Bloomberg Tech – April 2, 2026

Episode Theme:
A fast-moving news day analyzing the latest market volatility amid Middle East tensions, breaking down Tesla’s disappointing sales quarter, the next steps for NASA’s Artemis 2 moon mission, and what’s next for enterprise AI, fintech, and tech investing.

Episode Overview

Bloomberg Tech navigates a choppy day for markets, driven by fresh headlines from the Middle East and the ongoing tech sector rotation. The episode delivers focused analysis of:

• The market reaction to ongoing conflict and the Strait of Hormuz crisis
• Tesla’s worst sales quarter in years and what this means for its future beyond autos
• NASA’s Artemis 2 moon mission and the technical/strategic goals of lunar exploration
• Global tech business: enterprise AI infrastructure, major fintech moves, and leadership insights from top analysts and CEOs

1. Market Update and Middle East Tensions

[01:57–06:41]

Key Points

• Markets experienced a roller coaster in response to geopolitical headlines, particularly Iran's statement about working with Oman to oversee the Strait of Hormuz.
• Tech stocks, having been sensitive to geopolitical shocks, are struggling with added uncertainty over supply chains and valuations, which now overshadow even the heated AI investment debate.
• Tight oil supply and climbing prices raise inflation concerns, especially relating to hardware and chip production (notably helium supply).
• President Trump’s prior night speech failed to reassure investors regarding a swift end to the war in the Middle East.

Notable Quotes

• “There is still a lot of uncertainty right now…this new element is really overshadowing everything else.”
  — Ryan Bastellica, Bloomberg Tech Equity Reporter [05:19]

• “If you have uncertainty about supply…all these other kinds of questions just add to the growing level of uncertainty.”
  — Ryan Bastellica [06:11]

2. Tesla’s Disappointing Sales Quarter

[06:41–14:59, 29:33–34:33]

Key Points

• Tesla delivered only 358,000 vehicles this quarter, missing Wall Street expectations by 14,000 and posting one of its worst quarters in years.
• Analysts and insiders agree the auto business and battery sales are still Tesla’s core profit drivers; futuristic projects like robotaxis and humanoid robots are “concepts” with little visible revenue in the near term.
• The company faces regulatory, policy, and consumer hesitance in the US; globally, competition from Chinese EV makers and fading incentives (like the US IRA credits) suppresses demand.
• Discussion of potential Tesla-SpaceX consolidation if SpaceX goes public, possibly to maximize Musk’s control and accelerate AI/data-driven business synergies.

Notable Quotes

• “Everyone is excited about robo taxis…humanoid robots… but those are really concepts. And we don’t have a robot that Tesla’s selling.”
  — Craig Trudell, Global Business Editor [07:56]

• “They’re going to spend $20 billion this year…and so they’re going to have to pay for it. And the auto business and the energy business is where the cash comes from.”
  — Ben Callow, Baird Senior Research Analyst [10:26]

• “The real growth is winning this robotaxi war…I think Tesla has the data, the scale, the service centers, and the strategy—and it’s going to be hard for others to compete at scale.”
  — Ben Callow [13:48]

Further Analysis with Stephanie Valdez Street, Cox Automotive

• Higher energy prices push consumers to consider more efficient vehicles, but not immediately to EV purchases; price sensitivity and lack of fresh Tesla models play a large role.
• US sales struggle: no new product, waning subsidies, stiff competition. Globally, aggressive Chinese EV makers force Tesla to focus on affordability and brand refresh.
• “Having an affordable EV…could really help. That’s the biggest barrier right now for EV adoption—the price point.”
  — Stephanie Valdez Street [33:19]

3. NASA Artemis 2: Next Steps in the Moon Mission

[15:19–21:36]

Key Points

• Artemis 2 crew is in safe orbit, ready for a critical engine burn to propel them toward the moon (“trans-lunar injection”).
• The mission aims to study the moon's far side for key resources, and to break ground in observations, navigation, and operational resilience through scheduled loss of communications and free return trajectory.
• Contemporary moon missions are resource-driven—water, minerals, oxygen—reflecting the moon's strategic value.

