A.I. Investments Carry Amazon Over $2 Trillion Valuation Threshold
By The Associated Press
FILE - An Amazon Prime truck is seen on April 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. Amazon hits a stock market valuation of $2 trillion for the first time on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.(AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com Inc. surpassed $2 trillion in market value for the first time in afternoon trading on Wednesday.
The push higher for Amazon’s stock market valuation comes a little more than a week after Nvidia hit $3 trillion and briefly became the most valuable company on Wall Street. Nvidia's chips are used to power many AI application and its valuation has soared as a result.
Amazon has also been making big investments in AI as global interest has grown in the technology. Most of the company’s focus has been on business-focused products, including AI models and a chatbot called Q, which Amazon makes available to businesses that use its cloud computing unit AWS.
In April, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that AI capabilities have reaccelerated AWS’ growth and that it was on pace for $100 billion in annual revenue. The unit had slowed down in growth last year as companies cut down on costs amid high inflation.
The tech giant has also invested $4 billion in the San Francisco-based AI company Anthropic to develop so-called foundation models that underpin the generative AI systems. Amazon also makes and designs its own AI chips.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
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