Hut 8 Hits Record High After Big Tech AI Spend Lifts Crypto Miners

Stocktwits

Shares of crypto mining stocks gained on Wednesday following the earnings of Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT), which indicated that the tech giants plan on increasing their AI spend for the year.

Hut 8 (HUT) notched a new record high of $66.07, rising 4.46% on the day. HUT’s stock was down 1.24% after hours with retail sentiment on Stocktwits trending in the ‘bearish’ zone as chatter rose to ‘high’ from ‘normal’ levels over the past day.

The new all-time high came after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that the current phase of AI development is just the beginning, and Meta forecast capital expenditure between $115 billion and $135 million for 2026, beating analyst expectations.

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This bodes well for crypto miners, many of whom have recently pivoted from pure mining operations to AI and high performance computing (HPC) infrastructure hosting, including Hut 8. The company recently announced a 15-year, $7 billion agreement to provide AI data center capacity through infrastructure provider Fluidstack, with financial backing from Google (GOOGL).

Other Crypto Miners See Cautious Sentiment

Shares of Cleanspark (CLSK) edged 0.45% lower after hours, following a gain of 1.36% in regular trade. Retail sentiment around CLSK’s stock fell to ‘bearish’ from ‘neutral’ over the past day and chatter dipped to ‘low’ from ‘normal’ levels.

Cipher Mining (CIFR) rose 1.17% in regular trade but fell 0.90% after hours. Retail sentiment around CIFR’s stock, however, fell to ‘neutral’ from ‘bullish’ territory over the past day. Chatter remained at ‘high’ levels.

Smaller Crypto-Linked Equities Rebound After Hours

Exodus Movement (EXOD), iPower (IPW), and Genius Group (GNS) led gains among crypto-linked equities in overnight trading, rebounding after a heavy loss during the regular session, following the markets pessimistic reaction to the Federal Reserve holding interest rates steady.

EXOD’s stock price rose 3.84% after hours, after a loss of nearly 7.5% in regular trading. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around Exodus Movement remained in ‘bullish’ territory with chatter at ‘normal’ levels over the past day.

iPower followed, with IPW’s stock price up 3.39% after hours, following a dip of 7.71% in the regular session. Unlike EXOD, retail sentiment around IPW trended in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day as chatter fell to ‘extremely low’ from ‘low’ levels.

GNS’ stock price gained 2.75% in overnight trading after plummeting 6.9% on Wednesday but retail sentiment remained in ‘bullish’ territory over the past day, accompanied by ‘high’ levels of chatter.

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Taiwan stocks higher at close of trade; Taiwan Weighted up 0.79%

Investing.com

Investing.com – Taiwan stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Biotech & Medical Care, Chemical/Bio & Medical care and Electronic Products Distribution sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Taiwan, the Taiwan Weighted added 0.79% to hit a new all time high.

The best performers of the session on the Taiwan Weighted were Asia Plastic Recycling Holding Ltd (TW:1337), which rose 10.00% or 0.56 points to trade at 6.16 at the close. Meanwhile, Abnova Taiwan Corp (TW:4133) added 10.00% or 2.40 points to end at 26.40 and Golden Bridge Electech Inc (TW:6133) was up 10.00% or 2.55 points to 28.05 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Career Technology MFG Co Ltd (TW:6153), which fell 8.89% or 1.65 points to trade at 16.90 at the close. Acbel Polytech Inc (TW:6282) declined 8.50% or 5.00 points to end at 53.80 and Lemtech Holdings Co Ltd (TW:4912) was down 7.01% or 7.40 points to 98.10.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Taiwan Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.

Shares in Golden Bridge Electech Inc (TW:6133) rose to 3-years highs; gaining 10.00% or 2.55 to 28.05.

Crude oil for March delivery was up 1.42% or 0.90 to $64.11 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in April rose 1.20% or 0.81 to hit $68.18 a barrel, while the April Gold Futures contract rose 5.13% or 273.91 to trade at $5,614.11 a troy ounce.

USD/TWD was up 0.06% to 31.32, while TWD/CNY unchanged 0.05% to 0.22.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.34% at 95.95.

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Philippine Q4 GDP hits 5-year low, puts more rate cuts in focus

Investing.com

Advanced Micro Devices

-17.31%

Investing.com -- The Philippine economy grew at its slowest pace in almost five years during the fourth quarter of 2025, with full-year growth falling significantly short of government targets, official data showed on Thursday.

Gross domestic product expanded by just 3.0% in the fourth quarter compared to a year earlier, marking the weakest growth rate since the first quarter of 2021. This figure came in well below the 4.0% median forecast and brought the full-year growth to 4.4%, far below the government’s target range of 5.5% to 6.5%.

