
Elon Musk's Neuralink Raises $600M in a Recent Funding Round
Elon Musk's brain-implant company, Neuralink, has raised $600 million in a recent funding round, which pushed its pre-money valuation to $9 billion, according to Semafor. This latest round follows a $280 million Series D raise in 2023, which was led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund. The company was previously valued at $5 billion based on private stock trades and had been rumored in April to be seeking around $500 million in new funding.
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Interestingly, Neuralink is developing a brain-computer interface that includes a rechargeable, skull-mounted wireless implant with electrode threads that connect directly to the brain. The device is designed to help people with neurological disorders, such as paralysis or ALS, to control computers and other devices using only their thoughts. Neuralink recently announced that its patient registry is now available globally and that the U.S. FDA has granted its device a 'breakthrough' designation.
Indeed, the company made headlines earlier this year after its first human patient was able to use the implant to browse the internet, post on social media, play video games, and move a computer cursor with his mind. Elon Musk has said that the chip could one day help treat a wide range of conditions, such as obesity, autism, depression, and schizophrenia, and might even allow healthy individuals to use telepathy or surf the web directly with their brains.
What Is the Prediction for Tesla Stock?
When it comes to Elon Musk's companies, most of them are privately held. However, retail investors can invest in his most popular company, Tesla (TSLA). Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on TSLA stock based on 16 Buys, 10 Holds, and 11 Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average TSLA price target of $282.70 per share implies 16.7% downside risk.
See more TSLA analyst ratings
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Globe and Mail
37 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
2 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist During the TACO Trade
As of closing bell on May 29, the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average have each generated roughly breakeven returns on the year. Normally, returns this mundane wouldn't be celebrated. But when you consider that each of the major stock market indexes declined by double digits just a month ago, getting back to even seems like a win. One of the more interesting aspects of the price movement in the stock market this year is annotating precisely when major volatility occurred. According to recently published data, it appears that the market's most pronounced declines and gains throughout 2025 can be traced back to major announcements from Washington, D.C. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Going a little deeper, whenever President Donald Trump has announced new tariff policies, the market reacted negatively. But when he has eased the pressure, stocks experienced sharp rebounds. This dynamic has become known as the TACO trade -- which stands for "Trump always chickens out." Considering the tariff situation is still very much ongoing, I suspect the capital markets will continue operating under heightened levels of uncertainty. Nevertheless, I see two no-brainer artificial intelligence (AI) stocks that look like great buys right now -- regardless of TACO trade volatility. After all, trading based on what you think Trump may or may not do next is a short-term and risky approach to investing, but focusing on solid long-term opportunities amid the chaos is a wise choice. Let's explore which stocks smart investors may want to consider buying the dip in as the TACO trade continues to make waves. 1. Nvidia The first AI stock on my list is semiconductor king Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Not only does Nvidia dominate the market for high-performance chipsets known as graphics processing units (GPUs), but the company's overall performance has essentially become the ultimate barometer by which the AI industry is measured. Said differently, if Nvidia's business is growing, investors tend to remain bullish on the AI boom. From a macro standpoint, Nvidia stands to benefit from ongoing investment in AI infrastructure. So long as cloud hyperscalers Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet, as well as tech titans like Meta Platforms, Oracle, and Apple, are building out data centers and buying chips, Nvidia is positioned to capture a portion of this multitrillion-dollar opportunity. As far as tariffs go, the biggest threat to Nvidia's business right now is its limited opportunity in China. New export controls coupled with rising competition from China-based Huawei has put Nvidia in a tough spot. Nevertheless, Nvidia has opportunities to maneuver around China-related headwinds. For instance, the company recently won multiple contracts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) -- each of which will be outfitting AI data centers with Nvidia's latest Blackwell GPUs. Moreover, rumors are swirling that Elon Musk's AI start-up, xAI, could be purchasing an estimated $40 billion worth of chips for its next GPU cluster. As I previously predicted, I think Nvidia stock is going to rebound considerably throughout the latter half of 2025 as I suspect tariff-driven fears will subside. NVDA Market Cap data by YCharts While there has been some recent valuation expansion following Nvidia's monster first-quarter earnings report, the stock still looks reasonable compared to historical levels on a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) basis. 