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Intel has given investors a lesson in just how quickly market sentiment can change. After surging more than  285% in the first half of 2026 , Intel reached an intraday high of  $142.35 on 30 June . Since then, the shares have fallen roughly 30%, closing Monday at  $97.52 . A 30% decline may sound alarming, but context matters. After such an extraordinary rally, some pullback is hardly surprising. The more useful question for investors is not simply whether Intel can rebound tomorrow, but whether its  earnings, growth prospects and valuation can support the share price over the longer term . The Business Is Improving — But There Is a Catch Intel's latest quarterly results were encouraging. For the second quarter, the company reported  adjusted earnings of $0.42 per share on revenue of $16.1 billion , beating market expectations. Revenue grew  24.8% year-on-year , helped by strong demand for CPUs linked to the continued build-out of artificial intelligence in...

Global equities rebounded as  strong AI-driven earnings from Nvidia and easing supply risks at Samsung  boosted investor confidence, helping markets recover from recent losses. AI Momentum Drives Market Rebound Stocks rallied across regions following upbeat results from  Nvidia : S&P 500   +1.1% Nasdaq Composite   +1.5% Nvidia’s  better-than-expected revenue outlook  reinforced the view that  AI demand remains strong , supporting the broader semiconductor sector. Asian Markets Snap Losing Streak The  MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan Index  rose  1.2% , ending a four-day decline. Key movers: Kospi   +4% Nikkei 225   +1.9% Australia equities  +1.5% The rebound reflects  renewed risk appetite driven by AI optimism . Samsung Strike Suspension Eases Supply Concerns Samsung Electronics  surged over  6%  after its union  suspended planned industrial action . Avoids disruption involving  ~48,000 wo...

Quick Summary TSMC’s January revenue jumped 37% YoY , beating expectations AI-driven demand  is keeping capacity tight and sales strong Potential US tariff exemptions  could further boost demand from Big Tech Stock is already  up 17% year-to-date What’s Driving TSMC Higher Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co  reported  January revenue of NT$401.6 billion (US$12.7bn) : +20% quarter-on-quarter +37% year-on-year The pace of growth is  ahead of TSMC’s own ~30% full-year growth guidance , reinforcing its central role in the global semiconductor supply chain. AI Demand Keeps Capex Elevated TSMC recently announced: Up to US$56 billion in capex for 2026 , +30% vs last year High investment levels expected for the next three years The spending spree reflects  relentless demand for AI chips , particularly from hyperscalers and data-centre operators. Tariff Relief: A Possible Bonus According to the  Financial Times ,  major US tech firms may be exempt ...

The US has imposed a  25% tariff on a narrow category of advanced semiconductors , a move closely tied to a deal that allows  Nvidia  to resume shipments of its Taiwan-made H200 AI chips to China — marking a major shift in Washington’s tech trade strategy. What’s the Deal? The tariff applies to  specific high-end AI processors , including Nvidia’s  H200  and  Advanced Micro Devices ’s  MI325X . The duty is collected  when chips enter the US , before being re-exported to China or other overseas markets. In return, Nvidia received approval in December to sell H200 chips to China, subject to export licences. President Donald Trump described the arrangement as a win-win: “China wants them… and we are going to be making 25% of the sale of those chips.” Why This Matters This is  not a blanket chip tariff . Instead, the US is: Holding off broader semiconductor levies following a national security probe Using  targeted tariffs + licensing c...

GlobalFoundries and Intel Lead Gains U.S. chipmakers surged Friday after reports that the Trump administration is preparing a new policy to  force domestic production to match imports . GlobalFoundries (GFS):  +8.4% Intel (INTC):  +4.4% Both companies have significant U.S. manufacturing capacity, positioning them to benefit from the proposed rules. The Proposal: A 1:1 Ratio for Chips According to the  Wall Street Journal , the administration wants U.S. semiconductor firms to produce  the same number of chips domestically as customers import from abroad . Companies unable to match imports with U.S. output would face  tariffs . The policy is seen as an  extension of Trump’s earlier plan  to impose 100% tariffs on foreign-made chips, with exemptions for firms building in the U.S. Firms would have a grace period to meet quotas while new fabs ramp up. National Security at the Core The White House argues the U.S. must reduce reliance on  foreign su...

Memory chipmakers are moving in sync on price increases as AI demand stretches supply across both training and inference workloads. Market Snapshot Samsung  to raise LPDDR4X/LPDDR5/5X prices by  15%–30%  in 4Q; eMMC/UFS up  5%–10% . Micron (MU)  reportedly planning  20%–30% hikes  on DDR4/DDR5. Capacity shift : DDR4 supply could drop to  20% of current levels by 2026 . AI pull-through : Tightness expected in both DRAM and NAND, with the up-cycle possibly lasting into 1H26. HDD strain  pushing faster SSD adoption; QLC SSD shipments could surge in 2026. What’s Driving the Price Hikes Capacity pivots : Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron are reallocating production toward DDR5 and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), accelerating DDR4 phase-out. AI demand : As workloads shift from training to inference and the edge, demand for both high-capacity DRAM and NAND is tightening. Industry Outlook Local reports suggest the  pricing up-cycle may extend through y...

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)  shares climbed over  4% to $173.14  after UBS boosted its price target to  $210  from $150, citing rising confidence in AMD’s  AI semiconductor business . Key Points UBS Analyst Timothy Arcuri:  Reaffirmed Buy rating, forecasting  21% upside  and stronger-than-expected Q2 results driven by PC and server demand. AI Chip Momentum:  AMD’s new  Instinct MI350X and MI355X  GPUs could fetch around  $25,000 per unit , exceeding market expectations. Revenue Outlook:  Arcuri estimates AMD’s data center GPU business could hit an  annualized $10B  by year-end. Strategic Edge AMD’s acquisition of  ZT Systems  in March adds rack-scale server design capabilities, allowing AMD to deliver  full-stack AI systems  competing with NVIDIA’s end-to-end solutions. The AI market’s pivot to rack-scale infrastructure is a key driver behind the bullish outlook. Market Context AMD stock...

Narrow Gains Behind the Record Highs The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs this week — but don’t let that fool you. The rally is being led by just a handful of stocks. Thanks to the  AI semiconductor surge , driven by Nvidia and friends, tech is on fire — up  1.9%  for the week. A big push came after Trump  lifted the Nvidia H20 chip ban  to China. That helped keep the S&P 500 up  0.5% , and Nasdaq  +1.3% . But here's the kicker:  On Tuesday,  only 89 stocks  in the S&P 500 were green by midday — even though the index was rising. By close, only  48 stocks  finished positive. That’s one of the weakest market breadth readings since 2001 on an up day. Under the Surface: Retail, Autos, and Broader Market Are Struggling While Big Tech shines, the rest of the market is flashing warning signs: Retail ETF (XRT)  fell  1% Ford  dropped  5.9% GM  slid  0.9% These sectors are feeling the heat fr...