Microsoft's $4.8 Billion Bet on Italy: AI & Cloud Expansion

Image source: Photo by Salvatore De Lellis - Pexels

Microsoft's $4.8 Billion Bet on Italy: AI & Cloud Expansion 💻 The company is investing $4.8 billion to build one of its largest AI and cloud data regions in Italy, aiming to train over 1 million Italians in digital skills by 2025. This marks the company's biggest push into the country, solidifying Italy's role as a Mediterranean tech hub. WSJ reports.

🔋 TesLift: Tesla posts first sales gain of the year but shares fall as competition heats up. CNN Business reports.

📉 NikeDrop: Nike shares drop as investors fret over murky turnaround timeline. Reuters reports.

🔧 GMInvestorday: GM seeks to ease shareholders' nerves at investor day. Reuters reports.

🚚 StellDown: Stellantis U.S. auto sales extend free fall in third quarter. CNBC reports.

🚗 FordStruggles: Ford reports weak US sales for third quarter. Yahoo Finance reports.

🔬 LillyLab: Eli Lilly to build $4.5 billion research and manufacturing center to propel drug pipeline. CNBC reports.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM Eastern Time)
Benzinga reports.

1. $PEGY: PEGY Pineapple Energy
Total gain: 51.78%

2. $MLGO: MicroAlgo
Total gain: 33.87%

3. $WHLR: Wheeler Real Estate IT
Total gain: 26.58%

4. $CDT: Conduit Pharmaceuticals
Total gain: 26.31%

5. $ELAB: Elevai Labs
Total gain: 20.42%

‘Comfortable, fun, familiar’: Why Microsoft is trying to turn its AI chatbot into a digital friend

Artificial intelligence chatbots have been billed as productivity tools for consumers — they can help you plan a trip, for example, or give advice on writing a confrontational email to your landlord. But they often sound stilted or oddly stubborn or just downright weird.

And despite the proliferation of chatbots and other AI tools, many people still struggle to trust them and haven’t necessarily wanted to use them on a daily basis.

Now, Microsoft is trying to fix that, by focusing on its chatbot’s “personality” and how it makes users feel, not just what it can do for them.

📰 Read more

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on October 2.

*All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time

1. $WHLR: Wheeler Real Estate IT
Total gain: +97.03%
The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

2. $API: Agora
Total gain: +81.09%
The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

3. $TOP: TOP Financial Group
Total gain: +64.15%
The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

*Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars

STZ: Constellation Brands
2Q 2025
Before Market Open
Estimate: 4.080
Actual: N/A

PEV: Phoenix Motor
1Q 2024
After Market Close
Estimate: N/A
Actual: N/A

ANGO: AngioDynamics
1Q 2025
Before Market Open
Estimate: -0.150
Actual: -0.110

Time (ET) / Report / Period

8:30 am - Initial jobless claims - September 28
9:45 am - S&P final U.S. services PMI - September
10:00 am - ISM services - September

"The market’s volatility is a friend to the disciplined investor, offering opportunities where others see only risk.”

― Howard MarksSourced in:
"The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor", by
Howard Marks, published in 2011