US stocks rise as AI lifts semiconductor shares, earnings strong
US stock markets wrapped up Monday just a little higher, thanks mostly to the buzz around artificial intelligence lifting semiconductor shares.
Even with oil prices rising and U.S.-Iran talks stuck (which kept inflation worries in the air), strong company earnings kept investors feeling pretty upbeat.
83% of the S&P 500 companies that had reported beat expectations this season, so now all eyes are on upcoming inflation and economic data.
Intel climbs, Qualcomm hits record highs
Semiconductor stocks led the charge: Intel kept climbing after last week's big jump tied to an Apple chip deal, and Qualcomm hit record highs too.
The rally didn't come from any huge news drop; analysts say it's more about investors piling into AI-related tech.
S&P 500 Q1 earnings up 28.6%
Analysts estimated first-quarter S&P 500 earnings growth at 28.6% year-on-year.
This week brings key updates from Cisco and Applied Materials, while NVIDIA and Walmart are due to report later in the month.
Investors are also watching for fresh numbers on inflation and retail sales as energy prices keep shaping spending trends.