TNB Tech Minute: Nvidia Launches Largest-Ever U.S. Stock Buyback Program

0:00This episode is supported by Anthropic, the team behind Claude. Every business wants to move faster. Few can afford to be wrong. That's why the brands you trust also trust Claude. Here's your morning TNB Tech Minute for Monday, September 28th. I'm Anthony Bansie for The Wall Street Journal. NVIDIA is launching the largest ever U.S. stock buyback. The chip giants board said today that it approved a$150 billion increase to its share repurchase program. That brings its total buyback authorization to$235 billion. The authorization eclipses the$110 billion stock buyback that Apple unveiled two years ago, and it comes just four months after NVIDIA's board had already added$80 billion to the buyback program.

0:46NVIDIA sports a market capitalization topping$5.4 trillion, the largest of any company in the world. And in more NVIDIA news, the company has launched a software program it says can help developers test and deploy AI agents and keep them in a secure environment, ramping up efforts to contain the technology following a string of rogue incidents in recent months. The NVIDIA Open Agent Safety Platform includes tools that let developers continuously monitor and govern AI behavior and ensure the agents follow the rules. NVIDIA said the platform includes a watchdog that can quarantine agents that attempt to move outside of their boundaries in milliseconds.

1:25It also includes software to enforce what agents can see, do, and interact with. MetaPlatforms is starting a new business line focused on selling AI tools to enterprise customers, aiming to build on the momentum of its viral muse personal assistant and deliver a return to its hefty spending. The company said the move will bring together sales of several of Meta's existing AI tools, including its Muse Personal Productivity Agent, a coding tool, and access to its top models and agents for businesses. The Facebook and Instagram parent is in the throes of an evolution from a consumer-oriented business with a core focus on selling ads to one that also offers subscriptions and services to enterprise customers.

2:08It is spending more than$100 billion on its AI infrastructure just this year, and investors are eager to see that investment bear fruit. And that's your T &B Tech Minute. We'll be back this afternoon with more. See what's next at claude.ai slash wsj.