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Wall Street holds near its record heights

SUMMARY:

  • S&P 500 and Nasdaq slip while Dow inches higher after records
  • drops 2% after rally tied to partnership news
  • rises on Uzbekistan Airways Dreamliner order
  • rebounds after Trump’s -autism remarks
  • Gold hits record $3,800, up 45% this year on Fed rate-cut bets
  • Powell to speak following Fed’s first rate cut of 2025

 

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are hanging near their record heights on Tuesday as Wall Street takes a moment following a relentless rally.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%. The Industrial Average was up 38 points, or 0.1%, as of noon Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% lower. All three indexes are coming off their latest all-time highs set the day before.

Nvidia weighed on the market after giving back some of its big gain from the day before, when it announced a partnership with OpenAI to build out data centers. Wall Street’s most influential stock lost 2%.

AutoZone fell 2.9% after reporting a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, as the auto parts retailer squeezed less earnings out of each $1 of revenue than it did a year earlier.

But a 1.9% rise for Boeing helped support the market after Uzbekistan Airways agreed to buy 14 of its Dreamliner airplanes and said it may add eight more to the order.

Kenvue climbed 3.3% and recovered much of its drop from Monday, when it had fallen on worries that President would say its Tylenol product may increase the risk of autism in children. Trump did warn pregnant women about taking Tylenol, but he did not seem to cite any significant new research to back it up. Kenvue has disputed any link between the drug and autism.

Gold, meanwhile, continued its record-breaking rally and topped $3,800 per ounce. It’s soared nearly 45% so far this year, even more than the U.S. stock market, in part on expectations that the will cut to help the slowing U.S. job market. Worries about potentially high because of White House influence on the Fed, along with mountains of debt for the U.S. and other governments, have also vaulted gold’s price higher.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell will speak later in the afternoon and give his first public remarks since the Fed cut its main interest rate last week for the first time this year. At the time, he said many Fed officials had penciled in more cuts to rates through the end of this year and into next. But he also cautioned that conditions may change quickly.

The Fed is wary because lower rates can give inflation more fuel, and inflation has stubbornly remained above its 2% target. An update on Friday will show how much prices are rising for U.S. households based on the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, and economists expect it to show a slight acceleration for last month.

A preliminary report suggested activity at U.S. businesses is still growing, but at a slower pace as tariffs raise prices for them. Companies may be finding it difficult to pass those higher costs fully on to customers because of “weaker demand and stiff competition,” according to S&P Global.

The numbers suggest that inflation could moderate for U.S. households, but not by so much that it drops below the Fed’s 2% target in the coming months, according to Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.13% from 4.15% late Monday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid modest moves across much of Europe and Asia.

France’s CAC 40 rose 0.5%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.7% for two of the bigger moves. Japan’s stock market was closed for a national holiday.

Tylenol maker rebounds a day after Trump’s unfounded claims about its safety

Summary

  • Trump warned against use in pregnancy, citing autism links
  • stock dropped 7.5% Monday, rebounded 6% at Tuesday’s open
  • Company disputed claims, warning of risks if women avoid the drug
  • Analysts see limited lawsuit risk, but reputational concerns remain
  • Kenvue, spun off from J&J in 2023, makes Band-Aids, Listerine and more

Shares of Tylenol maker Kenvue bounced back sharply at the opening bell Tuesday, a day after President promoted unproven and in some cases discredited ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism.

“Don’t take Tylenol,” Trump instructed pregnant women around a dozen times during the White House news conference Monday, also urging mothers not to give their infants the drug, known by the generic name in the U.S. or paracetamol in most other countries.

Shares of the New Jersey consumer brands company tumbled 7.5% Monday. At the open of trading, shares bounced back by more than 6%.

The announcement, which appeared to rely on existing studies rather than significant new research, arrives as Health and Human Services Secretary , a vaccine skeptic, advances the Make America Healthy Again movement that has focused on what it sees as potential causes of autism.

Kenvue disputed any link between the drug and autism this week and warned that if pregnant mothers don’t use Tylenol when in need, they could face a dangerous choice between suffering fevers or using riskier alternatives.

Kenvue was spun off from ‘s pharmaceutical and medical device divisions in 2023 because it was thought that the companies could function more efficiently if they were independent from each other. Aside from Tylenol, the company makes Band-Aids, Listerine and other household brand names.

