Artificial intelligence is driving a seismic shift in the tech market, with semiconductor stocks eclipsing software as the new investment epicenter. Nvidia’s exceptional earnings highlight the demand for AI hardware. While SaaS companies once dominated, generative AI is reshaping the landscape, leading to a significant surge in semiconductor ETFs and a decline in software ETFs. This indicates a clear investor preference for the foundational chips powering AI innovation.

SpaceX is poised for a record-breaking IPO, reportedly aiming to raise $75 billion. This offering could revitalize the IPO market, which has seen muted activity. The article highlights historical large IPOs, including Alibaba, Visa, and Facebook, and discusses how private funding and AI advancements influence companies’ decisions to go public.

Anthropic projects $10.9 billion in Q2 revenue, potentially marking its first profitable quarter and exceeding last year’s total. The AI firm, known for its Claude models, is experiencing hyper-growth and is reportedly seeking funding at a $900 billion valuation. Despite infrastructure demands and competition, Anthropic secured a significant compute deal with SpaceX and is preparing for a 2026 IPO, setting up a major showdown in the AI sector.

SoftBank Group’s stock surged 19.85% on Thursday, driven by Nvidia’s strong earnings and renewed optimism around OpenAI’s potential IPO. SoftBank’s significant stakes in Arm Holdings and OpenAI, both benefiting from the AI boom, propelled its market capitalization by over $35 billion. This rally boosted related Asian semiconductor stocks, reflecting the broad positive sentiment in the AI sector.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admitted the company has “largely conceded” the Chinese AI chip market to Huawei due to US export restrictions. Despite this, Nvidia reported record financial results, with revenue soaring to $81.62 billion. Huang expressed no expectation of near-term market re-entry into China, focusing instead on global expansion and supporting its supply chain amidst massive AI economy growth.

Samsung Electronics’ stock surged over 6% as its labor union suspended an 18-day strike, averting potential disruptions to the global semiconductor supply chain. A tentative agreement, reached after intensive government-mediated negotiations, addresses key union demands including performance bonus caps removal and linking bonuses to operating profits. This positive development, coupled with strong semiconductor sector sentiment driven by Nvidia’s earnings, bolsters Samsung’s operational continuity and employee morale.

European tech companies providing crucial AI infrastructure are experiencing significant stock growth. Firms like Aixtron, Technoprobe, STMicroelectronics, and Nokia are seeing investor interest surge due to their vital roles in the AI supply chain. While U.S. and Chinese giants lead AI development, European “enablers” are benefiting from escalating demand for computational power, despite regulatory challenges in the region.

Ubisoft’s stock plunged 14% after the gaming giant warned of continued losses. The company anticipates a significant operating loss and declining net bookings for the current fiscal year, compounded by delayed releases and restructuring costs. Ubisoft is streamlining operations by discontinuing and postponing projects, aiming to optimize its cost base and achieve sustainable free cash flow despite a challenging short-term financial outlook.

AMD is investing over $10 billion in Taiwan’s semiconductor and AI ecosystem, reinforcing the island’s critical role in global chip production, led by TSMC. This strategic move aims to advance chip packaging and manufacturing technologies, vital for next-generation AI infrastructure. Collaborating with Taiwanese firms like ASE and SPIL, AMD seeks to enhance performance efficiency for its upcoming AI server system, Helios, set for release in late 2026. The investment underscores AMD’s commitment to the AI market and solidifies Taiwan’s position as a key hub for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Tesla has officially launched its Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities in China, a significant move after years of regulatory delays. This comes as Chinese EV brands rapidly advance their autonomous driving technologies. FSD (Supervised) is now available in China as one of 10 key markets. The rollout follows CEO Elon Musk’s recent visit to Beijing and intensifies competition with domestic players like Xiaomi and Xpeng. The “intelligent assisted driving” feature is offered for Model 3 at 64,000 yuan.