The economic slowdown was partly attributed to a corruption scandal linked to infrastructure projects, which hampered public spending and damaged both consumer and investor confidence.

Household consumption grew 3.8% year-on-year in the fourth quarter, down from 4.1% in the previous quarter. Government spending also slowed, rising 3.7% compared to 5.8% in the third quarter. Gross capital formation contracted sharply by 10.9%, worsening from a 2.8% decline in the prior quarter.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona had previously stated that a weaker-than-expected fourth quarter GDP would influence the central bank’s decision at its February 19 policy meeting.

The central bank has already reduced its benchmark rate by a total of 200 basis points to a three-year low of 4.5% in the current easing cycle, which Remolona has indicated was approaching its conclusion.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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MSFT Q4 Deep Dive: AI Investment Drives Cloud Growth, CapEx Concerns Emerge

Stock Story

Microsoft

+0.72%

Technology giant Microsoft reported Q4 CY2025 results exceeding the market’s revenue expectations, with sales up 16.7% year on year to $81.27 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $5.16 per share was 34.1% above analysts’ consensus estimates.

Microsoft (MSFT) Q4 CY2025 Highlights:

Revenue: $81.27 billion vs analyst estimates of $80.32 billion (1.2% beat)
Operating Profit (GAAP): $38.28 billion vs analyst estimates of $36.62 billion (4.5% beat)
EPS (GAAP): $5.16 vs analyst estimates of $3.85 (34.1% beat)
Intelligent Cloud Revenue: $0.02 vs analyst estimates of $32.34 billion (1.8% beat)
Business Software Revenue: $34.12 billion vs analyst estimates of $33.46 billion (2% beat)
Personal Computing Revenue: $14.25 billion vs analyst estimates of $15.77 billion (9.7% miss)
Gross Margin: 68%, in line with the same quarter last year
Operating Margin: 47.1%, up from 45.5% in the same quarter last year
Market Capitalization: $3.58 trillion

StockStory’s Take

Microsoft’s fourth quarter results were shaped by ongoing demand for its cloud and AI offerings, but the market’s response was notably negative. Management emphasized that strong growth in Microsoft Cloud, Azure, and business applications drove performance, while continued investment in AI infrastructure contributed to higher operating expenses. CEO Satya Nadella highlighted that “the Microsoft Cloud surpassed $50 billion in revenue for the first time,” reflecting accelerated adoption of AI-driven solutions and platform expansion. However, management acknowledged that higher capital expenditures and mixed signals from the personal computing segment created investor uncertainty.

Looking ahead, Microsoft’s outlook is closely tied to its ability to scale AI infrastructure and deliver value through both first-party and third-party cloud applications. Management expects demand for Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and AI-driven business applications to continue driving growth, but cautioned that capital allocation and supply constraints could affect the pace of expansion. CFO Amy Hood noted, “We must balance the need to have our incoming supply better meet growing Azure demand with expanding first-party AI usage,” and highlighted that ongoing investments in data centers and custom silicon will be critical for sustaining momentum in the coming quarters.

Key Insights from Management’s Remarks

Management attributed the quarter’s performance to robust AI-driven demand in the cloud, a broadened product portfolio, and ongoing investments in infrastructure and talent.

AI-powered cloud momentum: Microsoft Cloud’s rapid growth was led by customer adoption of AI services, with products like Copilot and Azure AI workloads driving a 26% increase in cloud revenue. Nadella emphasized that AI is “diffusing into every layer of the tech stack,” creating new business opportunities and expanding the addressable market.
Scalable infrastructure buildout: The company added nearly one gigawatt of data center capacity, investing heavily in GPUs, CPUs, and custom silicon such as the new Maya 200 accelerator. Nadella noted the Maya 200 “delivers 10 plus flops at FP4 precision with over 30% improved TCO compared to the latest generation hardware,” supporting the needs of high-scale AI workloads.
Diversification of AI product suite: Management highlighted momentum in both enterprise and developer-facing AI tools. Microsoft 365 Copilot saw a 160% increase in seat additions, with daily active users up 10x year over year, while GitHub Copilot subscribers rose 75%. These platforms are seen as incremental revenue streams with high lifetime value.
Personal Computing headwinds: The personal computing segment underperformed, with management citing ongoing softness in devices and gaming, as well as execution challenges in search and advertising. CFO Amy Hood acknowledged that “operating expenses increased 5% in constant currency, driven by the impairment charges in our gaming business.”
Global demand and supply constraints: Management stated that customer demand for cloud and AI services continues to exceed available supply, prompting ongoing global expansion of data center capacity and investments in sovereignty solutions to address local regulatory requirements.

