Yazılar

BlackRock, Nvidia, and Microsoft lead $40 billion deal for AI data center giant Aligned

/in /tarafından

A powerful investor group including BlackRock, Microsoft, and Nvidia has agreed to buy Aligned Data Centers, one of the world’s largest data center operators, in a $40 billion deal aimed at securing critical infrastructure for artificial intelligence development.

The acquisition from Macquarie Asset Management marks the first major investment by the AI Infrastructure Partnership, a consortium that also includes Abu Dhabi’s MGX fund and Elon Musk’s startup xAI. The group plans to deploy up to $100 billion in capital, combining equity and debt, to expand global AI infrastructure.

“With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI,” said Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock and chairman of the partnership.

The move underscores the massive surge in spending by tech giants on computing capacity. Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and CoreWeave are collectively expected to spend around $400 billion on AI infrastructure this year, according to Morgan Stanley. Meanwhile, OpenAI has inked multibillion-dollar deals with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom to secure chip and data capacity worth over $1 trillion.

Founded in 2013, Aligned operates more than 80 data centers across 50 campuses in the U.S. and Latin America, with over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity. The company has been a key beneficiary of the AI infrastructure boom, raising $12 billion in capital earlier this year.

Aligned will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas, under CEO Andrew Schaap. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026.

Microsoft likely to avoid French antitrust probe as regulator set to dismiss Qwant complaint

/in /tarafından

Microsoft appears poised to escape a French antitrust investigation into its search operations after the French search engine Qwant said regulators plan to dismiss its complaint. The company said it may appeal the decision in court or bring the case before other authorities.

Qwant, which has long used Microsoft’s Bing platform to power its search and news results, filed a grievance earlier this year alleging that Microsoft imposed exclusivity clauses and unfair conditions that restricted Qwant’s ability to develop its own search engine and advertising services. It also accused Microsoft of favoring its own products in search advertising allocation.

The French Competition Authority is expected to formally announce its decision within two weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. During a closed-door hearing in June, investigators reportedly recommended rejecting Qwant’s request for an injunction and broader investigation.

In response, Qwant CEO Olivier Abecassis said the company would “pursue all available legal avenues” to defend its business, accusing Microsoft of “egregious abuse” of market power.

Microsoft, for its part, dismissed the allegations, noting that the complaint “lacks merit” and that the search market is “dominated by Google.” Microsoft is a key provider of syndicated search results for smaller European rivals, including Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, and Lilo, which rely on its technology to compete.

Investors weigh risks that could derail Wall Street’s AI-driven rally

/in /tarafından

Artificial intelligence has fueled a powerful stock market rally since 2022, but investors are increasingly alert to the potential risks that could threaten the “AI trade” underpinning record market highs. Citigroup estimates nearly half of the S&P 500’s $57 trillion market capitalization now has “high” or “medium” exposure to AI, making the technology a defining force on Wall Street.

The S&P 500 is up 13% this year, while the Nasdaq Composite has gained 17%, driven largely by tech and AI-linked companies. Yet analysts warn that the sector’s strength also makes it vulnerable to shocks. Concerns have surfaced before — from China’s launch of the low-cost AI model Deepseek to fears about runaway spending on data centers — though markets have repeatedly rebounded.

“There’s a lot of growth priced in,” said Steve Lowe of Thrivent Financial. “That’s the concern — whether the expectations can really hold up.”

Massive capital spending remains a central focus. Barclays projects that annual AI-related infrastructure investment by major “hyperscalers” — including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Oracle — will double to $500 billion by 2027. While these companies generate vast cash reserves, analysts caution that overspending could pressure margins or lead to greater leverage.

Others highlight systemic risks from the close financial ties within the AI ecosystem, such as Nvidia’s recent $100 billion commitment to OpenAI. Energy infrastructure is another growing concern, with power supply seen as a potential bottleneck for new data centers.

Some investors remain bullish over the next 12 to 18 months, but warn that any slowdown in AI spending or signs that investments aren’t yielding expected returns could shake market confidence. “If it starts to look like the payoff isn’t coming,” said Patrick Ryan of Madison Investments, “that could be what finally trips the trade.”