What’s New Today: Europe has taken strong steps to compete in the worldwide semiconductor competition by securing new funding. Meanwhile, markets are facing difficulties due to the swift AI development, and investors are choosing to invest in reliable options.
Fast-Track Insights:
The EU plans to support semiconductor funding, which will begin in 2026, and includes photonics and quantum chips.
AI breakthroughs unsettle investors, dragging stocks lower and pushing money toward safety.
Cognizant plans 20% more fresher hiring in 2026, signalling cautious demand optimism.
Tesla's robotaxi projections show strong results, but upcoming regulations and costs create uncertainty for the short term.
XRP hits multi-month lows as investors retreat, reflecting fading risk appetite globally.
Your Lightning Rundown: From Europe’s chip push and hiring cues to AI-led market swings and crypto stress, these developments offer early signals on where technology, money, and confidence may be headed next.
Europe is sharpening its semiconductor ambitions. EU’s Chips Joint Undertaking plans to roll out fresh funding calls for chip technologies spanning power electronics, photonics, AI, health and quantum systems. Norway’s Research Council will back domestic participation. This will align national co-funding with EU priorities and invite researchers and companies to compete for grants through mid-2026.
Markets lurched as investors digested the latest shockwaves from artificial intelligence. Tech stocks slid on fears that fast AI advances could upend software business models and earnings visibility. Money rotated into safer corners of the market, at the same time commodities steadied. The result was a choppy session and it shows how deeply AI narratives now shape global market sentiment.
Cognizant is doubling down on young talent. The IT major plans to raise fresh graduate hiring by about 20% in 2026. It signals confidence in a demand recovery. By pairing AI tools with entry-level roles, the company aims to build a larger talent pyramid to shift more meaningful work to freshers and keep costs and skills aligned with future needs.
Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions are back in focus. A bullish forecast from Wolfe Research suggests the autonomous ride-hailing business could reach up to $250 billion in annual revenue by 2035. But adoption scales and pricing have to hold. The projection comes with caveats: heavy upfront AI investment, regulatory hurdles and years of losses before the payoff materialises.
XRP dropped to its weakest level since Donald Trump’s election victory. It shows the growing unease across crypto markets. The token fell sharply as investors pulled back from risk. The market scenario mirrors losses in Bitcoin and other major assets. A breach of key support levels accelerated the decline and it left traders wary about whether this is a pause or the start of a deeper downturn.