February 17, 2026 12:06 AM GMT Internet | North America What APP and U Had to Say About AI Disruption We lay out key takeaways from APP and U's commentary at earnings, as the companies addressed the AI disruption bear case head on. We came away incrementally confident in their ability to lean into emerging opportunities and adopt these new tools going forward. Key Takeaways APP and U Pushed Back on the Recent AI Disruption Narrative, Highlighting Opportunities Rather than Risks... Over the past several week ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call discusses the Internet sector in North America, focusing on key debates and investment opportunities for 2026, including advancements in LLM (Large Language Models), GenAI (Generative AI), hyperscaler growth, autonomous driving, and the impact of AI on various industries [1][2]. Core Themes and Arguments 1. **Thematic Debates for 2026**: - Key debates shaping the sector include LLM advances, GenAI productization, hyperscaler growth, the future of search, autonomous driving, and robotics [1][2]. - The market is expected to reward companies demonstrating positive ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) from GenAI or GPU-enabled technologies, while sectors facing disruption, such as rideshare and e-commerce, may trade at lower multiples [2]. 2. **Hyperscaler Growth**: - There is a bullish outlook on hyperscaler growth in 2026, particularly for AWS, GCP, and Azure, driven by increased AI tech adoption and diffusion across the economy [2]. 3. **Investment Opportunities**: - Key picks for 2026 include AMZN (Amazon), META (Meta Platforms), DASH (DoorDash), EBAY (eBay), and RBLX (Roblox) [1][2]. Company-Specific Insights 1. **Amazon (AMZN)**: - Target Price: $315, implying ~27% upside. - Expected to leverage both AWS and Retail to drive GenAI adoption, with a projected durable growth rate of over 20% for AWS in 2026 [3]. - Investments in AI-driven shopping assistants and logistics are expected to enhance retail growth and profitability [3]. 2. **Meta Platforms (META)**: - Target Price: $750, with ~15% upside. - Anticipated improvements in core engagement and monetization, with a focus on productizing new LLMs to drive revenue growth [7]. 3. **DoorDash (DASH)**: - Target Price: $300, indicating ~39% upside. - Investments in a unified tech infrastructure and autonomous delivery are expected to enhance ROIC and overall business performance [9]. 4. **eBay (EBAY)**: - Target Price: $112, suggesting a 23% upside. - Market skepticism about sustainability and profitability of growth is noted, but durable tailwinds in collectibles and new initiatives are expected to drive GMV growth [13]. 5. **Roblox (RBLX)**: - Target Price: $155, with ~100% upside. - Strong user-generated content platform performance is expected to drive bookings and engagement growth, despite short-term risks [14]. Additional Important Insights - **GenAI and AI Adoption**: - The call emphasizes the importance of demonstrating ROI from AI investments, particularly as companies face rising model training costs [40][41]. - The anticipated rollout of new AI models and tools is expected to enhance product monetization and engagement across platforms [49]. - **Agentic Commerce**: - The rise of agentic offerings is expected to impact e-commerce significantly, with personalized shopping experiences likely to drive consumer spending [67][69]. - **Autonomous Driving**: - 2026 is projected to be an inflection year for autonomous driving, with significant advancements expected in service availability and technology [78][90]. - **Physical AI**: - Companies are increasingly focusing on real-world data capture and physical AI, with Amazon's robotics-enabled warehouses expected to have a substantial impact on efficiency and cost savings [98][100]. This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the conference call, highlighting the strategic outlook for the Internet sector and specific companies within it for 2026.

