Hyten John E. sold (to issuer) $52K of AI

Elliott Management supports Air Liquide's strategy to improve margins by 600 bps by 2030 and targets 10% EPS growth. The activist investor, holding a significant stake, urges an immediate start to the €4bn share buyback plan. Air Liquide expects its electronics business to grow from €2.5bn in 2025 to over €4bn by 2030, funded by cash flow and higher debt.

Air Liquide stock rose 2.4% to €174.20 after announcing a €4B share buyback program and targets for 10% annual EPS growth and 5% revenue growth through 2030. The plan addresses activist investor concerns and includes a focus on electronics and AI. Analysts had raised price targets ahead of the announcement.

Air Liquide announced a new 2030 strategy, 'BEYOND,' targeting 10% annual growth in recurring net EPS and launching a €4 billion share buyback program. The plan includes €40 billion in capital allocation, with a focus on electronics, energy transition, healthcare, and space. The company aims for 5% annual sales growth and a 400-600 basis point operating margin improvement. CEO François Jackow highlighted the group's strong foundations and commitment to value creation.

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 0.25% on Sept. 16, citing persistent inflation. Morgan Stanley advises investors to focus on profitable AI companies with steady cash flows, like Alphabet (GOOGL), which can better handle higher borrowing costs. Alphabet plans $200B in capital expenditures this year, while C3.ai (AI) reported a net loss of $288M last year.

Teradata (NYSE:TDC) reported flat Q2 revenue of $410M, beating estimates but missing guidance, causing its stock to drop 18.5%. C3.ai (NYSE:AI) saw a 25.5% revenue decline to $52.38M, meeting expectations but underperforming peers. Both companies' stocks reflect their earnings results.

C3.ai (AI) reported a -188% operating margin for Q2 2026, despite restructuring and new agreements, while UiPath (PATH) reported an 8% margin. C3.ai's revenue declined, but customer bookings rose 73% QoQ. UiPath's revenue grew 13% YoY in Q2 but expects slower growth in Q3.