Drivers of Future Performance

Microsoft’s future performance will hinge on scaling AI infrastructure, balancing capital investment, and meeting growing enterprise demand for AI-powered solutions.

AI platform expansion: Management expects continued strong demand for Copilot, Azure AI services, and custom agentic solutions across industries. The company believes that expanded Microsoft 365 Copilot and GitHub Copilot deployments will drive future revenue growth as customers increasingly integrate AI into workflows.
Capital allocation and supply risks: Hood highlighted the need to balance capital spending between first-party AI applications, research and development, and Azure cloud capacity. Management warned that “rising memory prices would impact capital expenditures,” and that ongoing supply constraints could limit the pace of revenue growth in the near term.
Personal computing and gaming recovery: While management sees ongoing challenges in the personal computing and gaming segments, they expect normalization in purchasing trends and inventory levels to support gradual improvement. However, they cautioned that volatility in memory pricing and consumer demand could create further headwinds.

Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters

In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will watch (1) the pace at which Microsoft can expand data center and silicon capacity to meet AI and cloud demand, (2) adoption and monetization trends for Copilot and agentic platforms across enterprise and developer segments, and (3) progress toward normalizing personal computing and gaming revenues. Shifts in memory pricing and supply chain efficiency will also be important indicators of future margin stability.

Microsoft currently trades at $452.03, down from $460 just before the earnings. Is there an opportunity in the stock?Find out in our full research report (it’s free).

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META Q4 Deep Dive: AI Acceleration Drives Revenue Outperformance and Guidance Upside

Stock Story

Meta Platforms

-3.28%

Social network operator Meta Platforms reported Q4 CY2025 results exceeding the market’s revenue expectations, with sales up 23.8% year on year to $59.89 billion. On top of that, next quarter’s revenue guidance ($55 billion at the midpoint) was surprisingly good and 7.1% above what analysts were expecting. Its non-GAAP profit of $8.88 per share was 8.6% above analysts’ consensus estimates.

Meta (META) Q4 CY2025 Highlights:

Revenue: $59.89 billion vs analyst estimates of $58.45 billion (23.8% year-on-year growth, 2.5% beat)
Adjusted EPS: $8.88 vs analyst estimates of $8.18 (8.6% beat)
Adjusted EBITDA: $36.05 billion vs analyst estimates of $35.09 billion (60.2% margin, 2.7% beat)
Revenue Guidance for Q1 CY2026 is $55 billion at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $51.34 billion
Operating Margin: 41.3%, down from 48.3% in the same quarter last year
Daily Active People: 3.58 billion, up 230 million year on year
Market Capitalization: $1.69 trillion

StockStory’s Take

Meta’s fourth quarter delivered results ahead of Wall Street expectations, with management attributing the upside to robust advertiser demand, continued improvements in AI-powered ad targeting, and engagement gains across the company’s core social platforms. CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that Meta’s AI-driven recommendation systems and new ad products were key contributors, noting a “major AI acceleration” that is beginning to unlock new user and business experiences. CFO Susan Li added that optimizations in both feed and video surfaces on Facebook and Instagram drove meaningful increases in engagement and monetization.

Looking forward, management’s guidance reflects strong expectations for further gains from AI investments, ongoing product rollouts, and infrastructure expansion. Zuckerberg stated that 2026 is expected to be a pivotal year for “personal superintelligence,” with new AI models and agentic products set to launch across Meta’s ecosystem. Li highlighted that upcoming improvements to ad ranking systems, increased training data, and further integration of AI into business messaging are expected to drive both engagement and revenue growth, even as the company navigates regulatory and investment headwinds.

Key Insights from Management’s Remarks

Meta’s management pointed to AI-driven improvements, product innovation, and stronger advertiser demand as central to the quarter’s performance, while also highlighting ongoing investment in infrastructure and new business lines.

AI-powered ad optimization: Meta credited its advanced AI ad ranking and delivery systems, including model consolidations and the GEM foundation model, for lifting ad conversion rates and increasing monetization efficiency across Facebook and Instagram.
Content and engagement gains: Improvements to content recommendations and the prevalence of original content, especially on Instagram and Threads, led to higher user engagement, with Threads seeing a 20% increase in time spent thanks to recommendation system upgrades.
Expansion of business messaging: Paid messaging on WhatsApp surpassed a $2 billion annual run rate, and click-to-message ads in the U.S. grew more than 50% year over year, as Meta continued to roll out business AI features to new markets.
Wearables and immersive experiences: Sales of Meta’s smart glasses more than tripled year over year, and the company is prioritizing investment in glasses and wearables while aiming to make VR a profitable ecosystem over time.
Infrastructure and talent investment: Meta made significant investments in data centers, servers, and AI technical talent, underpinning its push to scale MetaCompute and support future AI model development, while also pursuing efficiency in infrastructure and supply chain operations.