Citi Investment Research analyst Filippo Falorni wrote that he sees a limited risk of new lawsuits after Trump’s announcement, but thinks “there could be risk to Tylenol consumption given the negative headlines.”

Falorni anticipates a positive reaction for Kenvue’s stock at the opening bell on Tuesday given the lack of new scientific evidence.

The company has fought hundreds of lawsuits related to the product and its alleged ties to autism, but most have been dismissed.

Tylenol made headlines in the 1980s when seven people in the Chicago area were killed after taking the over-the-counter painkiller laced with cyanide. The incident triggered a nationwide panic and led to an overhaul in the safety of over-the-counter medication packaging. No one was ever charged in the deaths.

 

State rejects St. Francis hospital expansion

SUMMARY:

    • Virginia denied ‘s request for 36 new medical surgical beds
    • Four ICU beds were approved due to a regional shortage
    • has refiled the full $106 million expansion request

The Virginia state government has rejected a request from Bon Secours’ St. Francis Medical Center to add 36 medical surgical beds to its facility, arguing that there isn’t enough need for them.

However, the health system has refiled its application in full.

Bon Secours had been seeking the state’s approval to build two additional floors on an existing inpatient tower that would house the 36 beds, along with four more intensive care unit (ICU) beds. The estimated cost of the project is about $106 million.

But on Sept. 2, State Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Shelton rejected the (COPN) request for the 36 beds, although she did approve the part of the request allowing for the four ICU beds.

The state’s COPN program requires owners and sponsors of medical care facility projects to secure approval from the state health commission before they can begin the projects. The program aims to contain costs.

In an August letter recommending denial of the COPN request, state health department adjudication officer Vanessa MacLeod wrote that there is a shortage of ICU beds in the region, with about 73 more needed. She said even with the authorization of the four St. Francis ICU beds, there will still be a shortage.

However, she wrote that “the proposed project in its entirety is not consistent with public need” and called the 36 beds “premature.”

“With a surplus of nearly 435 beds, there is no public need for new medical surgical beds,” she wrote.

The state also examined whether St. Francis is utilizing its existing beds fully.

MacLeod noted that St. Francis implemented 55 new acute care beds in October 2024 and that the health system asserted it needed 36 more medical surgical beds. She said institutional need requires 80% of the medical surgical beds to be occupied.

She noted that St. Francis’ latest published data from 2023 included 130 beds of all classes at 86.4% occupancy, which was before it added 55 beds. Additionally, she wrote that the medical surgical beds St. Francis had allocated to obstetrical beds were not included in its occupancy calculation.

According to the Division of Certificate of Public Need (DCOPN), the occupancy of St. Francis’ medical surgical beds, including those allocated to obstetrics, is 76.5% — falling below the 80% threshold.

DCOPN received 33 letters of support from providers, community members and patients in favor of the 36 beds, noting the area’s growing population and arguing it would ensure patients can have access to the best care possible.

But — another health system in the Richmond region — wrote a letter in opposition, arguing that St. Francis’ proposal is premature and that St. Francis’ application was because other competing providers requested additional beds. HCA recently submitted a COPN request for a $260 million hospital in .

In response to HCA’s letter of opposition, St. Francis argued its application was not premature but “the result of carefully considered facility planning,” and projects like this take a significant amount of time to implement.

Bon Secours spokesperson Jenna Green said in a statement that the hospital intends to keep pursuing the full proposal and that the application has been resubmitted.

“While we are appreciative of the partial approval, Bon Secours remains committed to pursuing the project as originally proposed,” the statement said. “We believe this comprehensive expansion is essential to meeting the growing and evolving health care needs of Chesterfield County and the surrounding region, which we have faithfully served for two decades. The demand for additional medical/surgical beds remains clear, and it is a need echoed by other health systems across greater Richmond.

“We remain hopeful the commissioner will ultimately approve the full 40-bed expansion at St. Francis Medical Center, and we will continue to advocate for this project with steadfast commitment to improving access, advancing health equity and delivering high-quality, compassionate care to the communities we serve.”

In July, Bon Secours broke ground on a three-story, 87,790-square-foot medical office building at the St. Francis Medical Center campus Chesterfield County. The health system expects to be completed in late 2026.

The Bon Secours Richmond Health System has a network of seven acute hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, ambulatory care sites and continuing care facilities across a 24-locality region. Bon Secours also operates four hospitals and one outpatient facility in Hampton Roads.

