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Advanced Micro Devices Inc. shares climbed sharply in midday trading Wednesday after the semiconductor company delivered stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings and issued bullish revenue guidance, reinforcing investor confidence that demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure remains strong across the technology sector.

By midday trading, AMD shares were trading near $414, extending gains after the company’s quarterly report exceeded Wall Street expectations on both revenue and profit. The rally pushed the stock further into record territory and added to a massive run over the past year as investors continued pouring into companies tied to AI computing growth. Lisa Su Chair and Chief Executive Officer Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said the company’s latest results reflected accelerating demand across cloud computing, enterprise servers and AI-related workloads.

AMD reported first-quarter earnings per share of $1.37, topping analyst expectations of $1.29. Revenue rose 38% year over year to $10.25 billion, ahead of consensus estimates of $9.89 billion. The company’s results highlighted continued momentum in its data center business as major technology companies expanded investments in AI infrastructure and high-performance computing systems. Jean Hu Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said AMD continued to see broad strength across its product portfolio as customers increased spending on next-generation computing platforms.

The company’s data center segment remained the primary growth driver during the quarter. Revenue from the division surged 57% from a year earlier to $5.8 billion, fueled by growing adoption of AMD’s EPYC server processors and Instinct AI accelerators. Analysts said AMD has increasingly positioned itself as a major challenger in the AI chip market as cloud providers and enterprise customers seek alternatives to dominant suppliers. Lisa Su Chair and Chief Executive Officer Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said demand for AI compute capacity continues to expand rapidly as businesses deploy more advanced generative and agentic AI systems.

AMD also benefited from improving conditions in the personal computer market as commercial customers upgraded hardware to support AI-enabled software applications. Analysts said the broader recovery in enterprise technology spending has helped strengthen AMD’s position across both consumer and enterprise markets. Patrick Moorhead Founder and Chief Executive Officer Moor Insights & Strategy said AMD’s continued execution in data center and client computing has strengthened investor confidence that the company can sustain long-term market share gains.

For the second quarter, AMD forecast revenue of approximately $11.2 billion, significantly above analyst expectations. The guidance signaled continued momentum in AI-related spending despite concerns about broader economic uncertainty and elevated capital expenditures among major technology companies. The company also projected non-GAAP gross margin of roughly 52%, reflecting the growing contribution of higher-margin data center products to overall revenue. Jean Hu Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said AMD remains focused on expanding production capacity and scaling its AI software ecosystem to support long-term growth.

The company’s latest results come as competition intensifies across the semiconductor industry, where companies are racing to capitalize on surging demand for AI computing power. Nvidia remains the dominant player in AI accelerators, but AMD has steadily expanded its footprint with newer products and broader enterprise adoption. Investors increasingly believe the AI market opportunity is large enough to support multiple major chipmakers as demand for computing infrastructure accelerates worldwide. Jensen Huang Founder and Chief Executive Officer Nvidia Corp. has previously said global AI demand continues to exceed available supply as enterprises scale large AI deployments.

AMD shares have more than tripled over the past 12 months and are now up roughly 66% so far in 2026. The gains have reflected growing optimism that the company’s EPYC processors and AI accelerators are benefiting from a major industry shift toward more compute-intensive AI applications. Analysts said AMD’s improving software ecosystem and expanding product roadmap have strengthened its competitive position at a time when enterprises are rapidly modernizing data center infrastructure. Stacy Rasgon Senior Analyst Bernstein Research said AMD’s earnings reinforced expectations that AI infrastructure spending remains in the early stages of a multiyear expansion cycle.

Looking ahead, investors will remain focused on AMD’s ability to scale AI chip production, maintain margins and continue expanding relationships with hyperscale cloud providers. Analysts said future product launches and enterprise AI deployments could play a major role in determining whether AMD can sustain its rapid growth trajectory through the remainder of 2026. Lisa Su Chair and Chief Executive Officer Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said the company expects demand for AI computing infrastructure to remain robust as businesses continue investing heavily in advanced AI systems and data center expansion.

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London — May 4, 2026 — The Bank of England is considering putting the digital pound project on ice, according to people familiar with the situation, as officials weigh a slower path forward while rival central banks race ahead with their own central bank digital currencies. Rather than a firm decision to approve or scrap the so-called Britcoin this summer, UK authorities are leaning toward a middle route that would slow progress on the CBDC, Bloomberg reported.

The shift marks a notable change in tone. Just three years ago, the Bank of England and HM Treasury said a digital pound was “likely to be needed.” Now the future of the project hangs in the balance as the current design phase runs through 2026, with a final decision on next steps still pending.

The economic stakes are significant. A full-speed digital pound was seen as a way for the UK to maintain competitiveness in digital payments and reduce reliance on private stablecoins and foreign payment systems. Delaying or slowing the project could leave British firms and consumers at a disadvantage as China’s e-CNY continues to expand and the European Central Bank advances its digital euro toward a potential 2029 launch. Analysts warn that hesitation could slow innovation in cross-border payments, limit the Bank of England’s ability to respond to future financial stability challenges, and reduce the UK’s influence in shaping global digital currency standards.

People familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that officials are now prioritizing a more cautious “wait-and-see” approach, evaluating whether a digital pound is truly necessary at this stage amid rapid private-sector developments in stablecoins and other digital payment innovations. The Bank of England has repeatedly stressed that no decision has been made on whether to introduce a digital pound, and any launch would require primary legislation passed by Parliament.

The ruling comes as global CBDC momentum accelerates elsewhere. China’s e-CNY has processed nearly $1 trillion in transactions and continues to evolve, while the European Central Bank is making steady progress on its digital euro with high-level political support across EU member states. The Bank of England’s more measured stance reflects growing concerns about privacy, financial stability risks, and the potential impact on commercial bank deposits — issues that have been central to the design phase work.

For the UK economy, the decision carries broad implications. A digital pound was intended to sit alongside cash and bank deposits as a new form of public money, potentially boosting efficiency in payments and supporting monetary policy in a digital era. Slowing the project could delay these benefits while increasing reliance on private-sector solutions that may not offer the same level of resilience or public trust. Economists note that the UK’s hesitation could also affect investment in related fintech infrastructure and the country’s attractiveness as a hub for digital finance innovation.

The Bank of England and HM Treasury are expected to complete their blueprint and assessment later this year, which will inform the next steps. In the meantime, the pause allows more time to study real-world use cases through the Digital Pound Lab and to monitor international developments.

The ruling underscores a broader global tension in CBDC development: balancing innovation and competitiveness against risks to financial stability, privacy, and the traditional banking system. As rivals push forward, the Bank of England’s cautious approach highlights the complex trade-offs facing central banks in the AI and digital payments era.

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By JBizNews Desk | Monday May 4, 2026

GameStop has made an unsolicited $56 billion offer to acquire eBay, the online marketplace giant, in what would rank as one of the most stunning corporate takeover attempts in recent retail history — and a dramatic signal that CEO Ryan Cohen is done playing defense.

GameStop has built a roughly 5% stake in eBay and is offering $125 a share in cash and stock, Cohen told the Wall Street Journal in a direct interview Sunday. The offer represents a premium of about 20% to eBay‘s last closing price on Friday. “eBay should be worth — and will be worth — a lot more money,” Cohen said. “I’m thinking about turning eBay into something worth hundreds of billions of dollars.”

GameStop said in a news release that it submitted a non-binding proposal to buy 100% of eBay at $125 per share in cash and stock, split 50/50. The offer also represents a 46% premium to eBay’s closing price on February 4 — the day GameStop first began buying eBay stock. 

The Financing Behind the Bid

The sheer scale of the deal — eBay carries a market value of roughly $46 billion, nearly four times GameStop’s own $12 billion market cap — immediately raised questions about how Cohen plans to pay for it. He has lined up a multi-layered financing structure.

Cohen told the Wall Street Journal that GameStop has secured a commitment letter from TD Bank to provide about $20 billion in debt financing for the deal.  GameStop also holds about $9 billion in cash on its balance sheet.  To bridge the remaining gap, GameStop could seek support from external investors, including Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds, according to people familiar with the matter. 

In its news release, GameStop said it expects to deliver $2 billion in annualized cost reductions within the first 12 months of closing the deal, including $1.2 billion in cuts from sales and marketing at eBay, $300 million from product development, and $500 million from general and administrative expenses. Cohen would become CEO of the combined company. 

Markets React

The news sent both stocks sharply higher. GME shares jumped more than 9% in after-hours trading, while eBay shares climbed between 10% and 15%, in a market reaction that recalled the 2021 short squeeze that briefly made GameStop a Wall Street obsession. 

The deal would combine GameStop’s collectibles expertise and growing cash war chest with eBay’s 130 million active buyers and global payments infrastructure — a combination Cohen argues could directly challenge Amazon’s dominance in the broader marketplace economy.

Cohen’s Expansion Play

The bid is the clearest expression yet of a strategic pivot Cohen has been building toward since early 2026. In January 2026, Cohen told the Wall Street Journal he was actively scouting deal targets in the consumer and retail sector as part of a plan to scale GameStop far beyond video games and collectibles.  His compensation package reinforces the ambition: it includes a performance-based stock option award valued at roughly $35 billion if fully earned, structured in nine tranches tied to escalating milestones, with the most demanding targets requiring GameStop to reach a $100 billion market cap. 

What Happens If eBay Says No

Cohen said he is prepared to run a proxy fight and take the offer directly to eBay shareholders if eBay’s board is not receptive. “There is nobody who is more qualified, based on my experience, to run the eBay business,” he told the WSJ. 

eBay had not responded to requests for comment as of Sunday evening. GameStop, eBay and TD Bank did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.  Whether eBay’s board engages or resists, the proposal has already reshaped how Wall Street thinks about both companies — and about what Ryan Cohen is actually building.

— JBizNews Desk

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