Latest news with #JeremyGoldman
Business Insider
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
HBO Max's social team knows its rebrand is absurd. It's leaning in.
Max is going back to HBO Max after removing the HBO from its name in 2023. The internet is making fun of the company for backpedaling. But the social team at Warner Bros. Discovery got ahead of the roasts by making fun of itself first. The internet is making fun of Max for changing its name to HBO Max (for the second time). But no one is mocking the re-rebrand with as much gusto as Max itself. The company is poking fun at the switch by posting conclave references on TikTok, Harry Potter memes on Instagram, and teasing X on the social platform. The self-deprecation is not limited to Max's main accounts. An Instagram page for the HBO show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," also chimed in, for example. V2 approved by legal. — Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025 Max's social team is going all out with the jokes because it probably knows that backpedaling to an earlier name is silly. It's much better to laugh with the internet than be laughed at. "This is something where they were like, 'We're just going to get totally excoriated, so at least we can be in on the joke a little bit,'" Jeremy Goldman, a senior director of client briefings at EMARKETER, told Business Insider. For those not acquainted with the confusing name history of the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service, Max has bounced around from "HBO Go," to "HBO Now," to "HBO Max," then "Max," and now back to "HBO Max." There were probably business reasons for each of the name changes that made sense in a boardroom, but the frequent switches have been confusing for the average consumer (my Roku remote still has an HBO Now button). While WBD put out a relatively straight press release today about the rebrand, the company distributed a meme to go along with it, as my colleague Peter Kafka, who dove into the business implications of the rebrand, pointed out. On social media, the company went all in on silliness. There, being earnest is a recipe for mockery. Send thoughts and prayers. — Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025 If you're posting to social and you've got something slightly embarrassing to say, such as that you are backtracking on an earlier rebrand, better to lean into humor and irreverence, knowing that the internet won't shy away from pointing out you're repeating yourself. (Full disclosure: I work at a company that also flipped back to its original name after attempting a rebrand.) Budget airline Ryanair is particularly adept at making jokes at its own expense on social media. The company often posts viral TikTok videos that make fun of the trade-offs of its cheap flights, such as limited legroom or additional costs for some seats. So kudos to Max for laughing at itself. Just please don't change your name again.
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Business Standard
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Microsoft forecasts strong growth for Azure cloud business, shares surge 8%
Microsoft forecast on Wednesday stronger-than-expected quarterly growth for its cloud-computing business Azure after blowout results in the latest quarter, assuaging investor worries in an uncertain economy and lifting its shares 8 per cent after hours. Microsoft's results, which follow similarly above-expectations outcomes from Google last week, could ease concerns about a potential slowdown in AI demand, after some analysts pointed to canceled data-center leases at Microsoft as a sign of excess capacity. Investors had also been worried about the fallout from sweeping US tariffs that are prompting businesses to rein in spending. Microsoft said revenue at its Azure cloud division rose 33 per cent in the third quarter ended March 31, exceeding estimates of 29.7 per cent, according to Visible Alpha. AI contributed 16 percentage points to the growth, up from 13 points in the previous quarter. The company also forecast cloud-computing revenue growth of 34 per cent to 35 per cent on a constant currency basis for the fiscal fourth quarter, well above analyst estimates of 31.8 per cent, according to data from Visible Alpha. The company forecast revenue for its intelligent cloud segment between $28.75 billion and $29.05 billion, with the entire range above analyst estimates of $28.52 billion, according to LSEG data. The company said its commercial bookings growth - which reflects new infrastructure and software contracts signed by business customers - was up 18 per cent in the fiscal third quarter, driven in part by a new Azure contract with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Microsoft declined to comment on the size of the deal or what role it played in overall Azure sales growth. "In a quarter clouded by tariff fears and AI spending scrutiny, this quarter is a clear win - even if it wasn't fireworks," said Jeremy Goldman, senior director of briefings at E-marketer. "Azure and other cloud services beat Street expectations - and Microsoft Cloud’s growth shows it continues to turn AI infrastructure into margin-friendly growth. Still, investors will be watching closely as the company continues to pull back on data center expansion." In the third quarter, Microsoft's capital expenditures rose 52.9 per cent to $21.4 billion, less than estimates of $22.39 billion, according