Alphabet’s shares surged to a record high Thursday, after U.S. regulators stepped back from a proposed set of new restrictions on large AI platforms, a decision that unexpectedly strengthened the hand of Google’s parent company. But while regulatory relief is one factor, analysts say the real driver behind Google’s market-breaking rally lies in the success of its competitors. In fact, that’s what the judge in Google’s antitrust case said, too.
In a 230-page ruling, District Court Judge Amit Mehta wrote that Google can no longer enter into exclusive distribution deals around making its search engine or its Gemini AI technology into a default option, and that it must share some search data with competitors. But the decision stopped short of requiring it to spin off key assets, especially its Chrome web browser.
