Technology Roundup – Twitter is the latest to tackle deepfakes, Amazon target raised on long runway

Twitter is the latest to tackle deepfakes

• As tech platforms prepare for the 2020 presidential election, Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) said it will begin labeling tweets containing synthetic or deceptively edited forms of content and will remove any manipulated media likely to cause harm.
• Earlier this week, YouTube announced it would remove any content that has been manipulated or doctored and may pose a “serious risk of egregious harm,” while TikTok issued a broad ban on “misleading information.”
• Facebook is also removing deepfakes and some other manipulated videos from its websites, but will leave up satirical content.

Amazon target raised on long runway

• Citi raises its Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) target by $200 to $2,400 after the Q4 results.
• Analyst Jason Bazinet says the tech giant continues to have a  “long runway of growth opportunities in its highly profitable Enterprise segments.”
• Citi remains at a Buy rating. Amazon has a Very Bullish average Sell Side rating.
• Amazon shares are up 1% pre-market to $2,069.30.

Spotify acquiring Bill Simmons’ The Ringer

• Earlier today, Spotify (NYSE:SPOT) announced it would acquire the sports and entertainment-focused media company The Ringer for undisclosed terms.
• The Ringer includes a website and roughly 30 podcast titles, including the Bill Simmons Podcast from the company’s creator.
• The acquisition includes ESPN vet Simmons and his approximately 90 employees.
• Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, to Recode: “With the Ringer, we’re basically getting the new ESPN.”
• The deal marks Spotify’s fourth podcast company acquisition in the past year, after Gimlet Media, Anchor FM, and Parcast.
• Spotify’s podcast business has grown 200% Y/Y to include 700K podcasts.

Coherent +2% after upside earnings, buyback

• Coherent (NASDAQ:COHR) +2.3% reports Q1 beats with a 16% Y/Y revenue drop.
• Coronavirus impact: At this time, COHR expects the outbreak to decrease its Q2 revenue by $20-25M.
• Share buybacks: The board approves the repurchase of $100M in common stock in a program that will expire on January 31, 2021.

T-Mobile US Q4 2019 Earnings Preview

• T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:TMUS) is scheduled to announce Q4 earnings results on Thursday, February 6th, after market close.

• The consensus EPS Estimate is $0.84 (+12.0% Y/Y) and the consensus Revenue Estimate is $11.82B (+3.7% Y/Y).
• Over the last 2 years, TMUS has beaten EPS estimates 100% of the time and has beaten revenue estimates 38% of the time.
• Over the last 3 months, EPS estimates have seen 5 upward revisions and 4 downward. Revenue estimates have seen 7 upward revisions and 6 downward.

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