to Visible Alpha. However, the proportion of longer-lived asset expenditures fell to about half of the total. Jonathan Neilson, Microsoft's vice president of investor relations, said that reflected a shift in Microsoft's spending from long-lived assets such as data center buildings toward more spending on shorter-lived assets such as chips. "You plug in CPUs and GPUs, and then you can start recognizing revenue," Neilson said, referring to categories of chips made by Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia, among others. The Intelligent Cloud unit, which houses Azure, posted revenue of $26.8 billion, compared with expectations of $26.17 billion. Overall, revenue rose 13 per cent to $70.1 billion, beating estimates of $68.42 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft reported a profit of $3.46 per share in the quarter, beating expectations of $3.22 per share. The company also benefited from a 6 per cent increase in revenue at its more personal computing unit, which includes Xbox and its line of laptops. Microsoft, which has also repeatedly said it is capacity constrained on AI, has been pouring billions into building its AI infrastructure and expanding its data-center footprint. A senior Microsoft executive reiterated earlier this month that the company would spend $80 billion on its data center build-out this year, and investors will be watching closely to see if it reaffirms that on its post-earnings call. A pullback in Big Tech's AI spending will have big implications for suppliers such as chip giant Nvidia, as well as the US economy. J.P. Morgan analysts estimated in January that data-center spending could contribute between 10 and 20 basis points to US economic growth in 2025-2026. Neilson said inventory levels had already been high during the company's fiscal second quarter as retailers stocked up on computers and gaming consoles on tariff worries. That activity continued into the third quarter, he said. "We expected in Q3 for them to bring inventory levels down to a more normal level. What we actually saw was inventory levels remained elevated," Neilson said. "There continues to be some uncertainty there."
CNA
30-04-2025
- Business
- CNA
Microsoft forecasts strong growth for Azure cloud business, shares surge 8%
Microsoft forecast on Wednesday stronger-than-expected quarterly growth for its cloud-computing business Azure after blowout results in the latest quarter, assuaging investor worries in an uncertain economy and lifting its shares 8 per cent after hours. Microsoft's results, which follow similarly above-expectations outcomes from Google last week, could ease concerns about a potential slowdown in AI demand, after some analysts pointed to canceled data-center leases at Microsoft as a sign of excess capacity. Investors had also been worried about the fallout from sweeping U.S. tariffs that are prompting businesses to rein in spending. Microsoft said revenue at its Azure cloud division rose 33 per cent in the third quarter ended March 31, exceeding estimates of 29.7 per cent, according to Visible Alpha. AI contributed 16 per centage points to the growth, up from 13 points in the previous quarter. The company also forecast cloud-computing revenue growth of 34 per cent to 35 per cent on a constant currency basis for the fiscal fourth quarter, well above analyst estimates of 31.8 per cent, according to data from Visible Alpha. The company forecast revenue for its intelligent cloud segment between $28.75 billion and $29.05 billion, with the entire range above analyst estimates of $28.52 billion, according to LSEG data. The company said its commercial bookings growth - which reflects new infrastructure and software contracts signed by business customers - was up 18 per cent in the fiscal third quarter, driven in part by a new Azure contract with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Microsoft declined to comment on the size of the deal or what role it played in overall Azure sales growth. "In a quarter clouded by tariff fears and AI spending scrutiny, this quarter is a clear win - even if it wasn't fireworks," said Jeremy Goldman, senior director of briefings at E-marketer. "Azure and other cloud services beat Street expectations - and Microsoft Cloud's growth shows it continues to turn AI infrastructure into margin-friendly growth. Still, investors will be watching closely as the company continues to pull back on data center expansion." In the third quarter, Microsoft's capital expenditures rose 52.9 per cent to $21.4 billion, less than estimates of $22.39 billion, according to Visible Alpha. However, the proportion of longer-lived asset expenditures fell to about half of the total. Jonathan Neilson, Microsoft's vice president of investor relations, said that reflected a shift in Microsoft's spending from long-lived assets such as data center buildings toward more spending on shorter-lived assets such as chips. "You plug in CPUs and GPUs, and then you can start recognizing revenue," Neilson said, referring to categories of chips made by Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia, among others. The Intelligent Cloud unit, which houses Azure, posted revenue of $26.8 billion, compared with expectations of $26.17 billion. Overall, revenue rose 13 per cent to $70.1 billion, beating estimates of $68.42 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft reported a profit of $3.46 per share in the quarter, beating expectations of $3.22 