Alphabet's stock price fell 6% after posting fourth-quarter earnings, wiping around $110 billion off its market capitalization. Earnings and revenue beat estimates, but advertising revenue of $65.5 billion fell short of the $66 billion forecast. The company introduced its ChatGPT competitor, Gemini, in December and recently downsized its workforce to pivot its business model towards technology. Google Cloud's revenue surged 26% year-on-year to $9.2 billion in the last quarter, with Alphabet CEO Pichai citing strong performance in Search, YouTube, and Cloud, all amplified by AI investments, as the company transitions into the "Gemini era."