Drivers of Future Performance

Meta expects continued momentum in 2026, with AI advancements, advertiser demand, and infrastructure growth driving guidance, but regulatory and expense headwinds remain key considerations.

Ongoing AI model rollout: Management expects new AI models and tools to further enhance both user personalization and advertiser efficiency, with upcoming launches across Meta’s family of apps as well as new agentic shopping and content formats.
Rising infrastructure expenses: Significant increases in infrastructure and technical talent spending are planned to support AI scaling and new product development, with management acknowledging that these costs will pressure margins but are necessary for long-term competitive positioning.
Regulatory and legal headwinds: The company highlighted ongoing scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe, particularly regarding data privacy and youth issues, as potential risks that could impact product rollouts and monetization, especially given new requirements for less personalized ads in the EU.

Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters

In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the pace and impact of new AI product launches and their effect on user engagement, (2) execution on infrastructure investments and improvements in cost efficiency, and (3) regulatory developments in key markets, particularly around privacy and ad personalization in the EU and U.S. Progress in scaling business messaging and monetization of new content formats will also be critical signposts.

Meta currently trades at $713.06, up from $667.88 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? Find out in our full research report (it’s free).

Stocks That Trumped Tariffs

Your portfolio can’t afford to be based on yesterday’s story. The risk in a handful of heavily crowded stocks is rising daily.

The names generating the next wave of massive growth are right here in our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).

Stocks that have made our list include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return).

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Australia stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/ASX 200 down 0.07%

Investing.com

Advanced Micro Devices

Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the IT, Industrials and Consumer Discretionary sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.07%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were ASX Ltd (ASX:ASX), which rose 7.31% or 3.91 points to trade at 57.39 at the close. Meanwhile, Reece Ltd (ASX:REH) added 6.80% or 0.94 points to end at 14.77 and Sandfire Resources NL (ASX:SFR) was up 5.09% or 1.03 points to 21.28 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX:ILU), which fell 13.85% or 0.89 points to trade at 5.57 at the close. DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) declined 9.37% or 0.37 points to end at 3.58 and Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX:VEA) was down 8.58% or 0.18 points to 1.87.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 813 to 408 and 371 ended unchanged.

Shares in Sandfire Resources NL (ASX:SFR) rose to all time highs; up 5.09% or 1.03 to 21.28.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.27% to 10.38.

Gold Futures for April delivery was up 4.30% or 229.54 to $5,569.74 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 1.49% or 0.94 to hit $64.15 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 1.26% or 0.85 to trade at $68.22 a barrel.

AUD/USD was up 0.78% to 0.71, while AUD/JPY rose 0.46% to 108.52.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.36% at 95.93.

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Hyundai Motor Q4 profit slides more than expected on US tariff impact

Investing.com

Advanced Micro Devices

Investing.com-- Hyundai Motor (KS:005380) on Thursday clocked a bigger-than-expected drop in its fourth-quarter earnings as steep import tariffs in its biggest market, the U.S., largely offset any tailwinds from a weaker won.

The South Korean automaker posted an operating profit of 1.7 trillion won ($1.19 billion) for the three months to December 31. The print was well below Bloomberg estimates for a print of 2.7 trillion won, and also fell 40% from the 2.8 trillion won logged last year.

The weaker print was driven chiefly by U.S. trade tariffs, with the company remaining subject to a 15% blanket duty as set out by a November trade deal between Seoul and Washington.

Hyundai’s fourth quarter revenue fell to 46.8 trillion won, also missing estimates of 48.1 trillion won.

The South Korean automaker, along with affiliate Kia Corp (KS:000270), is the world’s third-largest by sales. The two sold a combined 7.27 million vehicles in 2025 and clocked strong demand in North America despite increased U.S. tariffs.

But the duties appeared to be eating into Hyundai’s margins, with the automaker stating that U.S. tariffs had a negative impact of 1.5 trillion won on its operating profit in the fourth quarter.

Hyundai said it was targeting an operating margin of 6.3% to 7.3% in 2026, and that revenue was expected to rise between 1% to 2% from last year.

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