Amentum to add 3,000 UK jobs

SUMMARY:

    • announced plans to create 3,000 jobs in the UK Thursday
    • Trump and Starmer signed during state visit
    • Major investments in the UK pledged by companies including

British Prime Minister gave a shout-out to Chantilly-based government contractor Amentum Thursday at a business reception held during President ‘s state visit to Britain..

During the trip, which included stops at Windsor Castle and St. George’s Chapel, Trump and Starmer signed the Tech Prosperity Deal, an agreement to invest joint resources and expertise into areas such as and . The deal was accompanied by pledges of more than $202 billion in U,K. investment including more than $121 billion from Blackstone, a private equity group.

“To fuel this revolution, we have also struck a new deal on civil ,” Starmer said at the business event held at Chequers, the prime minister’s country home. “I want to thank everybody here for supporting this too with brilliant, job-creating investments from Amentum and others.”

Specifically, Amentum announced plans to create 3,000 new jobs in the over the next four years in nuclear power and defense, an investment worth about $203 million according to the U.K.  A provider of advanced engineering and technology services, Amentum is a lead delivery partner for the U.K.’s new nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C. Additionally, Amentum provides technical and product solutions for small modular reactors and fusion research there.

Amentum CEO John Heller attended Thursday’s reception along with top U.S. executives like Apple CEO Tim Cook and CEO Jensen Huang.

Amentum CEO John Heller. Photo courtesy Amentum
Amentum CEO John Heller. Photo courtesy Amentum

“The U.S. state visit reflects the unique strength of the U.K.-U.S. partnership and our shared determination to drive economic growth and prosperity,” Heller said in a statement.

Collaboration between the nuclear industries of the U.K. and the U.S. will help meet Trump’s goal of quadrupling nuclear generating capacity by 2050, Amentum stated in a news release.

Amentum assists U.K.’s national defense by providing services for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines, managing the U.K. training estate for the Defence Infrastructure Organization, part of the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence, and delivering program management and engineering support for Atomic Weapons Establishment, the U.K. equivalent to the National Nuclear Security Administration.

“We are stepping up collaboration between our people on both sides of the Atlantic to ensure that we seize opportunities which are tailor-made for our company,” Mark Whitney, president of Amentum Energy and Environment, stated in the news release. “Based on current demand projections, we expect to increase our U.K. head count by 50% over the next four years.  And we are also investing in digital engineering, AI and automation to improve the delivery of critical infrastructure and government programs in the U.K. and the U.S.”

More than 53,000 employees in about 80 countries work at Amentum. In the United Kingdom, the company has 6,000 employees. Amentum reported $3.6 billion in revenue for the third quarter of 2025.

US stocks drift toward more records following Wall Street’s relentless rally

Summary

  • rises 0.4% after morning losses
  • Dow adds 96 points; up 0.6%
  • gains on partnership news
  • Oracle climbs on expected algorithm deal

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting toward more records on Monday following ‘s seemingly relentless rally.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% after erasing what had been a modest loss earlier in the morning. The Industrial Average was up 96 points, or 0.2%, as of 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% higher. All three are on track to top their latest all-time highs, which were set on Friday.

“Every time the market seems to be running out of momentum, it fools most of us by pushing to higher heights,” said Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets.

A familiar face was again the strongest force lifting the market, Nvidia. Wall Street’s most valuable company rose 3.5% after announcing a partnership to train and run OpenAI’s next generation of artificial-intelligence models. As part of the deal, Nvidia will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI.

Oracle climbed 4.7% after a senior official in President ‘s administration said the tech giant will receive a copy of TikTok’s algorithm to operate for U.S. users as part of the deal to keep the popular platform running in the country.

Oracle also named Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia as its CEOs, with current CEO Safra Catz becoming executive vice chair of the technology company’s board.

Some of the market’s sharpest action was among companies agreeing to buy one another.

said it would buy Metsera and its pipeline of medicines to potentially treat obesity in a deal initially valuing it at $4.9 billion. The price tag could go up sharply, by nearly 50%, if Metsera’s candidates win approval from federal regulators and achieve other milestones.

Metsera’s stock jumped 61.9%, and Pfizer’s added 0.7%.

ODP, which runs Office Depot and Office Max, leaped 33.2% after Atlas Holdings agreed to buy it in a deal valued at roughly $1 billion.

