# Tech stocks powered higher Thursday, with semiconductors leading the charge as optimism around AI infrastructure spending continued to fuel investor appetite.
Chip Stocks Steal the Show
Intel ($109.73, +8.6%) led the semiconductor surge, marking its best single-day gain in months as analysts grew increasingly bullish on the company's AI chip roadmap. AMD wasn't far behind at $544.10 (+6.2%), while memory giant Micron climbed to $979.69 (+5.7%). The broader tech rally lifted leveraged ETFs, with TQQQ jumping 4.7% to $71.09 and QLD gaining 3.1% to $89.69.
Broadcom extended its recent momentum to $350.33 (+3.2%), while even AI heavyweight Nvidia managed a solid 2.5% gain to close at $219.21. Tesla ($365.88, +2.2%) and Amazon ($251.89, +2.4%) also participated in the tech-heavy advance. The lone notable decliner was MercadoLibre, which dropped 2.0% to $1,802.56 amid profit-taking in Latin American e-commerce names.
AI Model Outlook
Our proprietary sentiment analysis suggests the semiconductor rally has strong technical momentum behind it, with options flow indicating continued bullish positioning into next week. However, the model flags potential volatility around upcoming earnings reports, particularly given the stretched valuations in several chip names. Risk-reward appears favorable for continued tech outperformance in the near term.
What to Watch Tomorrow
• Fed speakers: Two regional Fed presidents speak on monetary policy outlook
• Semiconductor earnings: Key supplier reports after the bell could extend today's chip rally
• Options expiration: Large options positions expire Friday, potentially creating volatility in mega-cap tech names