Good morning. Here’s what happened overnight and what you need to know today.
1.
Shares for Chips: Meta struck a multi-billion dollar AI chip deal with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), to deploy up to 6 gigawatts of the Nvidia rival’s graphics processing units (GPUs) for its AI data centres. Under the deal, AMD agreed to give Meta warrants to buy up to 160 million AMD shares, equating to roughly 10% of the company, for USD0.01 per share provided the company meets certain milestones. The stock award is conditional on a rise in AMD’s share price, with Meta only set to receive the final tranche of shares after AMD’s stock reaches USD600 ($853.06). Its shares were up 9.2% in afternoon trading at USD214.70. The deal, valued at more than USD100 billion, includes the use of AMD’s AI-optimised central processing units. Meanwhile, AI chip startup MatX raised more than USD500 million in a round led by Jane Street to produce hardware that competes with Nvidia products and AI lab Anthropic has linked its AI agent Claude with new tools to automate work across the human resources, investment banking and design sectors. (AMD)(Meta)(CNBC)(WSJ)(Capital Brief)
2.
Bomb threat: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was temporarily evacuated from The Lodge in Canberra after a security threat on Tuesday evening, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed. Officers responded to an alleged security incident at about 6pm on Tuesday evening and carried out a search of the residence and surrounding grounds. Nothing suspicious was located, the AFP said in a statement. Sources told the AFR that Albanese evacuated on the advice of the AFP following a bomb threat and returned to his residence just after 9pm. “There is no current threat to the community or public safety. Further information will be provided at an appropriate time,” the AFP spokesperson said. The incident came weeks after AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett warned that federal politicians and high office holders are being targeted by violent offenders. Commenting on the evacuation via X, Opposition leader Angus Taylor wrote: “Threats against any parliamentarian are utterly abhorrent, especially in a country built on expressing our differences through debate.” (AFR)(The Australian)(ABC)(Capital Brief)
