🎪 The Microsoft show

Microsoft and Alphabet showed investors their books | Aramco decided not to pump out more oil – yet | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH   Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for January 31st in 3:10 minutes.   🔮 They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So join us for [The Inevitable Future of Cryptocurrency]( February 20th, and see whether the digital assets can emerge victorious from a lifetime of setbacks. [Grab a free ticket]( Today's big stories - Microsoft’s results came in just above (already high) expectations, while Alphabet’s fell short - Last year was all about the giants of tech, but this could be one for the little guys – [Read Now]( - Aramco delayed plans to ramp up oil production, presumably hoping that the world’s green-minded moment will pass The Star And The Understudy [The Star And The Understudy] What’s going on here? [Microsoft]( stole the show when it released results on Tuesday, leaving Alphabet lurking in the wings. What does this mean? Investors had already pulled Microsoft’s stock up by 10% this year before the world’s biggest firm announced its results, so they would’ve been hoping for evidence that their faith was well-placed. Well, they got it: Microsoft’s cloud business, Azure, made 30% more revenue last quarter than the same time last year, a little better than the 28% that markets expected. That overshadowed Alphabet: Google’s parent company saw its cloud business pick up by 24%, an improvement from the last quarter’s 22% but more than a whisper shy of Microsoft’s division. Why should I care? For markets: Dread in the clouds. Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon have all shared one gripe – and it’s not the world’s mounting skepticism about a future run by machines and screens. The cloud divisions in all three companies had been slowing down, with revenue at Microsoft’s branch increasing by half as much a couple of quarters ago compared to the last quarter of 2021. But these latest results will reassure investors about Microsoft’s prospects, at least, and Amazon’s upcoming announcement will paint a picture for the sector as a whole. For you personally: Tick tock, tech. The Magnificent Seven took over stock markets together last year, but that tight bond seems to be fraying a little. Tesla’s results were the financial equivalent of a failed parallel park, and while Microsoft’s stats look decent, investors seem to have an issue with Alphabet’s slower-than-expected cloud growth. Apple, Meta, and Amazon will chime in on Thursday, but Nvidia – last year’s stock market success story – is a master of suspense: the most important chipmaker in the world won’t clue investors in until later in February. You might also like: [Earnings season preview: here’s what matters for Apple](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=The Star And The Understudy&utm_campaign=daily-global-31-01-2024&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Why It Might Be Time For A Small-Cap Comeback [Why It Might Be Time For A Small-Cap Comeback]( By Russell Burns, Analyst If you think a rising tide [lifts all boats](, you should try telling that to stocks. Sure, the [Magnificent Seven]( tech stocks and Europe’s [GRANOLA]( shares have been buoyant this past year, floating on AI hype and the increasingly sunny mood among investors. But their [smaller peers]( have all but run aground. Still, [a tide can always turn](, so it’s worth taking a look at the big stocks and their smaller peers from both sides of the pond, to see which are seaworthy. That’s today’s Insight: [why it might be time for a small-cap comeback](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY INVESTALERT Your chance to pilot a cutting-edge investing tool InvestAlert.ai is revolutionizing the investment landscape. By creating a super-smart Portfolio Copilot, InvestAlert.ai is fitting everyday investors out with a sophisticated yet cost-efficient digital advisor. So now, retail investors can receive expert-level guidance about their [portfolio construction, risk management, and performance]( – an experience usually reserved for institutional investors, the rich or well-connected. And if you’re quick, you can be one of the first. InvestAlert.ai is looking for investors who actively use platforms like eToro and Robinhood to [try out the Portfolio Copilot™ first-hand for free](. All you need to do is [register and include your broker name in the referral code box](, and you could be at the forefront of the digital investing age. [Discover More]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. Hold Your Peace [Hold Your Peace] What’s going on here? Saudi Arabia’s state-controlled oil titan [Aramco]( read the room, deciding against plans to produce more oil while the world is in a kumbaya moment. What does this mean? Aramco already cranks out 12 million barrels of oil a day, making it the world’s biggest exporter of black gold. Trillion-dollar companies don’t tend to take it easy, though, and Aramco’s already secured funding to churn out another million barrels a day by 2027. Problem is, there might not be anyone to sell to. Global economies have been pulled down by inflation, meaning major industries that usually guzzle oil are on something of a hunger fast. What’s more, governments are pushing firms toward more sustainable energy sources. That’s why OPEC – the group of the