Anywhere Real Estate soared 45.5% after Compass said it would buy the company behind the Coldwell Banker and Corcoran brands in an all-stock deal. They said the combined company is expected to have a total enterprise value of roughly $10 billion, including debt. Compass shares sank 16.6%.

Also on the losing end of Wall Street was Coinbase Global, which fell 3.5% as stocks sank across the crypto industry following a pullback for cryptocurrency prices.

But Coinbase is still up 33% for the year so far thanks to interest in crypto, whose prices have soared to records on expectations for cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

Stocks have surged since April on hopes that Trump’s tariffs won’t derail global trade and that the Fed will deliver several cuts to rates to boost the economy. The Fed made its first cut of the year last week, and officials indicated they could deliver more through the end of this year and into next.

The U.S. stock market still faces challenges, though. Chief among them is if the Fed does not cut interest rates as many times as investors expect. The Fed is wary because lower rates can give more fuel, and inflation has stubbornly remained above its 2% target.

An update on Friday will show how much prices are rising for U.S. households based on the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, and economists expect it to show a slight acceleration for last month.

Plus, stocks already look too expensive to many professional investors after their prices surged so much.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.13% from 4.14% on Friday.

Nvidia to invest $100 billion in OpenAI to help expand the ChatGPT maker’s computing power

Summary

  • to invest $100B in to expand AI infrastructure
  • At least 10 GW of Nvidia-powered planned
  • First gigawatt deployment expected in late 2026
  • Partnership follows ‘s $100B equity stake in OpenAI

Chipmaker Nvidia will invest $100 billion in OpenAI as part of a partnership announced Monday that will add at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia AI data centers to ramp up the computing power for the owner of the chatbot .

Per the letter of intent signed by the companies, the first gigawatt of Nvidia systems will be deployed in the second half of 2026. Nvidia and OpenAI said they would be finalizing the details of the arrangement in the coming weeks.

“This partnership complements the deep work OpenAI and Nvidia are already doing with a broad network of collaborators, including Microsoft, , SoftBank and Stargate partners, focused on building the world’s most advanced AI infrastructure,” the companies said in a release.

The Nvidia-OpenAI partnership comes about 10 days after OpenAI said it had reached a new tentative agreement that will give Microsoft a $100 billion equity stake in its for-profit corporation. OpenAI is technically controlled by its nonprofit.

OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015 and its nonprofit board has continued to control the for-profit subsidiary that now develops and sells its AI products.

OpenAI’s corporate structure and nonprofit mission are the subject of a lawsuit brought by Elon Musk, who helped found the nonprofit research lab and provided initial funding. Musk’s suit seeks to stop OpenAI from taking control of the company away from its nonprofit and alleges it has betrayed its promise to develop AI for the benefit of humanity.

Earlier this month, the attorneys general of California and Delaware warned OpenAI that they have “serious concerns” about the safety of ChatGPT, especially for children and teens.

The two state officials, who have unique powers to regulate nonprofits such as OpenAI, noted “deeply troubling reports of dangerous interactions between” chatbots and their users, including the suicide of one young Californian after he had prolonged interactions with an OpenAI chatbot. The parents of the 16-year-old California boy, who died in April, sued OpenAI and its CEO, , last month.

OpenAI says it has 700 million weekly active users.

Also, just last week Nvidia announced that it was investing $5 billion in fellow chipmaker Intel, which has struggled to keep up with the frenzied demand for artificial intelligence.

V2X acquires QinetiQ’s US intelligence biz

Reston-based Fortune 1000 aerospace and defense contractor acquired ‘s U.S. intelligence business, the former announced Monday.

V2X expects the transaction value to be approximately $24 million after estimated tax benefits. Parent company QinetiQ Group said in a news release announcing the agreement in August that the sale of its U.S. federal IT services business to V2X had an enterprise value of $31 million.

The sale of the U.S. intelligence business is part of QinetiQ Group’s U.S. restructuring program, according to an August news release from the company.

“This enhances our position in the intelligence community and strengthens our ability to deliver data-enabled mission solutions across all domains,” V2X President and CEO Jeremy C. Wensinger said in a statement.

QinetiQ’s U.S. intelligence business provides data engineering, intelligence mission support and cyber solutions to the intelligence community. Approximately 70 employees will join V2X.