per share. The company also benefited from a 6 per cent increase in revenue at its more personal computing unit, which includes Xbox and its line of laptops. Microsoft, which has also repeatedly said it is capacity constrained on AI, has been pouring billions into building its AI infrastructure and expanding its data-center footprint. A senior Microsoft executive reiterated earlier this month that the company would spend $80 billion on its data center build-out this year, and investors will be watching closely to see if it reaffirms that on its post-earnings call. A pullback in Big Tech's AI spending will have big implications for suppliers such as chip giant Nvidia, as well as the U.S. economy. J.P. Morgan analysts estimated in January that data-center spending could contribute between 10 and 20 basis points to U.S. economic growth in 2025-2026. Neilson said inventory levels had already been high during the company's fiscal second quarter as retailers stocked up on computers and gaming consoles on tariff worries. That activity continued into the third quarter, he said. "We expected in Q3 for them to bring inventory levels down to a more normal level. What we actually saw was inventory levels remained elevated," Neilson said. "There continues to be some uncertainty there."
CNA
30-04-2025
- Business
- CNA
Microsoft beats revenue estimates as AI shift bolsters cloud demand
Microsoft topped quarterly revenue expectations on Wednesday, helped by strong growth at its cloud-computing business Azure, reassuring tech investors that hefty AI investments were paying off and sending shares of the company nearly 6 per cent higher in after-hours trading. Microsoft's results, which follow similarly above-expectations outcomes from Google last week, could ease concerns about a potential slowdown in AI demand, after some analysts pointed to canceled data-center leases at Microsoft as a sign of excess capacity. Investors had also been worried about the fallout from sweeping U.S. tariffs that are prompting businesses to rein in spending. Microsoft said revenue at its Azure cloud division rose 33 per cent in the third quarter ended March 31, exceeding estimates of 29.7 per cent, according to Visible Alpha. AI contributed 16 per centage points to the growth, up from 13 points in the previous quarter. The company said its commercial bookings growth - which reflects new infrastructure and software contracts signed by business customers - was up 18 per cent in the fiscal third quarter, driven in part by a new Azure contract with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Microsoft declined to comment on the size of the deal or what role it played in overall Azure sales growth. "In a quarter clouded by tariff fears and AI spending scrutiny, this quarter is a clear win - even if it wasn't fireworks," said Jeremy Goldman, senior director of briefings at E-marketer. "Azure and other cloud services beat Street expectations - and Microsoft Cloud's growth shows it continues to turn AI infrastructure into margin-friendly growth. Still, investors will be watching closely as the company continues to pull back on data center expansion." In the third quarter, Microsoft's capital expenditures rose 52.9 per cent to $21.4 billion, less than estimates of $22.39 billion, according to Visible Alpha. However, the proportion of longer-lived asset expenditures fell to about half of the total. Jonathan Neilson, Microsoft's vice president of investor relations, said that reflected a shift in Microsoft's spending from long-lived assets such as data center buildings toward more spending on shorter-lived assets such as chips. "You plug in CPUs and GPUs, and then you can start recognizing revenue," Neilson said, referring to categories of chips made by Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia, among others. The Intelligent Cloud unit, which houses Azure, posted revenue of $26.8 billion, compared with expectations of $26.17 billion. Overall, revenue rose 13 per cent to $70.1 billion, beating estimates of $68.42 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft reported a profit of $3.46 per share in the quarter, beating expectations of $3.22 per share. The company also benefited from a 6 per cent increase in revenue at its more personal computing unit, which includes Xbox and its line of laptops. Microsoft, which has also repeatedly said it is capacity constrained on AI, has been pouring billions into building its AI infrastructure and expanding its data-center footprint. A senior Microsoft executive reiterated earlier this month that the company would spend $80 billion on its data center build-out this year, and investors will be watching closely to see if it reaffirms that on its post-earnings call. A pullback in Big Tech's AI spending will have big implications for suppliers such as chip giant Nvidia, as well as the U.S. economy. J.P. Morgan analysts estimated in January that data-center spending could contribute between 10 and 20 basis points to U.S. economic growth in 2025-2026. Neilson said inventory levels had already been high during the company's fiscal second quarter as retailers stocked up on computers and gaming consoles on tariff worries. That activity continued into the third quarter, he said. "We expected in Q3 for them to bring inventory levels down to a more normal level. What we actually saw was inventory levels remained elevated," Neilson said. "There continues to be some uncertainty there."
