Key Points IBM struck a deal to add Confluent to its rapidly expanding cloud portfolio. The data-streaming platform could accelerate IBM's AI initiatives. 10 stocks we like better than International Business Machines › IBM (NYSE: IBM) wants to be an artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse. The tech giant is scooping up data-streaming dynamo Confluent (NASDAQ: CFLT) to add to its growing collection of AI-enablers. Under the terms of the deal announced Monday, IBM will purchase Confluent for $11 bil ...