Nvidia Advances AI Holdings While Microsoft Denies Chip Rumors

Vanguard's December 15, 2025, forecast projects a 2.25% US economic growth in 2026, largely fueled by AI. However, the firm cautions that high valuations might temper US stock returns, expecting 5-7% annualized returns. Despite this, AI remains a strong investment theme. For instance, the Invesco QQQ Trust, an AI index fund tracking the top 100 non-financial Nasdaq companies, includes major players like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft, which collectively form 25% of its holdings. This fund has delivered a 497% total return over the past decade. The AI software sector continues to attract significant investment. First Voyage secured $2.5 million in seed funding for its AI companion app, Momo, which helps users build habits and has already facilitated over 2 million tasks. Opine, an AI-native workspace for B2B technical sales, raised $5 million after achieving 10x revenue growth in 2025, with plans to enhance its AI features. Meanwhile, Notion, a productivity software company, is allowing employees to sell shares at an $11 billion valuation, having exceeded $600 million in annual recurring revenue, with half attributed to its AI products. OpenAI is noted as one of Notion's customers. In the creative AI space, Berlin-based Mirelo raised $41 million, bringing its total funding to $44 million, to advance its AI model, Mirelo SFX v1.5, which adds synchronized sound effects to videos. On the hardware front, Marvell Technologies, an AI chipmaker, saw its stock drop despite 37% revenue growth in Q3 FY2026. CEO Matt Murphy addressed rumors, denying that Amazon and Microsoft ended their custom chip business with the company. Beyond AI chips, grid technology stocks have surged 30% this year, driven by the need to upgrade infrastructure, integrate renewable energy, and meet the high power demands of data centers, with global spending projected to reach $577 billion by 2027.

Key Takeaways

  • Vanguard projects 2.25% US economic growth in 2026 due to AI but warns of potentially modest US stock returns (5-7% annualized) due to high valuations.
  • The Invesco QQQ Trust, an AI index fund, includes Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft as top holdings, collectively making up 25% of the fund.
  • Marvell Technologies, an AI chipmaker, reported 37% revenue growth in Q3 FY2026, with its CEO denying rumors of Amazon and Microsoft ending custom chip deals.
  • First Voyage raised $2.5 million in seed funding for its AI habit app, Momo, which has facilitated over 2 million user tasks.
  • Opine secured $5 million in funding after 10x revenue growth in 2025 for its AI-native B2B technical sales workspace.
  • Notion, a productivity software company, is valued at $11 billion, with over $600 million in annual recurring revenue, half from its AI products, and counts OpenAI as a customer.
  • Mirelo raised $41 million for its AI model, Mirelo SFX v1.5, which adds synchronized sound effects to videos, bringing total funding to $44 million.
  • Grid technology stocks have surged 30% this year, with global spending expected to reach $577 billion by 2027, driven by infrastructure upgrades and data center power needs.
  • TipRanks' ETF AI analyst identified three Outperform-rated ETFs: FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund, VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF, and Federated Hermes MDT Large Cap Growth ETF.
  • Vanguard believes AI will not cause widespread job losses.

Marvell Technologies stock poised for growth

Marvell Technologies, an AI chipmaker, saw its stock drop this year despite strong 37% revenue growth in the third quarter of fiscal year 2026. CEO Matt Murphy denied rumors that Amazon and Microsoft ended their custom chip business with the company. Marvell also acquired Celestial AI to boost its scale. The company's stock appears undervalued compared to competitors like Nvidia and Broadcom, suggesting potential for future gains.

Vanguard warns AI boom may hurt US stock returns

Vanguard's annual forecast on December 15, 2025, suggests AI will boost economic growth, projecting 2.25% for the US in 2026. However, the firm warns that US stock returns may disappoint due to high valuations. Vanguard expects 5-7% annualized returns in its base case, with a low chance of 8-10%. Bonds, in contrast, show a more positive outlook. Vanguard also believes AI will not cause widespread job losses.

