-saving catalysts.
The global social media analytics market is projected to grow from $11.38 billion in 2026 to $107.3 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 25.16%. Growth is fueled by increased social media adoption, demand for business intelligence, an...
IBM reported it has struggled to keep up with a shift in corporate spending from software to data-center infrastructure, forecasting second-quarter earnings below analyst estimates. The company cited a significant reprioritization of capital expendit...
Tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya warned that the rising costs of artificial intelligence (AI) usage might negatively impact some companies' earnings. He highlighted that many CEOs and CFOs are unaware of the extent of AI-related spending, which cou...
IBM shares dropped over 23% following its Q2 earnings report, which showed profits and revenue below analyst expectations. CEO Arvind Krishna highlighted that the company's mainframe business, particularly the Z series with AI capabilities, underperf...
Micron reported impressive earnings and optimistic guidance, but its stock fell sharply due to concerns that its 86% gross margins and AI-driven memory price increases are unsustainable. The AI hardware sector, after rapid gains, is seeing profit-tak...