2. Amazon Next up on my list is Amazon. On the surface, this might look like a head-scratcher. I'll concede that Amazon's core e-commerce business is pretty vulnerable to tariffs. However, I'm not distracted by these headwinds at the moment. Instead, I've been analyzing Amazon based on two other areas of the business. First, the company's cloud infrastructure unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS), continues to accelerate sales and widen operating margins. To me, this signals that the company's investments in AI have, so far, paid off. What's more lucrative, however, is that AWS accounts for the majority of operating profits for Amazon's entire business. This is important, because even during a time of economic uncertainty, the performance from AWS has remained strong and continued minting heaps of cash flow for Amazon. These robust unit economics provide Amazon with a high degree of operating leverage -- allowing the company to double down and reinvest in high-growth areas. In turn, Amazon has a unique ability to stitch more AI-driven investments across the broader fabric of its ecosystem -- from e-commerce, logistics, brick-and-mortar retail, advertising, streaming, subscription services, and even direct-to-consumer healthcare. It's these dynamics that may have caught the eye of billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who recently joined Warren Buffett and Cathie Wood in adding Amazon to his portfolio. I think Amazon is well on its way to becoming Wall Street's first $5 trillion company. While the company could face some turbulence in the near term due to tariffs, this is not the first time the tech giant has dealt with a challenging regulatory environment. Yet, in the long run, Amazon has continued to manage to diversify its platform and build a number of multibillion-dollar businesses profitability. I see Amazon as an under-the-radar opportunity right now and I would take advantage of any dips as the TACO trade plays out. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Oracle. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
From Search to Suggestion: How AI is Reshaping the Digital Ad Economy
What happens when the search bar disappears? That question isn't as far off as it sounds. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's Gemini are already changing how people look for information online. Instead of typing keywords and clicking through results, users now ask questions and get direct answers, often with product recommendations or summaries built in. No ads, no links, and no search results page. For investors, this marks a major turning point. Digital advertising has long relied on keyword targeting and clicks. But as AI chat becomes more mainstream, that model is getting harder to rely on. Visibility now depends on whether your brand shows up in the answer at all. Companies that adapt early could gain an edge. Those who don't may be left behind. Cracks in the Search Engine Empire Online visibility used to follow a simple formula: buy some keywords, rank well in search results, and watch the traffic come in. Google and Baidu built their empires on this, while businesses poured money into SEO and SEM to stay competitive. But that model is starting to show its age. In Q1 2025, Alphabet Inc's (GOOG) core ad revenue grew by 8.5%, a slowdown from 10.6% in Q4 2024. Younger users are also skipping search altogether: nearly 40% of Gen Z now prefer TikTok or Instagram when searching for information online. Investors are already seeing the impact. Alphabet's P/E ratio has fallen from 25.57 in Q4 2024 to 19.52 as of May 2025. Baidu, Inc's (BIDU) revenue dropped 1% in 2024, ending the year at $18.24 billion. Search platforms may still dominate today, but staying relevant will mean evolving with how users discover content. The Rise of AI-Powered Discovery The way people find information is shifting fast. Instead of scrolling through search results, users are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for direct answers. These systems don't just summarize, but they suggest products, services, and decisions in real time. Ask ChatGPT where to invest $500 or what the best CRM tool is, and it won't give you a list of links. It will offer a curated response based on how it processes data. Claude and Gemini do the same, bypassing traditional web rankings. That's a big change, and showing up on page one of Google isn't the only goal anymore. The real question is whether your brand appears in the AI's response. If your business depends on online visibility, it's worth understanding how to rank your website on ChatGPT, a new frontier in digital strategy. Staying discoverable in AI-generated results could soon be just as important as traditional SEO. For businesses and investors, this presents both a challenge and a window of opportunity. Ad-Tech Companies Getting Ahead of the AI Curve Some ad-tech companies aren't waiting, they're already shifting strategies to meet this moment. Why These