Summary of Conference Call Notes Industry Overview - The report focuses on the **Internet industry in North America** and provides insights into the performance of major companies within this sector [1][2]. Key Companies and Performance - **Amazon (AMZN)**: - Price: $227.35 - Market Cap: $2,465,611 million - 1 Week Performance: +0.5% - 2026E EV/EBITDA: 12.5x, which is a -7% discount compared to the 2-year average [4][5][9]. - **Alphabet (GOOGL)**: - Price: $307.16 - Market Cap: $3,748,273 million - 1 Week Performance: -0.7% - 2026E EV/EBITDA: 17.2x, which is a +36% premium compared to the 2-year average [4][5][9]. - **Meta (META)**: - Price: $658.77 - Market Cap: $1,694,356 million - 1 Week Performance: +2.3% - 2026E EV/EBITDA: 11.9x, which is a -7% discount compared to the 2-year average [4][5][9]. - **Uber (UBER)**: - Price: $79.31 - Market Cap: $168,485 million - 1 Week Performance: -6.8% [5]. - **Lyft (LYFT)**: - Price: $19.42 - Market Cap: $8,127 million - 1 Week Performance: -4.7% [5]. - **AppLovin (APP)**: - Price: $721.37 - Market Cap: $245,968 million - 1 Week Performance: +7.6% [5]. - **Roblox (RBLX)**: - Price: $81.94 - Market Cap: $60,461 million - 1 Week Performance: -7.4% [5]. - **Zillow (Z)**: - Price: $68.96 - Market Cap: $17,671 million - 1 Week Performance: -7.7% [5]. Market Performance Insights - The overall performance of internet names was flat, with the S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq 100 (NDX) showing minimal changes [1][2]. - Digital advertising companies like GOOGL and META showed mixed performance, while e-commerce companies like AMZN and ETSY had slight gains [5]. - The shared economy sector, including UBER and LYFT, experienced declines, indicating potential challenges in this segment [5]. Valuation Metrics - The report highlights the **EV/EBITDA** multiples for major companies, indicating that: - AMZN is trading at 12.5x, GOOGL at 17.2x, and META at 11.9x, with varying premiums and discounts compared to historical averages [9][10]. - The **market-cap weighted average** performance for digital ads was +0.3%, while e-commerce was +0.5% [5]. Additional Insights - The report notes that treating stock-based compensation (SBC) as cash can significantly impact EV/EBITDA multiples, with increases of approximately 38% for digital media and 33% for e-commerce [18][23]. - The **travel sector** showed a market-cap weighted average performance of +3.3%, indicating a recovery trend in this area [5]. Conclusion - The North American internet industry remains attractive, with varied performance across different segments and companies. The analysis of valuation metrics and market performance provides insights into potential investment opportunities and risks within this sector [2].

Group 1: Game Revenue Rankings - Tencent's "Honor of Kings" regained the top position in global mobile game revenue in April 2025, rising four places from the previous month [1][3] - "Last War: Survival" climbed to second place, benefiting from seasonal events like Easter [3] - "Whiteout Survival," "MONOPOLY GO!," and "Royal Match" ranked third to fifth, showcasing their consistent revenue generation capabilities [3] Group 2: Mobile Game Market Overview - Global mobile game player spending on App Store and Google Play reached approximately $6.48 billion in April 2025, a 4.5% decrease month-over-month [4] - The United States remains the largest mobile game market with revenues around $2 billion, accounting for 31.5% of total spending [4] - China (iOS) and Japan ranked second and third with 18.8% and 13.2% market shares, respectively [4] Group 3: Game Downloads Rankings - "Block Blast!" topped the global mobile game download chart in April 2025, followed by "ROBLOX," "Free Fire," "Subway Surfers," and "Ludo King" [5][8] - Global mobile game downloads reached 3.93 billion in April, reflecting an 8.4% decrease from the previous month [8] - India led in downloads with 739 million, representing 18.8% of the total, while the U.S. and Indonesia followed closely [8] Group 4: Notable Game Performances - "Honkai: Star Rail" saw a significant rise of 24 places in the rankings, driven by new character releases and popular events [4] - "Delta Force" achieved the highest download growth in April, ranking sixth overall, thanks to strong performances in the U.S. and Brazil [9] - New titles like "Cookingdom" and "Once Human" also performed well, indicating the importance of established gameplay and cross-platform adaptations in driving downloads [9]

Investment Rating - The industry view for the Internet sector in North America is rated as Attractive [4][36]. Core Insights - The report highlights potential upside surprises in earnings for several companies, including Bumble Inc., Chewy Inc., Match Group Inc., and Trade Desk Inc. [6][8]. - Conversely, companies like Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., and Airbnb Inc. are expected to face downside surprises in their earnings [6][8]. - The report emphasizes the importance of visibility versus valuation in the current market environment, suggesting that investors should consider both factors when making investment decisions [1]. Summary by Company - **Airbnb Inc (ABNB.O)**: Rated Underweight, price at $112.64 [65]. - **Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL.O)**: Rated Overweight, price at $153.33 [65]. - **Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O)**: Rated Overweight, price at $174.33 [65]. - **Booking Holdings Inc (BKNG.O)**: Rated Equal-weight, price at $4,540.84 [65]. - **DoorDash Inc (DASH.O)**: Rated Overweight, price at $179.39 [65]. - **Expedia Inc. (EXPE.O)**: Rated Equal-weight, price at $152.57 [65]. - **Chewy Inc (CHWY.N)**: Rated Overweight, price at $34.76 [67]. - **Meta Platforms Inc (META.O)**: Rated Overweight, price at $502.31 [65]. - **Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N)**: Rated Overweight, price at $73.06 [65]. - **Snap Inc. (SNAP.N)**: Rated Equal-weight, price at $7.74 [65]. - **Pinterest Inc (PINS.N)**: Rated Equal-weight, price at $25.45 [65]. - **Roblox Corporation (RBLX.N)**: Rated Overweight, price at $59.09 [67]. - **Yelp Inc (YELP.N)**: Rated Underweight, price at $33.55 [67].