TNB Tech Minute: Oracle Stock Gets Boost From OpenAI Funding Runway

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Here's your afternoon TNB Tech Minute for Monday, February 9th. I'm Julie Chang for The Wall Street Journal.

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Oracle shares closed up nearly 10% today after an analyst with DA Davidson said investors should see Oracle in a more positive light now that the funding for OpenAI data centers the company is building looks clearer.

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The analyst also wrote that recent worries about the AI impact on software are overblown. She notes that companies will continue to pay for Oracle's products and that they will, quote, not be vibe-coded away. Alphabet is gearing up to sell bonds that won't come due for a century.

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It's the second big tech company to tap the bond market this year. Oracle issued $25 billion of debt a week ago. An investor familiar with the matter says the Google parent plans to sell debt in dollars, British pounds, and Swiss francs with varying maturities. The dollar bonds will likely total about $20 billion, up from the initially expected $15 billion, the investor said.

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Tech companies have started borrowing heavily to fund massive investments in AI infrastructure. And Neera, an Australian startup that makes digital models for power networks, has raised more than $60 million to expand. It comes as rapid growth in data centers and renewable energy stretch aging electricity grids around the world.

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Nearest customers include Southern California Edison and Centerpoint Energy.

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The company makes 3D virtual replicas of entire networks that mimic real-world conditions to help operators identify underutilized capacity, plan for new infrastructure, and prepare for or respond to events such as storms or fires. The company says its models can reduce costs for utilities that typically rely on worker inspections.

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For a deeper dive into what's happening in tech, check out Tuesday's Tech News Briefing podcast.