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Market Data Table
Breakfast News: Alphabet’s AI Ambitions
September 16, 2025
Monday's Markets
S&P 500
6,615 (+0.47%)
Nasdaq
22,349 (+0.94%)
Dow
45,883 (+0.11%)
Bitcoin
115,307 (-0.37%)
Chart depicting Alphabet's earnings over the past 5 years.

1) Alphabet Commits $6.8 Billion to U.K. AI

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) has announced plans to invest $6.8 billion over two years in artificial intelligence (AI) development in the U.K., as Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat outlined the "profound opportunities" in the country.

  • "Pioneering work in advanced science": Porat will be part of the team opening a $1 billion data center in the U.K. today, with further funds being used for expanding Google's AI unit, DeepMind, along with expanding the search and maps products.
  • Google Gemini overtakes ChatGPT as the most popular iPhone app: Google's flagship AI model has dethroned ChatGPT in both the U.K. and U.S. App Store charts, with the viral success of its image generator since its release in August.
2) Oracle Rises on News of TikTok Deal

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) closed almost 3.5% higher following the U.S. and China reaching a preliminary deal on TikTok, with Oracle emerging as the top candidate to buy the U.S. operations of the social media app.

  • "A deal was also reached on a 'certain' company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save": President Donald Trump hinted at the agreement earlier Monday, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later confirming the framework ahead of the Sept. 17 U.S. ban on TikTok if it doesn't divest ownership.
  • Oracle servers store TikTok's U.S. user data: Oracle was previously in discussions with the White House regarding the purchase, with an existing overlap with business relationships.
3) Trump's Fed Pick Confirmed for Rate Vote

President Trump's Federal Reserve Governor nominee Stephen Miran was confirmed just in time to participate in the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting this week, with existing Governor Lisa Cook remaining in place following a Court of Appeals ruling.

  • Both can cast votes on interest rate decisions: The president has made it clear that he wants interest rates lowered, with Miran potentially looking to push for a larger rate cut of 0.5% this week, versus the consensus view of 0.25%.
  • Securities and Exchange Commission prioritizing Trump's push on quarterly reporting: Wall Street's main regulator is under pressure to remove the mandate for listed companies to report earnings on a quarterly basis, potentially reducing a short-term management focus.
4) PLAY and HAIN Suffer Earnings Woes

Recently recommended as a sell in Rule Breakers, Dave & Buster's (NASDAQ:PLAY) fell over 17% after the market closed following Q2 earnings that missed analyst expectations, with declining same-store sales as the new CEO attempts to drive a turnaround.

  • "I believe there has been a very clear executional failure that will be rectified": On the earnings call, CEO Tarun Lal outlined previous missteps that impacted the quarter, including a lack of training, excessive promotions, and overemphasis on certain items.
  • A cocktail of lower sales and operational challenges: Hain Celestial (NASDAQ:HAIN) closed down almost 25% after posting disappointing results and failing to provide any financial guidance for fiscal 2026, with a formal strategic review of the business now underway.
5) U.S. Treasury Bonds Top Global Peers

U.S. Treasury bonds have returned 5.8% so far this year, the best-performing bond out of the 15 largest sovereign debt markets, as short-term yields fall with the prospect of interest rate cuts.

  • Fed rate cuts looming: Interest rate futures are now pricing in almost three 0.25% cuts through to year-end, with concerns around the labor market acting to push up bond prices (and lower yields) with investor purchases.
  • Excess yield versus global peers at three-year low: The differential between the yield on Treasuries and global sovereign bonds fell to 120 basis points, down from 200 basis points in January, due to poor sentiment in other nations, such as Japan and France.
6) Your Take

In yesterday's episode of the Motley Fool Money podcast, Rule Breakers analysts Rick Munarriz and Tim Beyers debate whether now's the time to buy thrice-recommended DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU). Become a member to hear your fellow Fools explaining why they're bullish or bearish on the stock's ability to beat the market over the next five years.

P.S. Speaking of Rule Breaker Investing, that's the title of TMF co-founder David Gardner's new book, which hits shelves today!

Image depicting David Gardner's new book Rule Breaker Investing.