Post-Bell｜Tech And AI Chip Surge Propels Wall Street Higher Amid Geopolitical Jitters

01 Stock Market

The U.S. major indexes closed as follows: Dow Jones up 0.69% at 49,490.03; S&P 500 up 1.05% at 7,137.90; NASDAQ up 1.64% at 24,657.57. A powerful rebound in technology and semiconductor shares helped the three benchmarks post solid gains, outweighing lingering concerns about global tensions and mixed corporate earnings.

Unusual-move stocks saw outsized swings led by semiconductor names and select large-caps. POET Technologies jumped 24.59% at $12.77 after upbeat optical-chip headlines, while Navitas Semiconductor powered 20.48% higher to $18.47. Memory giant Micron Technology surged 8.48% at $487.48; flash-maker SanDisk advanced 8.37% at $979.07; and Advanced Micro Devices climbed 6.67% to $303.46. Crypto-exposed MicroStrategy rallied 9.39% at $179.36, whereas Avis Budget fell 37.82% to $443.94 on profit-taking, and Intel declined 1.49% at $65.27.

Broader enthusiasm for AI and data-center demand lifted a swath of well-known tech names. Bellwethers such as NVIDIA up 1.31% at $202.50, Microsoft up 2.07% at $432.92, Apple up 2.63% at $273.17 and Taiwan Semiconductor up 5.26% at $387.44 all contributed to the day’s advance. Leveraged ETF SOXL gained 7.70% at $105.64, while its inverse SOXS fell 7.69% at $16.80, underscoring investors’ preference for bullish semiconductor exposure.

02 Other Markets

U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose by 0.00%, latest at 4.29%.

USD/CNH rose 0.01%, at 6.87; USD/HKD fell 0.01%, at 7.83.

U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.02%, at 98.61.

WTI crude futures fell 0.42%, at 92.57 USD/bbl; COMEX gold futures fell 0.25%, at 4,740.90 USD/oz.

03 Top News

1. Tesla delivered positive free cash flow, but the stock slipped after hours. The electric-vehicle maker generated $1.44 billion in free cash flow versus expectations for a burn, while capital spending ran 40% below analyst forecasts. Investors focused on looming multi-billion AI and robotics investments, nudging shares about 2% lower in late trading.

2. Google Cloud unveiled its next-generation TPU 8 chips to accelerate AI workloads. The new 8t and 8i versions promise more than 117% efficiency gains and will be available later this year. Google also plans to complement its in-house silicon with forthcoming Nvidia hardware, aiming to lower latency and costs for fast-growing AI services.

3. Navitas Semiconductor and peers surged as investors bet on power chips for AI data centers. Navitas shares leapt over 10% during the session, while Vicor and other power-chip specialists followed suit. Analysts at BofA highlighted a long-term industry shift toward high-voltage direct-current architectures to meet soaring server-rack energy needs.

4. GE Vernova raised its 2026 revenue and margin outlook, sending shares up more than 12%. The power-equipment maker cited booming demand for gas turbines and grid gear as AI-driven data-center expansion boosts electricity consumption. Profit at its power unit jumped 57% last quarter.

5. The FCC granted AST SpaceMobile approval to deploy up to 248 low-Earth-orbit satellites for direct-to-device broadband. The authorization covers 700 MHz and 800 MHz spectrum in partnership with U.S. carriers, unlocking a nationwide service footprint. Shares rose over 8% on the regulatory win.

6. Oil prices firmed after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent briefly traded above $100 per barrel as the incident revived supply-disruption fears. Energy traders noted the move followed an extension of a fragile U.S.–Iran cease-fire agreement, keeping geopolitical risks elevated.

7. Boeing reported a narrower quarterly loss than expected, boosting confidence in its recovery. The aerospace giant’s core loss was $0.20 per share, far below forecasts, helped by stronger jet deliveries and defense earnings. Management affirmed production ramp-up plans despite continued cash burn.

8. Tencent and Alibaba entered talks to invest in AI start-up DeepSeek at a valuation above $20 billion. The potential deal underscores the intensifying race among Chinese tech titans to secure generative-AI assets. Alibaba’s U.S. shares gained about 1.8% following the report.

9. Wells Fargo upgraded Airbnb to overweight, citing accelerating innovation and new revenue drivers. The broker sees sponsored listings and a deeper push into hotel supply lifting revenue and earnings by mid-decade, boosting sentiment toward the travel-platform operator.

10. Bank of America upgraded Twilio to buy on strengthening AI-driven communications strategy. Analysts argued Twilio’s messaging infrastructure positions it as a key beneficiary of generative-AI applications, forecasting an inflection in growth and margins.