Palantir raises $574 million as Nvidia invests in AI data centers

Key Takeaways

Fortive Keeps 2026 Earnings Guidance and Expands Buybacks

Fortive reported first-quarter 2026 results with revenue of US$1,069.4 million and net income of US$136.4 million. The company boosted its share repurchase authorization to 72,378,691 shares, leaving 20,000,000 shares available for future buybacks. Management highlighted strong demand in Intelligent Operating Solutions and Advanced Healthcare Solutions, where AI-enhanced offerings are growing faster than overall sales. Fortive reaffirmed its full-year adjusted earnings per share guidance, projecting US$4.5 billion in revenue and US$741.9 million in earnings by 2028. Investors should note that while AI momentum is positive, the company still faces risks from cyclical public sector spending and trade policy uncertainty.

nVent Electric Shares Rise on Record AI Data Center Sales

nVent Electric reported first-quarter 2026 results showing sales rising to US$1,242 million from US$809.3 million the previous year. Net income declined to US$142.4 million, but earnings per share from continuing operations increased. The company now has a record backlog of US$2.60 billion, driven largely by demand for AI-driven data center solutions. This strong order book supports the view that accelerating electrification and digitalization are filling the company's pipeline. Analysts have revised their expectations for nVent's earnings power and growth profile based on this AI-fueled demand.

Eaton Reports Strong Q1 Sales but Issues Cautious 2026 Guidance

Eaton reported first-quarter 2026 results with sales rising to US$7,451 million from US$6,377 million a year earlier. However, net income fell to US$866 million due to higher deal and investment costs. Management issued second-quarter diluted earnings per share guidance of US$2.29 to US$2.39 and full-year 2026 guidance of US$10.88 to US$11.33. The company is seeing strong growth in its Electrical and Aerospace segments linked to AI data center demand. Eaton is also managing the costs of US$11 billion in recent acquisitions, including Boyd Thermal and Ultra PCS, while planning a Mobility spin-off.

YY Group Launches Yolara AI Platform to Solve Hotel Staffing

YY Group announced a strategic update on its transition to an AI-native workforce management platform operating across 12 countries. The company reported FY2025 revenue of US$57.2 million, a 39.3% increase from the prior year. YY Group reaffirmed FY2026 revenue guidance between US$103 million and US$110 million and expects non-IFRS profitability in that fiscal year. Its first AI product, Yolara, is designed to help hotels hire management-level roles like revenue managers and sales directors. The platform is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2026.

YY Group Unveils Yolara, Its First AI Product for Hospitality

YY Group is building its AI capabilities around four modules covering talent, workflow, data, and agentic automation. Yolara is the company's first product, launching in the third quarter of 2026, and extends its YY Circle platform to white-collar hospitality recruiting. The tool uses AI-driven candidate discovery and screening technology developed through a partnership with Arros AI. This technology has previously reduced recruiter workloads by approximately 80% in other deployments. YY Group aims to integrate these AI tools to manage the full spectrum of hospitality labor, from frontline staff to executive roles.

Advocacy Group Wants AI Labs to Pass Safety Review for US Contracts

Americans for Responsible Innovation urged the Trump administration to screen cutting-edge artificial intelligence models for security threats before public release. The group stated that companies should pass a safety review to be eligible for lucrative government contracts. The proposed requirements would apply to companies spending US$100 million or more annually on compute for training frontier models or generating US$500 million in annual revenue from AI products. The U.S. Center for AI Standards and Innovation is encouraged to lead in developing mandatory requirements, with Congress creating a permanent enforcement office within the Department of Commerce.

Soluna Holdings Stock Surges on AI Compute and Wind Farm Deal

Soluna Holdings stock price surged 36.6% recently following news of its Project Dorothy expansion and a pivot toward AI compute. The company filed for a US$2.66 million shelf registration to issue up to 2,459,400 common shares. Soluna advanced its campus by acquiring the 150 MW Briscoe Wind Farm and gaining full ownership of Project Dorothy 1A. New partnerships with Sazmining and Blockware support plans for up to 300 MW of AI-focused compute capacity powered by renewable energy.

