All articles tagged with #software
ETF Action’s Mike Akins says software and cloud names, coupled with overlooked small- and mid-cap stocks, could drive gains in the second half as the Magnificent Seven lagged early on; early signs show a potential catch-up rally with expanding multiples so far this year.
California lawmakers advanced tax measures within a $356 billion state budget, extending a health-care provider tax to private insurance plans (potentially about $2 billion annually and premium increases around $100 a year for individuals or $400 for a family of four) and adding a software sales tax projected to raise about $900 million annually. Republicans criticized the move as worsening costs, while Democrats argued it’s needed amid federal revenue losses, with Gov. Newsom expected to signinto law.
Barclays initiated coverage on IBM with an Overweight rating and a $350 price target, praising IBM's shift toward software and its hybrid-cloud platform as key growth drivers, and expects mid-single-digit organic revenue growth with improving margins as AI (WatsonX), data products, and quantum computing opportunities support the business.
Rivian’s software chief Wassym Bensaid tells Decoder that AI-powered in-car systems will redefine how users interact with apps, making the CarPlay debate obsolete as vehicles become AI-defined. The shift is underscored by Rivian’s data showing CarPlay requests falling from about 70% of customers five years ago to under 25% more recently, as the company leans into its own software and an AI assistant.
OpenAI is testing ads inside ChatGPT, expanding from early February trials to a broader ad platform. Ads are still rare (about 1–2% of prompts, often one per conversation) and currently skew toward software tools and travel brands, with health ads notably scarce. Advertisers can’t access chats, and OpenAI says the effort is in early days and designed to be non-intrusive, as the AI chat platform with nearly 1 billion weekly users eyes monetization opportunities.
Nvidia is ending the Windows Control Panel by migrating its features to the Nvidia app with driver release 610.47; the old Control Panel won’t install by default, though it remains available for RTX Pro/Quadro workstation drivers and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store for now. The Nvidia app adds modern features like DLSS overrides and driver updates, offering faster, more integrated functionality.
U.S. stocks eased off record levels as a soft software outlook—driven by ServiceNow’s weaker margins and guidance—weighed on tech, while geopolitical jitters from Iran added risk concerns. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Russell 2000 closed lower, though Intel beat on Q1 results and provided solid guidance that lifted fellow chipmakers. Notable movers included Applied Digital rallying on a $7.5 billion hyperscaler lease, Oklo surging after a Nvidia collaboration, and Super Micro dropping on a Bloomberg note about Oracle canceling a large contract. Energy moves persisted as gas prices ticked around $4.03 per gallon and oil hovered near $100 per barrel, underscoring ongoing volatility amid earnings news and geopolitical headlines.
Software stocks sank after ServiceNow and IBM results renewed fears that AI could disrupt the cloud-subscription model, with Salesforce, Workday and Oracle also lower; ServiceNow cited U.S.-Iran conflict as a headwind, IBM beat on earnings but offered softer guidance, and the sector remains under pressure this year as investors await results from Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft.
Investors dumped U.S. software stocks after IBM and ServiceNow reported results that triggered AI-related worries about demand and margins, with IBM down about 11% and ServiceNow plunging around 14–15%, dragging the broader software sector lower amid renewed AI-saturation concerns.
Reddit users on r/software highlight ten open-source apps that run well on Windows 11—Firefox, Bitwarden, VLC, OBS Studio, LibreOffice, 7-Zip, LocalSend, GIMP, Blender, and PowerToys—emphasizing privacy, offline access, and avoidance of vendor lock-in. The list is not ranked, and the piece also notes other OSS favorites that didn’t make the cut, underscoring a trend toward more control over Windows 11 software.
Futures point to a higher open as investors weigh optimism for a U.S.–Iran peace deal, softer oil pressures, and today’s March PPI; JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup beat quarterly estimates, though JPMorgan trimmed its 2026 net interest income outlook; Oracle expanded a Bloom Energy deal, lifting software names; Swalwell’s resignation and Gonzales’s retirement add political noise ahead of the midterms; Delta unveils an updated Delta One premium suite for long-haul flights as airlines push higher-value cabins.
SaaS stocks attempted a modest rebound after a brutal selloff fueled by AI concerns, with Oracle rallying nearly 9% and Salesforce, ServiceNow, Cloudflare, Snowflake and Zscaler rebounding alongside broader buying interest; Dan Ives argued the decline was overdone, while Jim Cramer celebrated a “software empire strikes back” as investors rotate back into marquee software names.
Software stocks are under renewed pressure as the IGV ETF tests a key technical support level; a BTIG strategist warns that repeated tests increase the odds of a breakdown, with high‑profile names like Okta, Snowflake, Zscaler, Palantir and ServiceNow down sharply, suggesting the sector could fall further even as broader tech dynamics remain mixed (semiconductors showing strength while software underperforms).
The software market is separating winners from losers amid AI disruption. Microsoft and Oracle appear resilient, with Microsoft’s intelligent cloud and Oracle’s compute power sales to OpenAI supporting growth, while peers like Adobe faced declines after mixed earnings and AI-driven competition, underscoring a shifting landscape for software stocks.
Microsoft’s Windows 11 March 2026 update KB5079473 adds features such as Sysmon, enhanced Windows Backup, Quick Machine Recovery, and a built-in speed test, alongside WebP desktop background support and RSAT on ARM; it also delivers faster Windows Update, more reliable File Explorer search, and other bug fixes, with the update rolling out via Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog.