Chrome, Google's browser, commands roughly 68% of the global market share. That's a staggering lead, with Apple's Safari trailing far behind at under 14%. No other competitor even registers in the double digits. For years, this synergy between search and browsing has created an unbreakable ecosystem, where users default to Google tools for convenience and familiarity. But the rise of artificial intelligence could upend this empire. AI isn't just a buzzword; it's reshaping how people interact with the internet.
Google's parent company was one of the strongest forces lifting the market and climbed 8.7% after avoiding some of the worst-case scenarios in its antitrust case. A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a shake-up of Google's search engine but did not force a sale of its Chrome browser. Because Alphabet is one of Wall Street's most valuable companies, its stock movements carry more weight on the S&P 500 and other indexes than the typical company's.