Microsoft Cohere and Amazon lead AI news

Asian markets opened mixed on Friday as worries about artificial intelligence's future gripped global investors. Alphabet's Class A shares plunged 12.6 percent on Wall Street, marking its worst day since trading began over 20 years ago. The selloff dragged down the S&P 500 by 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq by 1.4 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell between 1.4 and 2.6 percent depending on the report, while South Korea's Kospi dropped as much as 5.4 percent, with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics shares slipping alongside the AI-related concerns.

Microsoft is preparing to raise $25 billion through a bond sale, its first in over nine years. Orders for the debt exceeded $100 billion, four times the offering size. The company plans to sell debt across up to 10 tranches with maturities ranging from 2 to 40 years. Despite the heavy borrowing, Microsoft guided for Azure growth of 49 to 50 percent and expects to maintain positive free cash flow. The company spent $45.2 billion on capital spending in its fiscal first quarter.

In Canada, AI company Cohere announced it will invest more than C$4 billion through 2031 and create over 1,500 jobs. This follows a government equity investment of up to $1.6 billion. Cohere also plans partnerships with universities including Toronto and Waterloo, along with a C$309 million GPU cloud deal with Bell AI Fabric.

European stocks opened lower as tech selloff worries continued from Wall Street. Amazon's disappointing earnings and heavy AI spending plans renewed investor anxiety across the continent. Italy and Spain led the declines while France stayed flat and Britain rose slightly.

On the product front, Microsoft is testing its Copilot assistant using a platform called Industry Evaluation Data Generation Platform. It builds full synthetic environments that mimic real business workflows without using any actual customer data, helping the company find issues that generic benchmarks would miss. Separately, a new benchmark called Investor's Last Exam tested AI financial agents on equity research, with GPT-6 Astra and Claude Opus 5.5 scoring 68.1 and 66.9 out of 100 respectively, showing that even top models still struggle to turn research into accurate investment forecasts.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing remains a focal point for investors seeking AI exposure. TSM manufactures chips for major designers and started 2nm production in late 2025, with A14 production planned for 2028. Analysts expect 23 percent gains but note risks tied to its Taiwan-based production.

In a separate development, a Republican PAC used AI-generated robocalls mimicking the voice of Democratic candidate Eric Talarico's opponent in Ohio's 4th Congressional District. Talarico called it a cheap trick to manipulate voters. Meanwhile, Hershey is using AI to analyze store display photos taken by field representatives, combining them with sales data to optimize product placement. The company said AI supports rather than replaces its workers.

Key Takeaways

<ul><li>Alphabet's Class A shares fell 12.6 percent, its worst day since trading began, sparking AI-related selloffs across Asian and European markets</li><li>Microsoft plans to raise $25 billion through its first U.S. bond sale since 2017, with orders exceeding $100 billion</li><li>Cohere will invest C$4 billion and create 1,500 Canadian jobs following a $1.6 billion government equity investment</li><li>Microsoft is testing Copilot using synthetic enterprise data through its Industry Evaluation Data Generation Platform</li><li>AI financial agents scored 68.1 and 66.9 out of 100 on a new equity research benchmark, showing continued struggles with investment accuracy</li><li>TSM started 2nm chip production in late 2025 and plans A14 production in 2028, remaining a key AI exposure play</li><li>European stocks fell as Amazon's disappointing earnings and heavy AI spending renewed investor anxiety</li><li>A GOP PAC used AI robocalls to mimic a candidate's voice in Ohio's 4th Congressional District, raising concerns about AI misuse in politics</li><li>Hershey is using AI to analyze candy store displays and optimize product placement, saying the technology supports rather than replaces workers</li><li>The Bank of Japan kept interest rates at 1.25 percent amid broader AI-driven market volatility</li></ul>

Asian Markets Mixed as AI Concerns Grow

Asian stock trading was mixed early Friday as worries about artificial intelligence grew. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 2.6% to 62,960.60. The Bank of Japan held a two-day meeting but most analysts expected no change after last month's rate increase to 1.25%. The U.S. continues to pressure Japan to raise rates over concerns about the weakening yen.

Asian Markets Mixed as Alphabet Stock Falls

Asian shares traded mixed as worries about artificial intelligence grew after Alphabet's stock drop affected U.S. markets. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 2.6% while South Korea's Kospi dropped 5.4%. Alphabet's Class A shares fell 12.6%, their worst day since trading began over 20 years ago. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% and the Nasdaq tumbled 1.4% on Wall Street.

Asian Trading Mixed Amid AI Worries

Asian shares were trading mixed early Friday as concerns about artificial intelligence's future grew. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 2.6% to 62,960.60. South Korea's Kospi fell 5.4% as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics shares slipped. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.5% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.2%. The U.S. dollar fell to 157.50 Japanese yen in currency trading.

Asian Markets Mixed on AI Fears

Asian shares traded mixed as worries about artificial intelligence grew after Alphabet's stock decline dragged on U.S. markets. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 2.6% while South Korea's Kospi dropped 5.4%. The Bank of Japan was closing a two-day meeting with most analysts expecting no action. The euro cost $1.1197 and the U.S. dollar fell to 157.50 Japanese yen.

Asian Trading Mixed as AI Worries Spread

Asian stock trading was mixed as concerns about artificial intelligence's future grew. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 2.6% to 62,960.60. South Korea's Kospi fell 5.4% as shares in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics slipped. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.2% while Shanghai Composite lost 0.9%. On Wall Street, Alphabet's stock fell 12.6% for its worst day since trading began over 20 years ago.