Stocks Could Lead the Shift The Trade Desk (TTD) is moving early with Unified ID 2.0, a system built to replace third-party cookies while still allowing targeted ads. It's privacy-focused and designed for today's evolving data rules. As of late May 2025, the stock trades at a forward P/E of 43.48, far below its five-year average trailing P/E ratio of 232.63, suggesting a more reasonable valuation. Meta is using its in-house AI tools, including LLaMA 4, to sharpen ad targeting. It posted $42.31 billion in Q1 2025 revenue, beating analyst expectations. However, Reality Labs continues to weigh on results, with $17.7 billion in losses last year. Perion Network (PERI) is branching out into retail media and digital out-of-home ads, key after Microsoft changed its Bing deal, which affected Perion's search business. As of May 2025, its EV/EBITDA ratio is around 2.4, reflecting cautious investor sentiment for future growth. These companies are showing what adaptation looks like in real time. Who's At Risk? Some of the biggest names in tech still lean heavily on traditional ad models, and that could be a problem as user behavior starts to change. Alphabet continues to lead in digital advertising, pulling in $66.9 billio n in ad revenue in Q1 2025. But growth is slowing, and the company's model still depends largely on keyword-based ads, exactly the kind that become less useful when users start getting answers directly from AI. As people spend less time clicking through search results, Google's ad reach could face pressure. Baidu is in a similar spot in China. Its AI development is strong, but the business side hasn't caught up. In early 2025, overall revenue was up just 3%, and online ad sales actually dropped 6%. So far, Baidu hasn't figured out how to turn its AI tech into meaningful ad dollars. Amazon (AMZN) is a bit of a hybrid. Ad sales jumped 18% in Q1, driven by its retail platform. But while Amazon is growing fast in e-commerce advertising, it doesn't yet play a central role in AI-generated recommendations, which could become a bigger deal over time. As more users turn to AI tools for answers, these companies could see ad prices (like CPMs) dip unless they adapt their strategies for a post-search world. What Investors Should Watch Next The shift toward AI-powered discovery is still in its early stages, but the signs are already there and investors would be smart to keep an eye on them. Start with the basics: if cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) start falling on traditional platforms like Google or Bing, it could be a red flag that attention is drifting elsewhere. Simultaneously, look for growth in AI-generated product placements where tools like ChatGPT or Gemini are surfacing brand suggestions inside their responses. Another key signal? Where the ad dollars are going. If more brands begin shifting their budgets toward 'in-AI' strategies, like optimizing for visibility inside generative answers instead of search rankings, it could mark the beginning of a much larger trend. The big picture here isn't just about better targeting or smarter data. The real prize is visibility, being the first answer a user sees when they ask a question. That's where the next digital advertising gold rush could happen. Don't Underestimate the Discovery Shift AI-powered discovery is already changing how people interact with the web. Instead of searching and clicking, users are now asking and receiving, fast, direct, and often without leaving the chat. For ad-tech companies, that's a big change, and one that creates both risk and opportunity. The players that adapt will find new ways to reach customers and unlock revenue. Those that don't may struggle to stay relevant. For investors, this isn't just about who's building the best AI models. It's about who shows up in the answer box. Because in this new landscape, the first response is the new front page of the internet.


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Trump says he's withdrawing the nomination of Musk associate Jared Isaacman to lead NASA
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a 'thorough review' of Isaacman's 'prior associations.' It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation. 'After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,' Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. 'I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.' In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were 'enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling.' 'It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,' he said. 'That was on full display during my hearing, where leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they're willing to fight for the world's most accomplished space agency.' Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency's next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight on Musk's SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman's nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon. Musk appeared to lament Trump's decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, 'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.' SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge. Semafor was first to report that the White House had decided to pull Isaacman's nomination. Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press