PayPal Uses AI to Speed Up Engineering Roadmaps by 40%

PayPal has integrated AI tools to accelerate its development cycles, reporting a 40% increase in roadmap throughput. The company completed a massive Java upgrade in record time using the AI tool Cursor. Teams with high adoption rates of Cursor, often exceeding 90%, reported significant improvements in deployment frequency and lead times. PayPal leadership views this shift as a return to startup-like agility while maintaining enterprise stability. The company now expects to deliver 40% more capabilities in 2026 compared to 2025.

RoboStrategy Fund Lists on Nasdaq to Trade Robotics Stocks

RoboStrategy, Inc. began trading on NASDAQ on May 11, 2026, under the ticker symbol BOT. It is a closed-end investment fund focused on robotics and physical AI companies. This single stock gives investors access to a portfolio of private, pre-IPO, and public robotics firms. The fund's portfolio includes well-known names such as Figure AI, Apptronik, Dyna Robotics, Standard Bots, and Dexmate. It aims to bridge the gap between private venture capital and public markets for these innovators.

Cathie Wood Maintains Large Palantir Stake in AI Portfolio

Cathie Wood's investment firm, ARK Invest, holds a massive position in Palantir Technologies valued at approximately US$574 million. Palantir remains one of Wood's biggest AI bets in 2026 due to its role in defense modernization and government contracts. The company has transformed from a secretive contractor into a key AI infrastructure provider with integrated platforms like Foundry, Gotham, and Apollo. Its new Artificial Intelligence Platform, AIP, integrates advanced AI models directly into operational workflows for governments and organizations.

Broadridge Deploys Agentic AI for Capital Markets Operations

Broadridge Financial Solutions announced that its agentic artificial intelligence capabilities are now live in production. These tools analyze, prioritize, and resolve operational exceptions without constant human instruction. The capabilities span capital markets and wealth management workflows and include two partnership paths for clients. Broadridge has tested these technologies with more than 40 clients since 2024, processing millions of operational transactions monthly. The company's platforms handle over 7 billion communications annually and support daily trading of more than US$15 trillion.

Investors Focus on Corning as Critical AI Supply Chain Stock

Corning Glassworks has become a spotlight for investors due to its critical role in the AI supply chain. The company's market cap grew from over US$100 billion in February to over US$160 billion recently. This surge was partly driven by a half-billion dollar investment from Nvidia for glass fiber needed for AI data centers. Investors are rewarding Corning for its essential materials in the ongoing AI buildout.

Marketers Struggle with Flat Budgets and High AI Expectations

Chief marketing officers are facing flat budgets while being asked to invest in media, creative, and AI simultaneously. According to Gartner, advertisers spend an average of 7.8% of company revenue on marketing, a small increase from last year. Within that budget, companies allocate an average of 15.3% to AI initiatives for tasks like chatbots and automated creative production. However, more than half of CMOs say their teams lack the budget to meet annual objectives. Only 5% of businesses have successfully scaled AI beyond the pilot stage.

Sources

• Reaffirmed EPS Guidance and AI Momentum Could Be A Game Changer For Fortive (FTV)
• nVent Electric (NVT) Is Up 6.6% After AI Data Center Backlog Lifts Record Sales
• How Eaton’s Q1 2026 Results and AI-Fueled Shift Shape the Outlook for ETN Investors
• AI hiring push: YY Group’s Yolara targets hotel staff shortages worldwide
• YY Group Holding Limited Unveils Yolara, Its First AI-Powered Product for the Hospitality Industry
• AI labs should pass safety review to get US government contracts, group says
• Soluna Holdings (SLNH) Is Up 36.6% After Project Dorothy Expansion And AI Compute Pivot
• PayPal's AI Leap: 40% Faster Roadmaps
• A single stock to back Figure AI and other robot builders hits Nasdaq
• Cathie Wood AI Stock Trades: Why Palantir Technologies (PLTR) Remains One Of Cathie Wood’s Biggest AI Bets In 2026
• AI Product & Service Launches
• AI: The investment FOMO around AI supply chains. AI-RTZ #1083
• Marketers strain to juggle media budgets, AI and high expectations from CEOs