The business’ integration into V2X’s national security portfolio is underway and “will continue over the coming months,” according to a V2X news release.

Formed by the $2.1 billion merger of Vertex and Vectrus in 2022, V2X has about 16,000 employees. V2X serves national security, civilian, defense and international clients with solutions related to logistics, operations, and aerospace.

The U.S. arm of -based security and defense contractor QinetiQ Group is based in McLean.

RTX subsidiary hit by major cyberattack

SUMMARY:

  • hit subsidiary ‘s MUSE check-in system, disrupting airports across Europe
  • European Union Agency for did not identify attackers
  • Fallout included canceled flights and lingering disruptions

A major ransomware attack against Collins Aerospace — a subsidiary of County-based aerospace and defense contractor RTX — disrupted check-in and boarding systems at several airports across Europe over the weekend, with disruptions continuing until Monday, forcing delays cancellations of flights.

The disruptions to electronic systems meant that only manual check-in and boarding was possible. Airports said the issue centered around a provider of check-in and boarding systems — not airlines or the airports themselves.

Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers check themselves in, print boarding passes and bag tags and dispatch their luggage from a kiosk, cited a “cyber-related disruption” to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at “select airports.” The New York Times reports that the Muse software is used by about 300 airlines at 100 airports.

According to the New York Times report, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity said on Monday that the disruption had been caused by a ransomware attack. However, it is still unclear who was behind the attack. An organization spokesperson did not have more details.

Experts said it could turn out to be hackers, criminal organizations or state actors.

Fallout from the cyberattack has extended for days, as passengers faced dozens of canceled and delayed flights — and the impact poised to worsen for at least one major airport.

Starting late Friday, airports in Berlin, Brussels and London were hit by disruptions to electronic systems that snarled up check-in and sent airline staffers trying options like handwriting boarding passes or using backup laptops. Many other European airports were unaffected.

The European Commission, the executive branch of the 27-nation European Union, said that aviation safety and air traffic control were unaffected. There was currently no indication of a widespread or severe attack, while the origin of the incident remained under investigation, it added.

While departure boards for London’s Heathrow and Berlin’s Brandenburg airports were showing signs of smoother arrivals and departures on Sunday, Brussels Airport was still facing considerable issues.

The New York Times reported that Brussels Airport, seemingly the hardest hit, had at least 40 of 277 departing flights scheduled for Monday canceled in Brussels, as well as 23 of 277 arriving flights.

RTX did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On Saturday, RTX said in a statement that it was working to resolve the issue: “The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations.”

Brussels Airport said was able to maintain 85% of scheduled departures over the weekend thanks to the deployment of extra staff by airport partners “and the fact that self bag drop and online check-in are still operational.”

The cyberattack affected only computer systems at check-in desks, not self-service kiosks, airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli said, and teams were turning to alternative backup systems and pulling out laptop computers to help cope with the impact.

The airports advised passengers to check the status of their flights before traveling to the airports, and using alternative check-in methods.

A rolling message Sunday on the Brandenburg Airport’s web page said: “Due to a systems outage at a service provider, there are longer waiting times. Please use online check-in, self-service check-in and the fast bag drop service.”

RTX has more than 185,000 employees globally and reported more than $80.73 billion in 2024 sales. The contractor is Virginia’s second-highest ranked company by revenue on the 2025 Fortune 500.

Virginia Business Associate Editor Josh Janney contributed to this report.

Pfizer to buy Metsera in $5B obesity drug deal

Summary

  • to acquire for nearly $5B cash
  • Deal adds pipeline of obesity treatments in trials
  • Metsera has four programs in clinical development
  • expected to close in Q4 pending approval

Five months after ending development of its own obesity treatment, Pfizer is accelerating its push into the rapidly growing field with a nearly $5 billion acquisition.

The COVID-19 vaccine and treatment maker said Monday that it will pay $47.50 in cash for each share of development-stage drugmaker Metsera. That represents a premium of more than 42% to Metsera’s closing price Friday.

Pfizer also could pay an additional $22.50 per share depending on how Metsera’s product pipeline develops.

Metsera Inc. has no products on the market, but its pipeline includes four programs in clinical development and one in mid-stage testing. Pfizer said the deal will add expertise and potential oral and injectable treatments.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla noted in a statement from the drugmaker that there are more than 200 health conditions associated with obesity, which he called “a large and growing space.”