Ammon
30-04-2025
- Business
- Ammon
Microsoft beats quarterly revenue estimates as AI shift bolsters cloud demand
Ammon News - Microsoft topped quarterly revenue expectations on Wednesday on strong Azure cloud-computing growth, reassuring investors that its hefty AI investments were paying off and sending shares in the company more than 6% higher in after-hours results are likely to ease concerns about a potential slowdown in AI demand, after some analysts pointed to canceled data center leases at Microsoft as a sign of excess capacity. Investors had also been worried about the fallout from sweeping U.S. tariffs that are prompting businesses to rein in said revenue at its Azure cloud division rose 33% in the third quarter ended March 31, exceeding estimates of 29.7%, according to Visible Alpha. AI contributed 16 percentage points to the growth, up from 13 points in the previous the third quarter, Microsoft's capital expenditures rose 52.9% to $21.4 billion, less than estimates of $22.39 billion, according to Visible Alpha. However, the proportion of longer-lived asset expenditures fell to about half of the Neilson, Microsoft's vice president of investor relations, said that reflected a shift in Microsoft's spending from long-lived assets such as data center buildings toward more spending on shorter-lived assets such as chips."You plug in CPUs and GPUs, and then you can start recognizing revenue," Neilson said, referring to categories of chips made by Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia, among Intelligent Cloud unit, which houses Azure, posted revenue of $26.8 billion, compared with expectations of $26.17 billion. Overall, revenue rose 13% to $70.1 billion, beating estimates of $68.42 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG."In a quarter clouded by tariff fears and AI spending scrutiny, this quarter is a clear win - even if it wasn't fireworks," said Jeremy Goldman, senior director of briefings at E-markete."Azure and other cloud services beat Street expectations - and Microsoft Cloud's growth shows it continues to turn AI infrastructure into margin-friendly growth. Still, investors will be watching closely as the company continues to pull back on data center expansion."Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft reported a profit of $3.46 per share in the quarter, beating expectations of $3.22 per share. The company also benefited from a 6% increase in revenue at its more personal computing unit, which includes Xbox and its line of Alphabet also posted strong results last week as AI features integrated into Google Search helped attract more ad dollars and fend off competition from startups like OpenAI, even as its cloud unit growth was hampered by supply which has also repeatedly said it is capacity constrained on AI, has been pouring billions into building its AI infrastructure and expanding its data-center footprint.A senior Microsoft executive reiterated earlier this month that the company would spend $80 billion on its data center build-out this year, and investors will be watching closely to see if it reaffirms that on its post-earnings call.A pullback in Big Tech's AI spending will have big implications for suppliers such as chip giant Nvidia, as well as the U.S. economy. J.P. Morgan analysts estimated in January that data-center spending could contribute between 10 and 20 basis points to U.S. economic growth in 2025-2026.*Reuters
