💸 Amazon didn't disappoint

Amazon's results were well worth the wait | AI has been bringing fossil fuels back | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH     Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for May 1st in 3:15 minutes.   🥤 Finimized over a milkshake at [Miki's Paradise]( in London, UK (🌥 19°C / 66°F) Today's big stories - Amazon’s results might have investors breathing a sigh of relief - With inflation and geopolitical risks still high, commodities could be a standout play – [Read Now]( - AI has been using its potential to either save or destroy the world to… push up demand for fossil fuels Peak Performance [Peak Performance] What’s going on here? Amazon’s first-quarter results, [released]( late on Tuesday, proved that the company’s still firmly in its prime. What does this mean? Investors have clearly pinned their hopes – and their cash – onto Amazon lately. The stock has risen 15% since January and 66% over the past year, playing a major part in the S&P 500 index’s increase. Well, they won’t be disappointed. Amazon made a better-than-expected $143 billion in revenue last quarter, 13% more than the same time last year. Profit came in 16% higher than predicted at $10.4 billion, too. That was spurred on by revenue at computing services division Amazon Web Services (AWS) picking up by 17% over the last year, when it was predicted to increase by 15%. Investors didn’t even seem too bothered that the famously cautious company expects this quarter’s sales to land slightly below Wall Street’s $150 billion forecasts: the stock rallied 3% initially on the results. Why should I care? Zooming in: A rolling stone. Amazon’s rock-bottom prices and lightning-fast delivery speeds make it impossible for shoppers to resist – and equally hard for smaller firms to rival. And the juggernaut isn’t stopping there: it wants to make AWS the one-stop shop for developers and businesses. It might just pull that off, too, with plans to pump $150 billion into data centers in the next 15 years. Those centers have already made Amazon the world’s biggest buyer of renewable energy – part of the company’s 2025 pledge to be fueled solely by renewables. The bigger picture: Big Tech… and beyond. Massive spending on AI by the “Magnificent Seven” tech firms is only bolstering their dominance, while keeping smaller firms at bay. That said, investors still have other choices outside of Big Tech’s finest. AI’s impact has already spread across a wide range of sectors, from semiconductors to data centers – and right now, always-on data centers are pushing up demand for power generation and copper. You might also like: [Goldman says the AI boom will have four phases.]( 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=Peak Performance&utm_campaign=daily-global-01-05-2024&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Things Might Seem Rosy, But You May Want To Hedge Your Bets [Things Might Seem Rosy, But You May Want To Hedge Your Bets]( By Lokesh Gusain, Analyst An official gauge of business activity worldwide showed signs of vigor, but that doesn’t mean the global economy is out of the woods – or that stocks will inevitably rise from here. Geopolitical tensions and stubbornly high inflation still pose considerable risks to output and markets. And that might have you looking to add [a little protection]( to your portfolio. That’s today’s Insight: [why this could be a good time for commodities ETFs](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( Sponsored by Grayscale When it comes to crypto, you need a specialist [Crypto]( has been grabbing more than its fair share of attention this year. No wonder: [bitcoin]( hit its highest price ever – above $73,000 per coin – this March. [Grayscale]( is the world’s biggest crypto asset manager*, with over a decade of experience operating crypto-focused funds. The company is on a mission to “transform disruptive technologies of the future into investment opportunities today.” So far, so good: Grayscale manages a suite of [different crypto investment products]( spanning single-asset, multi-asset, and thematic exposures. [Discover the specialist when it comes to crypto investments](. [Find Out More]( *Based on AUM as of 3/31/2024 DisclosuresPast performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal. Visit Grayscale.com for important risk disclosures. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. If you want your brand featured here, [get in touch.]( The Green Corner [The Green Corner] What’s going on here? AI’s insatiable appetite for energy has put non-renewable fuel back onto the table, marking the ultimate utopia versus dystopia standoff. What does this mean? Everyday folk are consulting chatbots about their life plans, vacation schedules, and sometimes, just because they’re lonely. And all that “thinking” requires a lot of energy. That’s why American firm Dominion Energy, which powers most of Virginia’s data centers, is expecting energy use to quadruple over the next 15 years. Mind you, electricity providers might not have enough to hand out. Tech giants are flaunting their eco-credentials by palming off fossil fuels, utility companies are scrambling to keep the lights on, and regulators are hustling to make the grid greener. So in an effort to keep everyone fed, utility companies plan to keep their barrel taps plugged into fossil fuels for the time being – ironically, partly to keep pace with the push into renewables. Why should I care? Zooming out: The new American diet. The US has been trying to cut down on coal, trimming around ten gigawatts a year from its arsenal over the last decade. But according to S&P Global Commodity Insights, rising demand for fuel of any kind could slow that reduction down to six a year until 2030. Wind and solar power aren’t developed enough to ensure a smooth transition yet, see, and while natural gas and nuclear power could plug the gap, that’s not a fast fix. The bigger picture: Commodities will cost you. Clean energy might not need to pull coal out of the Earth to run, but it does need plenty of metals. Add in supply issues and increasingly strained geopolitical tensions, and commodity prices have been pushed a lot higher than usual. In fact, the World Bank [says]( that even if prices fall by 3% this year and 4% next, the index tracking them will still be sitting 38% above the average from 2015 to 2019. You might also like: [The new investing power couple, AI and energy.]( 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 Green Corner&utm_campaign=daily-global-01-05-2024&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day "There is no point at which you can say: Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap." – Carrie Fisher (an American actress and writer) [Tweet this]( "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" You're a brilliant business with great products. (We've taken the liberty of making an assumption.) Now you need to [find the right audience](, so you can really make a sound. Our one-million-strong international [financial community]( is on the lookout for any products and services that can help them make smarter decisions with confidence. That sounds like a perfect pairing to us. [Get in touch today](. [Get Your Name Out There]( 🎯 On Our Radar 1. The new normal. Brits with caffeine addictions are about to [pay some hefty fees](. 2. Crypto projects thrive on network effects. Here's [what to look at in a crypto project]( to see how much it’s worth.* 3. Cooler than cool. This bag of ice has gone viral on TikTok – here’s why [it costs $32](. 4. There's nothing like staying active. Here's how [different active investing strategies]( could play out for you.* 5. You’re as old as you feel. Our benchmark for “aged” is [getting a lot younger](. 🌍 Finimize Live 🤩 Grab your tickets... 🏔️ [Gaining An Edge Beyond ETFs](: 8pm, June 19th 🚀 [2024 Modern Investor Summit](: 2pm, December 3rd ❤️ 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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