Notable Quotes

• “They’re going to fire the engines tonight to send them toward lunar orbit. That’s the big part. There is risk, but they are testing systems.”
  — Ed Ludlow, Bloomberg Tech [18:29]

• “The value of the moon is in part strategic from that resource standpoint…water, minerals, oxygen.”
  — Ed Ludlow [19:18]

4. Tech Business & Investment Moves

Amazon-Globalstar Satellite Deal

[20:12–21:36]

• Amazon is negotiating to acquire Globalstar for its licensed spectrum and infrastructure, opening up competition with SpaceX in satellite internet. Apple holds a large stake.

Chime Launches “Chime Prime” Checking

[21:36–26:33]

• New premium account targets higher-deposit customers with 5% customizable cashback, aiming to compete with traditional banks for primary banking relationships.
• US consumers show resilience across spending categories despite higher fuel costs.
• Chime maintains a strategy of operating as a fintech partner, not as a regulated bank.

Notable Quote

• “Across all those areas we see a healthy consumer. I would note…a pretty significant uptick in the amount that consumers are spending on their fuel purchases; up over 25% actually month over month.”
  — Chris Britt, Chime CEO [23:50]

5. Enterprise Tech: Agentic AI and Cloud Infrastructure

[38:05–47:16]

Anthropic: Claude Code Release Incident

[38:05–40:03]

• Chief Commercial Officer Paul Smith calls the accidental release of Claude Code “absolutely not a breach” but the result of “process errors”, highlighting the tension between rapid feature rollout and security.

Kyndryl’s “Agentic Service Management”

[41:04–46:42]

• CEO Martin Schroeder outlines the promise and challenges of agent-based enterprise AI.
• Productivity gains are uneven; while employees generate thousands of AI agents for internal use, scaling this securely into core production is more gradual.
• Tech infrastructure from previous eras is not ready for modern AI agents—modernization is an ongoing process tied to productivity and resilience in the face of global instability.
• Company remains financially resilient despite reporting and leadership transitions.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s like building a new bullet train that can go 200 mph, but still running on tracks built for 30.”
  — Martin Schroeder, Kyndryl CEO [42:07]

• “I have agents that do automated work for me, but it’s very much a productivity tool…917 trusted proprietary agents running infrastructure for customers, compared to ~25,000 created by employees for themselves.”
  — Martin Schroeder [45:31]

6. Microsoft CFO Profile: Amy Hood’s Discipline in the AI Spending Race

[48:35–50:20]

Key Points

• Amy Hood, Microsoft CFO, must balance “nation-state” investment in data centers and cloud AI infrastructure.
• Praised for her disciplined approach: she declined a substantial, high-profile server rental deal that others saw as a coup but later seemed burdensome.

Notable Quote

• “Within a couple of months it started seeming much more like a burden. And maybe Amy Hood had dodged a bullet. The jury is still out, but at this point, it seems like she has made a shrewd choice.”
  — Brody Ford, Bloomberg Reporter [49:36]

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Key Topic | |-------------|-------------------------------------| | 01:57–06:41 | Market update, Middle East, tech stocks, oil | | 06:41–14:59 | Tesla sales miss: implications, analyst/CEO interviews | | 15:19–21:36 | NASA Artemis 2 mission status and significance | | 21:36–26:33 | Chime launches premium account; state of US consumers | | 27:22–34:33 | Tesla analysis with Cox Automotive; EV market dynamics | | 38:05–40:03 | Anthropic’s Claude Code “process error” | | 41:04–46:42 | Kyndryl on agentic AI, infrastructure modernization | | 48:35–50:20 | Microsoft CFO Amy Hood’s financial discipline |

Memorable Moments & Takeaways

• “The real growth is winning this robotaxi war” – Tesla’s future remains tethered to proving value in new markets.
• “It’s like building a new bullet train…on tracks built for 30.” – Enterprise infrastructure lagging behind AI’s rapid advance.
• Market resilience? “Our customer base…is pretty stable. But…upskilling for data sovereignty and resilience is key.” – Kyndryl CEO on strategy under global turmoil.

Conclusion

Bloomberg Tech captures a turning point day in tech and markets: the new AI bubble, geopolitical shocks, and stagnation in EV momentum all collide. Industry leaders and reporters point to a future where innovation, discipline, and infrastructure upgrades will define winners in an increasingly competitive and disrupted field.