world’s biggest oil-exporting nations – has been tinkering with supply to match faltering demand, an effort to keep prices steady. So unfortunately for Aramco, this isn’t the time to throw more barrels into the already stuffed oil market. And if the green transition keeps its pace, that time may never come at all. Why should I care? For markets: Saving the planet is pricey. Governments and companies around the world aren’t putting enough money where their mouths are, according to BloombergNEF. While nearly $2 trillion was invested into the green transition last year, some 17% more than the year before, that’s pennies compared to the amount needed to pull off net zero by 2030. In fact, the research organization believes sustainable-minded spending must double from here on out in order to hit that goal. Zooming in: The prayer circle is broken. Not every company is ready to bid goodbye to the heady days of oil fumes and long, boozy expensed client lunches, though. [Activist]( investors have been pushing ExxonMobil to lower its carbon emissions, but that well-intentioned idea doesn’t exactly jibe with the oil and gas giant’s business plan. So, Exxon filed a lawsuit. Let’s just hope the firm’s kitchens are stocked with paper straws, at least. You might also like: [Hedge funds racked up huge profits last year betting against disaster](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Hold Your Peace&utm_campaign=daily-global-31-01-2024&utm_source=email) SPONSORED BY HEALTHWORDS.AI The ChatGPT of self-care [healthwords.ai]( is poised to revolutionize healthcare. Forget waiting for appointments or Googling symptoms: [healthwords.ai]( answers health questions in seconds, connects users with doctors in hours, and delivers over-the-counter medicines the same day. And now, Finimizers can invest in one of the UK’s most advanced AI companies: [healthwords.ai is raising pre-IPO funding]( ahead of product launches in the US, UK, and Middle East. Shares cost $1,000 each, and it just takes three clicks to [own a part of the platform that’s set on improving the world’s health](. This is your chance to [shape the future of healthcare.]( [Find Out More]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 💬 Quote of the day "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." – Niels Bohr (a Danish physicist) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY BIOSTEM This could be your way into a $18 billion medical market – no PhD required [Regenerative medicine]( is tipped to be a staple of future healthcare. That’s a future that we’re inching close to, not least because [Biostem (OTC:BSEM)]( is on a mission to discover, develop, and produce the world’s most effective regenerative medicine products. The company’s specifically focused on perinatal tissue allografts, that’s transplants developed from materials like the placenta, which have been used in a rudimentary form since the early 1990s. But these are different: [OTC:BSEM is using cutting-edge technology to transform wound care]( for patients who would otherwise suffer long and painful recoveries. And with a [Q code]( that means the medicine can be reimbursed on Medicare, OTC:BSEM stands to seize much of the [global stem cell market that’s predicted to be worth $18 billion by 2028](. If you’re interested in the next frontier of medicine, you might want to [check out OTC:BSEM]( Zack’s Small Cap Research recently increased OTC:BSEM's [stock price estimate]( to $9.25, after all. [Find Out More]( This content is for US investors only, if you are not a US investor please ignore this content. This content is a paid advertisement for BioStem (OTC:BSEM) from Sideways Frequency and Finimize. This is not Finimize editorial content. Finimize received a fixed fee for producing, hosting and promoting this content on behalf of BioStem (OTC:BSEM), totalling $12,000. Other than the compensation received for this service, Finimize and its principals are not affiliated with either Sideways Frequency or BioStem (OTC:BSEM). Finimize and its principals have no ownership in BioStem (OTC:BSEM). The content on this page should not be taken as advice, an endorsement, or a recommendation from Finimize and its principals to buy or sell any security. Finimize and its principals have not evaluated the accuracy of any claims made on this page. Finimize and its principals recommend that investors do their own independent research and consult with a qualified investment professional before buying or selling any security. Investing is inherently risky and capital is at risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🎯 On Our Radar 1. Not every mystery is solved. [Amelia Earhart’s]( might have been, though. 2. The beginning of the end… probably. Elon Musk says a human has been [Neuralink-ed]( for the first time. 3. Now that’s epic. [Universal’s newest park]( is Bob Iger’s worst nightmare. SPONSORED BY HEALTHWORDS.AI [HEALTHWORDS.AI]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌍 Finimize Live 🤩 Coming Up Soon... All events in UK time. 📈 [Investing Beyond Stocks And Bonds](: 5pm, February 1st 💉 [The Rise of AI-Driven Healthcare Investments](: 5pm, February 13th 💰 [The Inevitable Future of Cryptocurrency](: 5pm, February 20th ❤️ Share with a friend Thanks for reading {NAME}. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. [Give feedback]( Want to advertise with us too? 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