Demand for obesity treatments has soared in recent years, due to unprecedented weight loss provided by regular injections of market leaders from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Co.’s . The Lilly drug generated $5.7 billion in sales in the first half of the year.

But the drugs can cost patients hundreds of dollars a month, and experts in the field are looking for competition to potentially drive down prices.

Pfizer currently has no obesity treatments on the market but has some in clinical development. Earlier this year, the company said it was ending development of a potential once-daily pill treatment before it started late-stage testing, the biggest and most expensive phase of clinical development.

Pfizer said the boards of both New York-based companies have approved the deal, but Metsera shareholders still need to OK it. The companies expect the acquisition to close in this year’s fourth quarter. It still needs approval from regulators.

Shares of Pfizer Inc. climbed 38 cents to $24.40 before markets opened Monday while Metsera’s stock advanced about 61%.

Google faces antitrust déjà vu as US seeks to break up its digital advertising business

Summary

  • DOJ pushes breakup of ‘s digital ad system
  • Trial follows failed DOJ case over search monopoly
  • Evidence focuses on abusive advertising tactics
  • Remedy trial outcome could reshape Google’s empire

After deflecting the U.S. Justice Department’s attack on its illegal monopoly in online search, Google is facing another attempt to dismantle its internet empire in a trial focused on its abusive tactics in .

The trial scheduled to begin Monday in an Alexandria, Virginia, federal court will revolve around the harmful conduct that resulted in U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema declaring parts of Google’s digital advertising technology to be an illegal monopoly. The judge found that Google has been engaging in behavior that stifles competition to the detriment of online publishers that depend on the system for revenue.

Google and the Justice Department will spend the next two weeks in court presenting evidence in a “remedy” trial that will culminate in Brinkema issuing a ruling on how to restore fair market conditions.

Although the judge hasn’t set a timetable for making that decision, it’s unlikely to come down before the end of this year because additional legal briefs and courtroom arguments are expected to extend into November before Brinkema takes the matter under submission.

No matter how the judge rules, Google says it will appeal the earlier decision labeling the ad network as a monopoly. Appeals can’t be filed until the remedy is determined.

The case, filed in 2023 under President Joe Biden’s administration, threatens the complex network that Google has spent the past 17 years building to power its dominant digital advertising business. Besides accounting for most of the $305 billion in revenue that Google’s services division generates for its corporate parent Alphabet Inc., digital advertising sales provide the lifeblood that keeps thousands of websites alive.

If the Justice Department gets its way, Brinkema will order Google to sell parts of its ad technology — a proposal that the company’s lawyers warned would “invite disruption and damage” to consumers and the internet’s ecosystem. The Justice Department contends a breakup would be the most effective and quickest way to undercut a monopoly that has been stifling competition and innovation for years.

Google believes it has already made enough changes to its “Ad Manager” system, including providing more options and pricing options, to resolve the issues the Brinkema flagged in her monopoly ruling.,

The legal battle over Google’s advertising technology mirrors another showdown that the company recently navigated after another federal judge condemned its dominant search engine as an illegal monopoly and then held remedy hearings earlier this year to consider how to stop the misconduct.

In that case, the Justice Department also proposed a severe crackdown that would have required Google to sell its popular Chrome browser, but U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta decided a less dramatic shake-up was needed amid a search market being reshaped by technology in a decision issued earlier this month.

Even though Google didn’t agree with all aspects of Mehta’s decision, the ruling was widely seen as a slap on the wrist — a sentiment that has helped propel Alphabet’s stock price to new highs. The 20% gain since Mehta’s decision helped make Alphabet only the fourth publicly traded company to reach a market value of $3 trillion — an increase of more than $1 trillion since Brinkema branded Google’s ad technology as a monopoly in April.

In an indication that the outcome of the search monopoly case might sway things in the advertising technology proceedings, Brinkema asked both Google and the Justice Department to address Mehta’s decision during the upcoming trial.

As they did in the search case, Google’s lawyers already have been asserting in court papers that AI technology being used by ad network rivals like Meta Platforms is reshaping the way the market works and overriding the need for the Justice Department’s “radical” proposals.

The Justice Department is “fighting for a remedy that would vanquish a past that has been overtaken by technological and market transformations in the way digital ads are consumed,” Google’s lawyers argued leading up to the trial.