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Weekly Global Issues Review: US Interest Rates, Big Tech Earnings, and AI Trends

Anthropic submitted a securities registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 26 for an initial public offering targeting a valuation of up to $2 trillion, as reported by story.pay.naver.com. The filing makes the Claude…

Weekly Global Issues Review: US Interest Rates, Big Tech Earnings, and AI Trends

Anthropic submitted a securities registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 26 for an initial public offering targeting a valuation of up to $2 trillion, as reported by story.pay.naver.com. The filing makes the Claude developer the first frontier AI creator to pursue public markets, contrasting with competitor OpenAI’s decision to delay its own public listing to next year.

Securities Registration And Valuation Targets

The Wall Street Journal reported that Anthropic aims to raise $100 billion through the offering. If completed according to plan, the transaction would surpass SpaceX’s June valuation of $1.77 trillion and its $75 billion capital raise, marking the largest initial public offering in history. The company’s revenue for the first half of the year reached $16.28 billion, reflecting a more than 14-fold increase compared to the previous year. However, chip and data center procurement contracts exceeding $800 billion accompany that growth, while quarter-over-quarter revenue growth slowed from approximately 140 percent in the second quarter to 45 percent in the third quarter.

Federal Reserve Interest Rate Hold And Market Reaction

The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.75 percent to 4.00 percent at the conclusion of its Federal Open Market Committee meeting on October 28, following a rate increase the prior month. Two members, Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, dissented in favor of a 0.25 percentage point increase. The meeting statement modified its economic assessment from a “solid” pace to a “strong” pace, leading to a hawkish interpretation among analysts.

Despite the policy hold, financial markets responded with a dovish outlook after Federal Reserve official Washington indicated uncertainty regarding additional December rate hikes and announced plans to reduce the frequency of rate-setting meetings next year. The implied probability of a December rate cut declined from 90.7 percent prior to the meeting to 84.8 percent, and the three major New York stock indexes closed higher. Concurrently, the 10-year Treasury yield surpassed 5 percent, signaling persistent inflation concerns.

Alphabet And Amazon Earnings Reports

Alphabet shares dropped 12.64 percent on October 29 following third-quarter financial results that missed consensus estimates, marking the largest single-day decline for the Google parent company since its 2004 market debut. Revenue totaled $127.58 billion, and adjusted earnings per share reached $2.67 against an expected $3.02. Surging AI infrastructure spending pushed free cash flow to a deficit of approximately $9.1 billion, while search revenue growth slowed to 12 percent, erasing $482 billion in market capitalization in a single session.

Amazon reported third-quarter revenue of $201.94 billion and earnings per share of $1.89, both falling short of market expectations and driving the stock down over 5 percent in after-hours trading. Amazon Web Services cloud revenue climbed 39 percent, but that expansion failed to offset annual AI expenditures approaching $220 billion. Continuous capital outlays generated a trailing 12-month free cash flow deficit of $42.4 billion, intensifying questions surrounding AI investment returns.

Apple Foldable Phone Screen Defects And Replacements

Apple acknowledged internal screen defects in its debut foldable device, the iPhone Duo, on October 26 and initiated product replacements. Customer reports of fractures appearing near the folding crease within hours or days of delivery surfaced globally following the device’s release on October 23. Apple stated that the defect impacts a limited number of units and confirmed that replacements are available through AppleCare regardless of coverage status, though the company did not disclose the total volume of affected devices or the specific root cause.

Industry observers pointed to potential mechanical issues within the hinge assembly rather than the display panel itself, noting that central support components failing to align correctly could concentrate pressure on specific areas of the screen. With a U.S. retail price of $1,999, the high-end device has faced consumer backlash over replacement inventory shortages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What valuation and capital-raising targets has Anthropic set for its upcoming public offering?

According to reports, Anthropic is targeting a corporate valuation of up to $2 trillion and aims to raise $100 billion through its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

How much did Alphabet’s market capitalization drop following its third-quarter earnings report?

Alphabet lost $482 billion in market capitalization in a single trading session after reporting third-quarter revenue and earnings that missed Wall Street expectations.

What was the outcome of the Federal Reserve’s October interest rate meeting?

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady at 3.75 percent to 4.00 percent, with two officials dissenting in favor of a 0.25 percentage point rate increase.

About the author: Anika Shah - Technology

MSc in Computer Science, senior reporter. Anika focuses on AI ethics, cybersecurity, and emerging hardware—frequently moderating panels at CES and Web Summit. “Anika Shah decodes tech breakthroughs and startup disruption shaping tomorrow’s digital landscape.”