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A renewed surge in AI and semiconductor stocks is reinforcing bullish sentiment, with  institutional investors increasing exposure to  Advanced Micro Devices , even after a sharp rally. AI Chip Stocks Lead Market Rebound US-listed semiconductor names rallied strongly: Advanced Micro Devices   +8% Micron Technology   +21% Micron’s move pushed its valuation above  US$1 trillion , highlighting  broad-based momentum across AI infrastructure , particularly in  memory and high-bandwidth chips (HBM) . Institutional Options Trade Signals Further Upside A notable  bull call spread strategy  emerged in AMD: Long  $520 calls (Sep 2026) Short  $620 calls The structure indicates: ~20%–25% upside expectation Continued  institutional conviction despite a 140% rally This reflects a  measured bullish stance , capturing upside while managing cost and risk. AMD’s AI Narrative Is Being Repriced AMD is increasingly being repositioned as a...

 Intel, AMD and Texas Instruments are facing a series of lawsuits in Texas accusing them of  failing to prevent their chips from ending up in Russian weapons  used in attacks against Ukrainian civilians. A Berkshire Hathaway-owned distributor was also named in the filings. Ukrainian Civilians File Five Lawsuits The suits, brought by U.S. mass-tort lawyer  Mikal Watts  and law firm  Baker & Hostetler , claim the chipmakers showed  “willful ignorance”  as restricted components were resold by third parties into Russia and Iran, violating U.S. sanctions. The lawsuits cite  five attacks between 2023 and 2025 , involving: Iranian-made drones containing components linked to  Intel  and  AMD Russian  KH-101 cruise missiles  and  Iskander ballistic missiles  containing U.S.-made chips “These companies know their chip technology is making its way into Russia,” Watts said at a press conference. Companies Say They C...

Shares of  Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)  came under pressure as the chipmaker recorded the largest jump in short-selling activity among semiconductor stocks, even as optimism over its artificial intelligence prospects continues to drive strong gains this year. AMD Short Volume Climbs Short volume on AMD rose  5.7 million to 12.6 million shares  on Wednesday — the biggest increase in the semiconductor group, according to exchange data. The total represents  about 11.7%  of all shares traded that day. The surge came as  AMD shares rallied 9.4%  after more analysts boosted their price targets. HSBC’s Frank Lee  raised his target to  $310  from  $185 , citing massive AI revenue potential from its new  OpenAI partnership . Wedbush’s Matthew Bryson  lifted his target to  $270  from  $190 . Despite the rise in short trading, short interest — the total amount of borrowed shares yet to be covered —  fell to...

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)  shares surged  7.7% to US$234.98  on Wednesday after  HSBC analyst Frank Lee raised his price target to  US$310  from  US$185 , maintaining a  Buy  rating. Lee said AMD’s recent deal with  OpenAI  implies a  massive AI revenue upside  that is still “underestimated by consensus.” He estimates the partnership could generate  US$80 billion  in chip revenue over the next five years. The agreement will see OpenAI deploy  six gigawatts of AMD GPUs —starting with  MI450 GPU servers  in the  second half of 2026 . Lee added that the MI450 is expected to  rival Nvidia’s products  when launched late next year. Meanwhile, AMD and  Oracle  also announced an expanded  AI infrastructure partnership , with Oracle set to deploy tens of thousands of AMD GPUs from  Q3 2026 . The  Nasdaq Composite  rose  0.6%  while  Nvidia ...

Investors are piling into  Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)  call options, betting that the chipmaker’s rally will extend beyond its all-time high of  $240.10  within days. Traders Rush Into $250 Strike Calls Out-of-the-money  $250 call options expiring this Friday  have become the hottest trade in AMD’s options market, with  open interest surging to over 36,000 contracts  — the highest among all AMD-linked options. That’s a sharp climb from just 21,117 contracts a week ago, signaling mounting bullish speculation as AMD’s share price accelerates. Shares closed  0.8% higher at $218.09 , after briefly touching  $224.98 , driven by optimism following a major announcement with  $Oracle (ORCL.US)$ . AI Partnerships Spark Renewed Enthusiasm AMD said Oracle will deploy  50,000 AMD Instinct MI450 GPUs  starting Q3 2026 to power the first publicly available AI supercluster — a partnership that underscores AMD’s growing relevance in ...