Asian Markets Mixed Amid AI Concerns After Alphabet Drop

Asian trading was mixed on Friday as worries about artificial intelligence grew. Alphabet's stock fell 12.6 percent, dragging on US markets. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 2.3 percent while the Bank of Japan kept interest rates at 1.25 percent. South Korea's Kospi fell nearly 4 percent as shares in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics slipped.

Global Markets Mixed as Alphabet Stock Drop Sparks AI Worries

Global shares were trading mixed on Friday because of concerns about artificial intelligence. Alphabet's stock drop caused worry about the future of AI. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 2.1 percent and the Bank of Japan kept rates unchanged at 1.25 percent. France's CAC 40 rose 0.2 percent while the US Dow futures edged up 0.2 percent.

Global Shares Mixed After Alphabet Stock Plunge

Global trading was mixed as worries about artificial intelligence grew after Alphabet's stock drop. Shares rose in France and Britain early Friday but fell in Asia. Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 1.4 percent. The decline reflected broader concerns about the future of AI in global markets.

Asian Shares Mixed as Alphabet Stock Falls Sharply

Asian shares were trading mixed on Friday because worries about artificial intelligence grew. Alphabet's Class A shares fell 12.6 percent, its worst day since trading began. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 2.3 percent and the Bank of Japan kept rates at 1.25 percent. The S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent for its worst day since March 2020.

Asian Markets Mixed Amid AI Worries and Alphabet Drop

Asian shares were trading mixed on Friday as worries about artificial intelligence grew after Alphabet's stock drop. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 2.3 percent to 63,155.94. The Bank of Japan kept its rate at 1.25 percent. South Korea's Kospi declined nearly 4 percent as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics shares slipped. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.7 percent.

Microsoft raises $25 billion through AI bond sale

Microsoft plans to raise $25 billion in its first US bond sale in over nine years. Orders exceeded $100 billion, which is four times the offering size. The company will sell debt in up to 10 tranches with maturities from 2 to 40 years. Microsoft expects to keep positive free cash flow despite the borrowing.

Microsoft borrows $25 billion for AI investments

On October 29, 2026, Microsoft committed to borrowing $25 billion for AI. This is its first bond sale since 2017. The deal has 10 tranches maturing from 2 to 40 years. Microsoft had $64.5 billion in cash but spent $45.2 billion on capital spending in the fiscal first quarter. The company guided for Azure growth of 49 to 50 percent.

TSM stock to hold even if AI bubble bursts

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) is a strong stock to hold even if AI hype fades. TSM runs the world's largest third-party foundry business. It manufactures chips for designers like Nvidia and AMD. The company started 2nm production in late 2025 and plans A14 production in 2028. Analysts expect 23% gains but note risks like Taiwan-based production.

TSM remains solid chip stock amid AI fears

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) stands out for its dominance in chip manufacturing. It makes advanced chips for all major designers, giving investors broad AI exposure. TSM manufactures CPUs, GPUs, and ASICs for various AI workloads. The company is investing in next-generation manufacturing technology. Its high price-to-earnings ratio and Taiwan location are risk factors.

GOP PAC uses AI robocalls against candidate

Democratic candidate Eric Talarico criticized a Republican PAC for using AI robocalls. The PAC used AI to mimic the voice of his opponent, Jim Jordan, in Ohio's 4th Congressional District. Talarico said he does not know how they got his voice. He called it a cheap trick to manipulate voters. The robocalls have been running for several weeks across multiple districts.

European stocks fall as AI spending fears rattle markets

European stocks opened lower today as tech selloff worries continued from Wall Street. Italy and Spain led the declines while France stayed flat and Britain rose slightly. Amazon's disappointing earnings and heavy AI spending plans renewed investor anxiety. US stock futures also fell sharply as markets braced for another rough session.

Microsoft tests Copilot using synthetic enterprise data

Microsoft built a platform called Industry Evaluation Data Generation Platform to test Microsoft Copilot at enterprise scale. It creates full synthetic environments that mimic real business workflows without using any real customer data. The platform uses automated query pipelines and quality frameworks to check accuracy and safety. This approach helps Microsoft find issues that generic benchmarks would miss while keeping all data private.

Cohere to invest C$4 billion and create 1500 Canada jobs

Cohere announced on October 30, 2026 that it will create over 1,500 Canadian jobs and invest more than C$4 billion through 2031. This followed the Government of Canada's October 29, 2026 announcement of a equity investment of up to $1.6 billion in the company. Cohere plans partnerships with universities like Toronto and Waterloo and a C$309 million GPU cloud deal with Bell AI Fabric.

New benchmark tests if AI agents can invest in stocks

Researchers introduced Investor's Last Exam, a benchmark to test AI financial agents on equity research. It uses a frozen database of 3.43 million document versions and evaluates 86 assignments. GPT-6 Astra and Claude Opus 5.5 scored highest at 68.1 and 66.9 out of 100. The results show even top AI models struggle to turn research into accurate investment forecasts.

Hershey uses AI to improve candy store displays

The Hershey Company is using AI to help place its candy products where customers are most likely to buy them. Field representatives take photos of store displays and AI analyzes them alongside sales data. The company said AI supports rather than replaces its workers. Hershey plans to expand the technology to check for missing items and back room inventory.

NEAR Protocol launches AI Red program for security teams

NEAR Protocol opened the NEAR AI Red program on October 30, 2026. The program offers security teams private and verifiable AI tools. Participants get early access to upcoming models and dedicated support. Teams can also help shape the program's roadmap. The program highlights a cybersecurity use case for NEAR's AI cloud.