NioCorp Supports U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve Initiative
Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Donald Trump with this daily recap compiled by The Fly.FUNDING PACKAGE:The U.S. House of Representatives voted 217-214 to pass legislation funding major parts of the government and ending a partial shutdown, with the package heading to President Trump's desk, CBS News' Caitlin Yilek and Kaia Hubbard. The package includes five full-year spending bills and an extension of Department of Homeland Security funding through February 13, the authors say. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE conduct their operations, with the issue now serving as the focus of talks on Capitol Hill, the authors note.GOOGLE SEARCH RULING:The U.S. Justice Department, DOJ, and a group of states intend to appeal US District Judge Amit Mehta's ruling that imposed only modest limits on Google'scontracts related to its search engine and AI apps, Leah Nylen and Josh Sisco of Bloomberg. The DOJ and states filed notices they will appeal in ruling in which Google avoided a forced sale of its Chrome browser.PROJECT VAULT:NioCorp Developments"applauded" the launch by the White House and the Export-Import Bank of the United States of "Project Vault," an effort to establish a U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve to procure, store, and enable the sale of critical minerals to American manufacturers. The government-industry partnership is anchored by $11B from EXIM and approximately $1.67B in seed capital from some of the nation's leading companies. "This effort represents exactly the kind of bold and innovative public-private partnership that the U.S. needs right now to facilitate the rapid build-out of domestic critical minerals production and integrated supply chains," said Mark Smith, CEO. "I commend President Trump and EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic for their vision. Coupled with the Trump Administration's recent Section 232 findings and January 14 Presidential Proclamation, the Administration is signaling that it intends to move rapidly and aggressively to address excessive U.S. reliance on imported processed critical minerals and derivative products. Breaking China's dominance over critical minerals is essential to America's economic and national security future. We appreciate the Administration's leadership and EXIM's commitment to practical solutions that strengthen U.S. manufacturers and critical minerals producers. NioCorp stands ready to do its part by advancing the Elk Creek Project and supplying American-made critical materials to help power the next generation of U.S. industry."
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- App Ranking Surge: Anthropic's Claude app surged to No. 2 in the U.S. Apple free app rankings on Friday, just behind ChatGPT, indicating rapid growth and increasing user acceptance in the competitive AI market.
- Defense Department Scrutiny: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested that Anthropic be labeled as a supply-chain risk to national security, which could limit its use among defense contractors, reflecting the government's cautious approach to AI technologies.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Despite the rise in popularity of the Claude app, OpenAI's ChatGPT remains at the top, highlighting the fierce competition in the market, necessitating Anthropic to enhance its technological edge to capture more market share.
- User Growth Potential: The Claude app ranked 131st on January 30, but quickly climbed into the top 50 throughout February, suggesting a growing appeal among users that could positively impact future revenue growth.
- Tepper's Stake Reduction: David Tepper reduced his Nvidia stake by about 10% and Amazon stake by 13% in Q4, raising eyebrows as both stocks have been long-term winners, suggesting he may be taking profits or reallocating funds for other investments.
- Investor Information Lag: Investors receive a snapshot of hedge fund managers' moves about 45 days after the quarter ends, making it less effective for short-term trading, especially for managers who frequently trade.
- Increased AI Stock Holdings: Tepper increased his stakes in Alphabet, Micron Technology, and Meta Platforms by 29%, 200%, and 62% respectively in Q4, indicating a bullish outlook on the AI data center buildout despite reducing positions in Nvidia and Amazon.
- Memory Chip Market Outlook: Micron's stock has surged nearly 50% in 2026 due to a memory chip shortage driven by data center expansion, and this trend is expected to last for several years, potentially supporting Micron's long-term stock price and outperforming other AI-related stocks.
- Reduction Strategy Analysis: Tepper reduced his Nvidia stake by about 10% and Amazon by 13% in Q4, which may indicate profit-taking and sensitivity to market fluctuations, while also freeing up capital for other investments.
- Portfolio Diversification: Despite the reductions in Nvidia and Amazon, Tepper increased his stakes in Alphabet, Micron, and Meta by 29%, 200%, and 62% respectively, reflecting his bullish outlook on AI data center buildout and a desire to diversify risk.
- Memory Chip Market Outlook: Micron's stock has surged nearly 50% in 2026 due to a memory chip shortage driven by data center construction, with expectations that this shortage will persist for several years, providing long-term support for Micron's share price.
- Investor Strategy Insights: Tepper's moves highlight the importance of taking profits and remaining open to new stock ideas, particularly as Micron has rapidly gained attention in recent months, showcasing its potential as a market focus.
- Alphabet's Accelerating Performance: In its fourth quarter, Alphabet reported an 18% year-over-year revenue increase to $113.8 billion, accelerating from 16% growth in the previous quarter, showcasing strong performance in Google Services and cloud computing, thereby reinforcing its market leadership.
- Cloud Business Surge: Google Cloud's revenue soared 48% year-over-year to $17.7 billion in the fourth quarter, driven by the ongoing adoption of AI infrastructure, indicating Alphabet's rapid expansion in high-margin sectors.
- Trade Desk's Slowing Growth: The Trade Desk reported fourth-quarter revenue of $847 million, up 14% year-over-year, but noted that growth would have been closer to 19% without the irregular nature of U.S. political ad spending, highlighting a deceleration in its growth momentum.
- Uncertain Outlook: The Trade Desk's first-quarter revenue guidance of at least $678 million implies only about 10% year-over-year growth, and the adjusted EBITDA guidance suggests a decline in key profitability metrics, reflecting the challenges it faces.
- Contract Revision Commitment: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the company would revise its agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, particularly to include clauses preventing domestic surveillance, aiming to alleviate public concerns over potential misuse of technology and enhance the company's credibility in government contracts.
- Focus on Technical Safety: Altman emphasized that many technologies are not yet ready to handle complex safety trade-offs, and OpenAI will collaborate with the Pentagon to ensure the safe use of its technologies, demonstrating the company's commitment to responsible technology deployment.
- Market Reaction and Competitive Pressure: Following the deal with the Defense Department, public reactions to OpenAI were mixed, with many users reportedly switching to competitor Anthropic's Claude, reflecting a heightened market concern for transparency in AI technology usage, which could impact OpenAI's market share.
- Support for Competitors: Altman urged on social media for the Defense Department not to designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk, indicating his emphasis on industry collaboration and aiming to maintain stability and growth within the broader AI ecosystem.
- Strong Earnings for Alphabet: Alphabet's fourth-quarter revenue increased by 18% year-over-year to $113.8 billion, exceeding market expectations and demonstrating robust performance in Google Services and cloud computing, further solidifying its market leadership.
- Cloud Business Thriving: Google Cloud saw a staggering 48% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4, reaching $17.7 billion, driven by widespread adoption of AI infrastructure, significantly boosting overall revenue and profit.
- Challenges for The Trade Desk: The Trade Desk reported Q4 revenue of $847 million, up 14% year-over-year, but actual growth was lower than expected due to irregular U.S. political ad spending, indicating a deceleration in momentum.
- Gloomy Future Outlook: The Trade Desk anticipates first-quarter revenue of at least $678 million, implying only 10% year-over-year growth, while adjusted EBITDA guidance suggests a decline in profitability, despite maintaining a debt-free balance sheet.