  Global Market Snapshot U.S. equities extended their record-breaking run on Monday as optimism surrounding AI, corporate deals, and M&A momentum lifted major indices. S&P 500  closed at a new all-time high, gaining  0.4% . Nasdaq Composite  rose  0.7% , marking its seventh consecutive day of gains. Dow Jones Industrial Average  slipped marginally by  0.1% . At 8:00 a.m. ET,  E-mini futures  were little changed: S&P 500 Futures ( ESmain.US ):  +0.04%  to  6,791.25 Nasdaq 100 Futures ( NQmain.US ):  +0.08% Dow Futures ( YMmain.US ):  +16 pts (+0.04%) Top Market Highlights AMD Gets Rare Upgrade After Historic 24% Surge Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)  soared  23.7%  after sealing a landmark  multi-year AI chip deal with OpenAI , estimated to bring over  US$100 billion  in revenue. In a rare reversal,  Jefferies upgraded AMD to “Buy” , nearly doubling its price target to...

U.S. equities surged to fresh record highs overnight as optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) reignited investor sentiment. A sharp rally in  Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)  shares lifted chipmakers broadly, propelling the  S&P 500  and  Nasdaq  to their seventh straight day of gains — the longest winning streak since May. AMD soared  24%  after securing a multi-year AI chip supply deal with  OpenAI , fueling expectations of a new wave of AI-driven data center investments. The benchmark  Philadelphia Semiconductor Index  jumped nearly  3% , while  Tesla (TSLA.US)  advanced  5.5%  on speculation of a new model announcement. Despite ongoing U.S. government shutdown risks, investors continued to bet on growth and earnings resilience, pushing the  S&P 500  to around  6,740 , marking the bull market’s  three-year anniversary . Market Recap S&P 500:  +0.4% to 6,740...

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US) skyrocketed  24%  on Monday, sparking a surge in  bullish call-option activity worth millions of dollars after unveiling a  multi-year AI chip-supply deal with OpenAI  — one that could generate  tens of billions in revenue  for the chipmaker. AMD shares closed at  US$203.71 , after touching an intraday high of  US$226.71 , marking its biggest one-day gain in over a year. The rally triggered aggressive options buying, including a  US$2.27 million block trade  for calls with a  US$240 strike price  expiring in four days — more than  22 times  existing open interest. Under the deal,  OpenAI  will deploy  6 gigawatts  of AMD’s Instinct GPUs beginning in  2H 2026 , while AMD issued a  warrant for up to 160 million shares  tied to delivery milestones. The first tranche vests upon shipment of the  initial 1GW of MI450 chips . AMD CFO  Jean Hu ...

Key Takeaway: $Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)$ inked a  multi-year AI chip supply deal  with $OpenAI$, potentially worth  tens of billions in annual revenue , and offering the ChatGPT creator the option to acquire up to  10% of AMD’s equity . The news sent AMD shares surging over  23% in pre-market trade , putting them on track for their  highest level since March 2024 . Deal Overview Scope:  Supply of  hundreds of thousands of AMD AI GPUs —equivalent to  6 gigawatts  of compute capacity—rolled out from  2H 2026 . Flagship hardware:  OpenAI to build a  1GW AI facility  using AMD’s upcoming  MI450 series  chips in 2026. Financial impact:  AMD expects  tens of billions of dollars annually  and  over US$100 billion in cumulative revenue  over four years from OpenAI and related ecosystem partners. Strategic milestone:  Marks a significant diversification of OpenAI’s hardware base b...

US equity futures climbed as investors shrugged off the federal government shutdown and priced in stronger odds of further Fed rate cuts. Meanwhile, gold surged past the $3,900 mark to a new record high, supported by safe-haven demand and expectations of easing monetary policy. Market Overview Index Last Change E-mini S&P 500 (Dec) 6,789.75 +0.38% Nasdaq 100 Futures (Dec) – +0.62% Dow Futures (Dec) – +83 pts (+0.18%) Both the  S&P 500  and  Nasdaq  have advanced in four of the past five weeks, reflecting investor confidence despite policy uncertainty from Washington. Key Highlights AMD Surges on Multi-Billion Dollar OpenAI Partnership $AMD (AMD.US)$ rallied  35%  after  OpenAI  agreed to deploy up to  6GW of AMD Instinct GPUs , starting 2026. The partnership includes a  warrant for up to 160 million shares , potentially giving OpenAI  a 10% stake in AMD . The deal highlights AMD’s rising competitiveness in the  AI infra...

