AI, Data & Cloud Deals Dominate Tech Stock News

Autodesk, Intuit and Sea Limited each announced new AI-focused initiatives targeting core customer workflows. On February 19, Autodesk Inc. was named the largest investor in AI start-up World Labs, committing $200 million in a $1 billion funding round that also included AMD, Nvidia, Emerson Collective, Fidelity and Sea. Autodesk will advise the startup on integrating its 3D design expertise with AI models for entertainment, robotics and 3D workflows.

Intuit expanded its partnership with website builder Wix beyond the existing Mailchimp integration. Wix users will be able to access QuickBooks Online directly from the Wix platform, while QuickBooks customers will gain the ability to build and launch customized Wix sites from within Intuit’s dashboard. The companies are also extending marketing tools using synchronized CRM data between Mailchimp and Wix.

In Southeast Asia, Sea Limited entered a strategic partnership with Google aimed at building AI tools for its Shopee e‑commerce marketplace and Garena gaming unit. The firms plan an “AI agentic shopping” prototype on Shopee that can autonomously browse products, answer questions and manage orders, while Google’s AI will support game development at Garena.

A series of announcements underscored investor focus on AI infrastructure. IREN Limited appointed John Gross as Chief Innovation Officer to oversee engineering standards, thermal architecture and commissioning for upcoming data centers as it pivots from Bitcoin mining into high‑performance computing for AI. Management said Gross brings over 20 years of data center design experience, including in high‑density racks and liquid cooling, and called efficient cooling a competitive edge as AI workloads increase heat output.

Separately, Howard Lutnick’s Cantor Fitzgerald disclosed a $126 million position in IREN, describing it as a picks‑and‑shovels player in the AI arms race. Vertiv, another power and cooling specialist, was highlighted for a 34% share price surge after strong fourth‑quarter results, record orders and a $15 billion backlog. Analysts noted Vertiv’s work with Nvidia on 800V DC architectures and its prefabricated “OneCore” modular data centers, while also flagging hardware and valuation risks.

Cloud provider CoreWeave drew a more cautious response. Morgan Stanley reiterated an Equal Weight rating and a $99 price target, citing concerns about execution against ambitious growth targets, data‑center delays and recent legal complaints over service shortfalls. The bank said future upgrades would depend on CoreWeave scaling power capacity beyond 850 MW, resolving prior delays and outlining a credible path to an additional 5 GW.

Several large software and semiconductor names saw updated views as investors reassessed AI demand and valuations. RBC Capital reiterated an Outperform rating and $500 target on MongoDB ahead of its fiscal 2026 fourth‑quarter results, calling it a leading database for generative and agentic AI applications and pointing to strong Atlas cloud adoption and early AI product traction.

Broadcom attracted both positive and cautious commentary. Goldman Sachs and Baird maintained Buy ratings, emphasizing AI custom ASIC momentum, particularly v7 chips powering Google’s TPU infrastructure. DA Davidson, however, initiated coverage at Neutral with a $335 target, arguing Broadcom is “sitting on a shrinking iceberg” as hyperscalers internalize more silicon and its AI ASIC opportunity may not justify a premium to Nvidia.

In cybersecurity, Palo Alto Networks remained widely rated a Buy, but several banks trimmed price targets after its fiscal second‑quarter report and sector multiple compression. Fortinet was downgraded from Buy to Hold by Freedom Capital Markets, which kept a $90 target despite stronger‑than‑expected fourth‑quarter results, citing potential margin pressure from memory costs, FX and rising competition. Erste Group cut IBM to Hold, noting a sharp fall in operating margin and higher long‑term liabilities even as it pursues AI monetization via cloud and proprietary chips.

AMC Entertainment faced fresh legal and regulatory scrutiny. Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman announced a securities class action on behalf of holders of AMC Preferred Equity Units between August 18, 2022 and November 1, 2023, alleging a loophole in the preferred stock certificate of designations allowed AMC to exclude APE holders from certain distributions following conversion to common shares. The firm claims the constraint was not clearly disclosed in investor communications.

The same law firm also launched new investigations into several listed companies, including Unicycive Therapeutics, Commvault Systems, Methode Electronics, Molina Healthcare, Gartner, KBR, Blue Owl Capital and Bath & Body Works, largely tied to earnings surprises, guidance cuts or historical conduct. These inquiries focus on potential corporate wrongdoing and seek to recover investor capital.

In streaming, Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery drew a formal civil investigative demand from the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust division. The DOJ said it is examining whether the deal may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly under the Clayton and Sherman Acts. A separate report noted Attorney General Pam Bondi’s team is also probing Netflix’s leverage over creators, adding regulatory uncertainty around the contested $83 billion transaction.

Robinhood Markets released January 2026 operating metrics, showing funded customers at 27.2 million, up 190,000 month‑over‑month and 1.75 million year‑over‑year. Platform assets rose 59% year‑on‑year to $324 billion, while net deposits reached $4.5 billion for the month. Following the update, Goldman Sachs lowered its price target to $111 from $130 but maintained a Buy rating, citing strong customer growth but updating valuation inputs.

In retail hardware, Walmart was highlighted for a 49% discount on a $449 Frigidaire upright freezer, selling at $228, and TheStreet reported the unit has more than 12,000 five‑star ratings. Meanwhile, Coca‑Cola’s shares were up 15% year‑to‑date, but Benzinga Edge’s value score for the stock fell sharply from 17.86 to 3.28, placing it in the bottom decile for relative worth after a revenue miss and conservative 2026 guidance despite a continued place in major consumer‑staples ETFs.