ZM
The AI side hustle just got expensive
Zoom isn't just a video-calls company anymore; it's quietly become a shareholder in one of the most hyped AI names on Earth. Anthropic is reportedly approaching a $900 billion valuation, which is the kind of number that makes even seasoned investors blink twice and ask, 'Wait, how many zeros was that?'
That matters because Zoom owns a reported stake in Anthropic from a 2023 strategic investment. Put simply, the better Anthropic looks, the prettier Zoom's paper gains become. Analysts have already been playing valuation bingo on that stake, and a new funding round could make those estimates look quaint.
Meanwhile, Zoom did its homework
Zoom also had a very non-fictional earnings day. The company posted first-quarter revenue of $1.24 billion, up 5.5% year over year, and topped Wall Street's expectations on both revenue and earnings for the 15th straight quarter. Not too shabby for a stock that used to be the ultimate pandemic era yo-yo.
It also raised full-year guidance and kept leaning into AI features like AI Companion and My Notes, which is the corporate equivalent of saying, 'Yes, we know the old Zoom joke. We're trying to retire it.'
Why investors are paying attention
If Anthropic eventually goes public, Zoom's stake could turn into a very loud billboard for the company's AI ambitions. That doesn't mean the stock should be priced like a pure AI play overnight — but it does mean the market has another reason to squint at Zoom as more than just a meeting app.
- Anthropic's rising valuation boosts the estimated worth of Zoom's stake
- The earnings beat and raised guidance are already helping sentiment
- Any actual Anthropic IPO chatter could add another catalyst layer on top
Big picture: Zoom just got a reminder that sometimes the best AI story isn't the one you sell — it's the one you own a slice of.