Expanding White House Control President  Donald Trump  has been taking unprecedented steps to exert direct control over private companies — an approach more commonly seen in economic crises. His administration has negotiated ownership stakes, revenue-sharing deals, and veto power over corporate actions. So far,  investors have mostly benefited , though the long-term outlook remains uncertain. Government-Backed Companies and Market Reactions Intel (INTC) The U.S. government took a  10% stake  in Intel after Trump pressured its CEO to resign. Since the deal in August, Intel’s shares have  risen 24% , far outpacing the  S&P 500’s 1.8% gain  in the same period. MP Materials (MP) The Department of Defense bought  15%  of the rare earths miner. Shares have  doubled  since the news of government involvement, making rare earths one of the biggest winners. Lithium Americas Currently in talks with the government for a deal similar to...

Covert Monitoring of High-Risk Shipments US authorities have been secretly placing location-tracking devices in certain shipments of advanced AI chips deemed at high risk of illegal diversion to China, Reuters reported, citing sources with direct knowledge. The trackers, concealed in packaging or even inside servers, aim to detect chips being rerouted to destinations under US export restrictions. These measures target select shipments already under investigation and are intended to build enforcement cases against individuals or companies violating export controls. Application Across the AI Supply Chain The practice has been observed in shipments from server makers such as Dell and Super Micro that include Nvidia and AMD chips. In some 2024 cases, both large smartphone-sized trackers and smaller hidden devices were reportedly used. Sources say the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) — which enforces export controls — often leads the effort, with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) ...

Options Trading Shift Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) overtook Tesla on Wednesday to become the second most actively traded stock option, trailing only Nvidia. Options volume for AMD reached 1.77 million contracts, surpassing Tesla’s 1.70 million, while Nvidia maintained the lead at 2.35 million. The spike came as AMD’s share price climbed to its highest in over a year, marking a second consecutive day of gains. China Export Outlook Boosts Sentiment The rally followed confirmation from former US President Donald Trump that both AMD and Nvidia will pay a 15% fee to the US government on chip sales to China. This announcement eased investor concerns over AMD’s China shipments, which had been clouded by export license reviews. Last week, AMD had cited “headwinds” affecting its Instinct MI308 shipments to the country, raising uncertainty about near-term revenue. Analyst Projections Remain Strong Even before factoring in resumed China sales, JPMorgan analysts led by Harlan Sur projected AMD wou...

U.S. stocks traded mostly lower Monday despite a U.S.-E.U. trade deal, with individual names making big moves ahead of a jam-packed earnings week and key Fed decision. Winners Tesla (TSLA):  +3.6% after the EU-U.S. trade deal capped auto tariffs at 15%. CEO Elon Musk also confirmed a  $16.5B chip deal with Samsung  for next-gen AI chips at a Texas fab. AMD (AMD):  +4% to $173.14 after UBS raised its price target to $210, citing AI growth momentum. ASML (ASML):  +4% as European semiconductor stocks jumped post-trade deal. Nike (NKE):  +4% to $79.34 after J.P. Morgan upgraded the stock to Overweight and hiked the target to $93, forecasting a multi-year recovery. Cheniere Energy (LNG):  +1.2% after the EU agreed to buy $750B in U.S. energy, including LNG. Lockheed Martin (LMT):  +0.3% as the EU pledged large U.S. military equipment purchases. Boeing (BA):  +0.5% despite labor tensions after workers rejected a contract offer, triggering a potenti...

Intel’s stock options saw a massive spike in trading Friday as shares tumbled nearly 10%, putting the chipmaker in a three-way battle with  Palantir  and  AMD  for the third most active stock option of the day — behind usual leaders  Tesla  and  Nvidia . Key Highlights: Intel’s options volume:  ~1 million contracts (quadruple the 20-day average). Put options dominated:  476,540 contracts traded by mid-day, up sharply from Thursday’s 380,939. Most active contract:  $17.50 put expiring in 35 days, with 43,840 contracts traded. Stock Performance: Intel shares fell  as much as 9.9% to $20.39 , extending this year’s decline to almost 34%. The drop came after Intel’s  Q3 gross margin guidance (36%)  missed analyst estimates of 37.3%, overshadowing slightly better-than-expected Q2 revenue of $12.86 billion. Market Dynamics: AMD’s contrast:  Shares have rallied ~20% over the past year, fueling demand for call options as inves...