Digital Platforms Research, Forecasts & Analysis

1 May 2026 · Digital Platforms· Free

EQUITY INSIGHT SERIES | Q1 2026: Big Tech Q1 2026 Earnings

: The Q1 2026 earnings season for Big Tech marked a pivotal shift in investor sentiment regarding artificial intelligence. While Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and Apple all exceeded revenue expectations, the market's reaction diverged based on the clarity of AI-driven returns. This analysis expl…

1 May 2026 · Digital Platforms · Equity Insights· Free

Apple Q1 2026: Five Things to Watch

: iPhone revenue grew 22% last quarter with Cook calling demand 'off the charts.' The bull case is that Apple's on-device AI — Apple Intelligence, a personalised Siri, and Gemini integration — creates a durable reason to upgrade that the market has not yet priced. The bear case is that most iPhone us…

1 May 2026 · Digital Platforms · Equity Insights· Free

Amazon Q1 2026: Five Things to Watch

: AWS delivered a 37.7% operating margin in Q1 2026, up from 32.7% a year earlier. The source of the expansion — Trainium and Graviton custom silicon displacing expensive Nvidia GPUs — is real and structural. The risk is that as Trainium commitments convert to live workloads, the support and operatio…

1 May 2026 · Digital Platforms · Equity Insights· Free

Meta Q1 2026: Five Things to Watch

: Meta's ad revenue grew 33% last quarter, powered by algorithmic improvements compounding since 2022. The company has not disaggregated how much of that growth is attributable to Advantage+ AI targeting versus underlying demand recovery. Until it does, investors cannot assess whether the $125-145 bi…

1 May 2026 · Digital Platforms · Equity Insights· Free

Alphabet Q1 2026: Five Things to Watch

: A $462 billion Cloud backlog nearly doubling quarter-on-quarter is the single most impressive data point of the entire earnings season. Management says more than half should convert within 24 months, implying a minimum $230 billion revenue tailwind. That trajectory would make Cloud the dominant dri…

1 May 2026 · Digital Platforms · Equity Insights· Free

Microsoft Q1 2026: Five Things to Watch

: Azure grew 40% in the March quarter and management guided for modest acceleration in the second half of calendar 2026. The $627 billion commercial backlog gives credibility to that claim. What it does not explain is how Azure sustains velocity when gross margin on cloud is compressing under soaring…

30 Apr 2026 · Enterprise ICT · Report· Free

Microsoft’s $25B Australian Investment: Avoiding AI’s Technology Lock-In

: This report analyses the strategic logic of Microsoft’s Australian expansion, the financial necessity of future price hikes, the resulting risks of a global AI oligopoly, and the specific steps Australian firms must take to manage their exposure to this emerging dependency.

31 Mar 2026 · Digital Platforms · Report· Free

US Verdicts Hit Meta and YouTube - Implications for ANZ Social Media Regulation

: This report analyzes the impact of landmark March 2026 US jury verdicts against Meta and YouTube on social media regulation in Australia and New Zealand. It explores how findings of negligent design and executive knowledge of harm provide a legal foundation for Australia's under-16 social media ban…

26 Mar 2026 · Media · Report· Free

The Empire Strikes Back - Free TV Industry’s Drive for Young Viewers

: This report examines the 2025 Australian Total TV landscape, focusing on the structural stabilisation of free-to-air viewing. It analyses consistent consumption volumes, the rapid growth of Broadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD) as a share of free TV, and the dominant competitive standing of broadcaste…

19 Mar 2026 · Media · Report· Free

Paramount’s US$111bn WBD deal: Seismic Shift for Australian TV Media

: This report examines Paramount’s US$111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and its profound implications for the Australian media landscape. It addresses the strategic consolidation of streaming platforms like Paramount+ and Max, the technological integration of Network 10 into the wider…

27 Feb 2026 · Media · Report· Free

Nine/SXL Results Highlight Digital Prospects

: The Australian media sector is undergoing a significant structural shift as legacy broadcasters pivot toward digital-first models to combat the decline of linear advertising. This report analyzes Nine Entertainment's strategy of digital specialization and portfolio optimization, including its acqui…

20 Feb 2026 · Media · Report· Free

Restructured Australian Media Aims to Resist Global Digital Dominance

: The Australian media industry underwent a fundamental realignment in early 2026, driven by the need for scale to compete with global digital giants. This report details the merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Austereo to form a 'Total TV and Audio' platform, alongside Nine Entertainm…