Google's parent company Alphabet reported a substantial decline in YouTube's advertising revenue for the third consecutive quarter. Sales in Q1 2023 dropped 2.6% YoY to reach $6.69bn, down 7.8% since Q4 2022 and 1.9% since Q3 2022. The company’s Q1 earnings beat Wall Street forecasts, driven by sustained performance from its search engine, which reached $40.4bn, up 1.87% YoY. Google's long-term reliance on the search business has become increasingly precarious, as search investments become more concentrated with Bing and ChatGPT stealing users in recent times.  

The search giant is purportedly intensifying its efforts to expand its AI capabilities and add generative AI features to Google Workspace offerings like Gmail and Docs. The company has combined its Brain and DeepMind groups, which CEO Sundar Pichai said is aimed at "significantly accelerate our progress in AI." Google also reported for the first time that its cloud business is profitable.

PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM) has been observing increased popularity among investors lately, raising the question of whether it is a good investment opportunity in the near future. According to Zacks Equity Research, revisions to earnings estimates serve as one of the most valuable indicators of a company's future prospects. Although PulteGroup is expected to report a year-over-year earnings decrease of 2.7%, it is predicted to have a change of 7.4 for the current fiscal year, which does not show any alterations in the last 30 days. This company's consensus earnings estimate for the next fiscal year is $7.24, a slight decrease from the previous year's report. Meanwhile, a significant change in stock performance is observed recently, with PulteGroup's shares growing 8.5% over a month, compared to the 5.7% increase of the Zacks S&P 500 composite. While the earnings estimates and stock performance indicate potential growth for PulteGroup, investors should conduct additional research to make an informed investment decision.

Google parent company Alphabet has authorized $70 billion in share buybacks, according to a recent announcement by the company, with shares rising over 3% in extended trading. The move has attracted attention due to the company's recent layoffs and cost-cutting measures, which were implemented last year. Alphabet cited "a different economic reality" and overhiring as the reasons behind the cutbacks. Though some politicians, including President Joe Biden, have criticized share buybacks and have supported a 1% tax on such practice, investors like Warren Buffett have supported share repurchases, arguing that they make existing shares more valuable by reducing the number of outstanding stocks. Alphabet's buyback authorization is expected to be executed from time to time, with the company taking into consideration the economic cost and prevailing market conditions. With Alphabet repurchasing more of its own stock than any other company aside from Apple in 2022, it remains to be seen if the buybacks will go towards increasing shareholder value, while also addressing the company's financial struggles.

Almost a year after its last announcement, Alphabet's board of directors has authorized a buyback of $70 billion worth of stock shares by Google, its parent company. The purchase is expected to be "executed from time to time, subject to general business and market conditions, and other investment opportunities, through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, including through Rule 10b5-1 plans," according to the Q1 2023 earnings report. The goal of the buyback is to ultimately return capital to shareholders. Google's Q1 2023 earnings results beat EPS and revenue expectations and brought in $69.78 billion in revenue. Google stock ended the trading day slightly down but saw modest after-hours trading gains. This announcement comes almost a year after Google's previous $70 billion stock buyback, which was nearly triple the amount the company had purchased in 2019.

Investors are concerned that the Federal Reserve may increase interest rates to cool inflation, leading to a dip in US stock futures on Monday. The broader earnings season has been solid, thanks to better-than-expected profits from the biggest US banks, including JPMorgan. However, Refinitiv forecasts predict collective S&P 500 earnings are likely to fall by 4.7% from last year to a share-weighted $421.0 billion. Coca-Cola and First Republic were the first companies to release earnings reports today, followed later in the week by Microsoft and other big tech firms. Benchmark 2-year Treasury note yields were little-changed from their Friday close at 4.15% in overnight trading, while 10-year paper was changing hands at 3.535%. These high interest rates, fuelled by inflation concerns, are affecting other markets, with Credit Suisse revealing investors pulled 61.2 billion Swiss francs ($68.6 billion) in assets in the first quarter. Struggling regional banks like First Republic suffered the worst, with shares sinking 22.31% in overnight trading.

Twitter has recently introduced a verified organizations feature, which enables businesses and government bodies alike to manage verification and affiliate any related accounts. After purchasing a subscription, verified organizations will receive a gold checkmark, additional tools for managing verification, custom organization profiles, elevated tweet and media upload limits, and more. The cost for this service is a hefty Rs 82,300 per month, plus any additional tax, with each supplemented account costing an additional Rs 4,120. Despite the cost, several large firms, including Hogan Lovells, Holland & Knight, and Vinson & Elkins, have already begun to pay for Twitter's blue checkmark. These companies claim the expense is worth it for the added security, analytics, and data that comes along with it. Some individuals have called out Elon Musk, who has allowed famous celebrities like LeBron James and Barack Obama to keep their badges free of charge while requiring others to pay for the verification service. Whether or not the cost is worth it must be evaluated on a case-by-case business, but with the added protection from impersonation and account affiliation capabilities, the verified organizations feature could prove to be quite valuable for some.

Dillon Brooks has been known for walking the line between hard fouls and dirty hits during his career in the NBA. However, his recent hit on LeBron James during Game 3 of the playoffs has raised questions about whether he has gone too far. Brooks received a flagrant 2 and was ejected after swiping at the ball but instead making contact with James' groin area. This comes after a post-game comment in which Brooks stated, "I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40". Brooks has also been involved in other controversial incidents during his career, including body-checking Gary Payton II mid-air and hitting Donovan Mitchell between the legs for no apparent reason. Despite this, he remains a key player for the Memphis Grizzlies and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Teams around the league are monitoring his situation, but the Grizzlies see him as a long-term piece. As for his next contract, teams will likely be willing to pay around $13-$15 million a year for his services. The question remains: will Brooks continue to walk the line, or will he finally cross it?

Recently, the New York State Teachers Retirement System revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that it sold 16,179 shares (4.2% of stake) during Q4 2022, resulting in its ownership of 373,399 shares, worth $11.3m, in Fox Co. FOXA stocks painted a bullish trend in the past year, until now. This move may come as a surprise to some, but it mirrors the calculated decisions institutional investors make; after all, New York State Teachers Retirement System needs to calibrate its portfolio often. Meanwhile, insider Viet D. Dinh sold 72,207 FOX shares in February at an average price of $35.91, totaling to $2.59m. Though this may signal a negative sentiment towards the company's financial health, it can be viewed positively as investors remain engaged.

FOXA stocks opened at $33.94 last Friday, with a peak of $40.12 in the past few weeks. Investors should keep a close watch on further developments and consider their options, while factoring in personal financial goals and market trends.