First Voyage raises 2.5 million for AI habit app Momo

First Voyage secured 2.5 million dollars in seed funding from investors like a16z speedrun and SignalFire. The company developed an AI companion app named Momo, which helps users build positive habits. CEO Besart Çopa reported that users have already created over 2 million tasks on the platform, focusing on areas like productivity and mindfulness. The new funds will help launch Momo on Android and make the AI more intelligent.

AI analyst names 3 top ETFs to buy

On December 15, 2025, TipRanks' ETF AI analyst identified three exchange-traded funds with an Outperform rating. These include the FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund, which focuses on stable, high-quality companies. The VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF tracks the 25 largest US-listed pharmaceutical firms. Lastly, the Federated Hermes MDT Large Cap Growth ETF aims to beat the Russell 1000 Growth Index by investing in fast-growing large companies.

Grid tech stocks soar beyond AI boom

Grid technology stocks have surged 30% this year, with experts like Steve Tusa from JPMorgan Chase & Co. predicting further growth. This rise is due to essential infrastructure needs, including upgrading old grids, adding renewable energy, and meeting high data center power demands. Companies like Vertiv Holdings Co. and Hyosung Heavy Industries Corp. have seen significant gains. Global spending on grids is expected to increase by 16% to 479 billion dollars this year, reaching 577 billion dollars by 2027. The Nasdaq OMX Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index has outperformed other major stock indices.

Opine raises 5 million for AI sales workspace

Opine secured 5 million dollars in funding, with 3 million dollars led by S3 Ventures, after achieving 10x revenue growth in 2025. The company will use this capital to expand its AI-native workspace, which streamlines complex B2B technical sales cycles. This platform unifies teams, data, and processes to automate tasks and improve handoffs from presales to post-sales. Opine serves elite tech customers such as Docker and Gainsight. CEO Akash Ganapathi stated the investment will enhance AI features and market presence.

Invesco QQQ Trust a smart AI investment

The Invesco QQQ Trust is a recommended AI index fund available for less than 1,000 dollars, currently priced at 623 dollars. This exchange-traded fund tracks the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq exchange. Its top holdings include Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft, which together make up 25% of the fund. The Invesco QQQ Trust offers exposure to various tech trends like AI, cloud computing, and digital payments. It has delivered a 497% total return over the past decade with a low 0.2% expense ratio.

Notion allows employee share sale at 11 billion valuation

Productivity software company Notion is letting its employees sell shares at an 11 billion dollar valuation. Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, and GIC will buy approximately 300 million dollars worth of shares. Notion recently exceeded 600 million dollars in annual recurring revenue, with half of that coming from its AI products. The company is cash flow positive and is considering more funding rounds before a possible initial public offering. Notion has 1,000 employees and counts OpenAI among its customers.

Mirelo raises 41 million for AI video sound effects

Berlin-based startup Mirelo raised 41 million dollars from Index and a16z, bringing its total funding to 44 million dollars. Mirelo's AI model, Mirelo SFX v1.5, adds synchronized sound effects to videos, addressing a common gap in AI video creation tools. This new capital will help Mirelo compete with larger companies like Sony and Tencent. CEO CJ Simon-Gabriel plans to double or triple their team of 10 people by next year to boost research and development and market strategy. The company offers a freemium model, with a recommended plan for creators at 20 euros per month.

Sources

NOTE:

This news brief was generated using AI technology (including, but not limited to, Google Gemini API, Llama, Grok, and Mistral) from aggregated news articles, with minimal to no human editing/review. It is provided for informational purposes only and may contain inaccuracies or biases. This is not financial, investment, or professional advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please verify all information with the linked original articles in the Sources section below.

AI Chipmaker Stock Market Investment AI Boom Economic Growth Vanguard Marvell Technologies Nvidia Broadcom ETFs AI Companion App Habit Building Productivity Mindfulness Funding AI Workspace B2B Sales Sales Automation Notion AI Products Valuation IPO OpenAI AI Video Sound Effects Grid Technology Infrastructure Data Centers Cloud Computing Digital Payments Microsoft Amazon Apple Mirelo Opine First Voyage Invesco QQQ Trust a16z Sequoia Capital Index Ventures S3 Ventures Renewable Energy Job Market Revenue Growth Custom Chips

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