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- European
Investing.com -- Shares in European companies linked to the buildout in artificial intelligence rallied on Friday after Anthropic signed a computing deal worth at least $11.6 billion, offering a fresh tailwind for AI-linked companies as the buildout in infrastructure linked to the technology continued.
ASML Holding rose 2.3%. Dutch peers BE Semiconductor Industries and ASM International rose 1.6% and 1.03%, respectively. Chipmakers Infineon Technologies and STMicroelectronics rose 1.2% and 2.01%, respectively, as of 07:45 ET (11:45 GMT).
The rally also included companies linked to the buildout in data centers. Siemens Energy and electrification group Prysmian both rose 2%.
Under the agreement, Akamai will provide Anthropic with access to central processing units (CPUs), while Anthropic will receive a warrant to buy Series B shares at $111.33 each, convertible into 7.7 million common shares.
The deal follows a $1.8 billion computing agreement between the companies earlier this year. Anthropic has been expanding its computing capacity as demand for its Claude AI software grows, striking deals with providers including Alphabet’s Google and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
For Akamai, the contract is its largest ever and marks an acceleration of its push into computing beyond its core content delivery and cybersecurity businesses.
The company expects to spend about $5.5 billion on capital expenditures tied to the agreement more than six times its total 2025 capital spending.
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