The AI Chip Rally Is Masking a Dangerous Truth. Half the S&P 500 Is Being Left Behind

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Thomas Richmond

Fri, May 15, 2026 astatine 10:15 AM CDT 3 min read

Quick Read

  • The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index’s 64% ascent since precocious March is being driven astir wholly by AI infrastructure spot stocks.

  • Intel (INTC) tripled since precocious March with a 14% Friday surge connected Apple spot woody reports, posting Q1 non-GAAP EPS of $0.29 versus $0.01 estimation and Data Center/AI gross of $5.05B up 22% YoY.

  • AMD (AMD) revised maturation guidance higher aft Data Center gross jumped 57% YoY to $5.78B with Q2 guidance astatine $11.2B.

  • Broadcom (AVGO) posted fiscal Q1 AI semiconductor gross of $8.4B, up 106% YoY, and guided Q2 AI gross to $10.7B with a $100B AI income people by 2027.

  • The expert who called NVIDIA successful 2010 conscionable named his apical 10 stocks and AMD wasn't 1 of them. Get them present FREE.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index has climbed roughly 64% since precocious March. Nathan Peterson, Director of Derivatives Research and Strategy astatine Schwab, framed past week's enactment astir a azygous ascendant taxable connected the firm's Market Update podcast: "The driving motor down past week's propulsion higher successful stocks continued to beryllium the AI infrastructure plays, particularly successful the spot stocks." Last Friday unsocial tacked connected different 5.5% for the index, capping a week that saw mega-cap spot names determination with a ferocious velocity.

The expert who called NVIDIA successful 2010 conscionable named his apical 10 stocks and AMD wasn't 1 of them. Get them present FREE.

Chip Stocks Are Driving the Market's Returns

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has tripled since precocious March, with Friday's astir 14% spike fueled by reports that the institution volition physique chips for Apple. The determination follows a Q1 net study wherever Intel posted non-GAAP EPS of $0.29 versus an estimated $0.01, and Data Center and AI gross of $5.05 billion, up 22% twelvemonth implicit year. CEO Lip-Bu Tan told investors the "next question of AI volition bring quality person to the extremity user, moving from foundational models to inference to agentic."

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) added substance aft CEO Lisa Su erstwhile again revised longer-term maturation expectations higher pursuing Tuesday's earnings. Data Center gross jumped to $5.78 billion, up 57% twelvemonth implicit year, and Q2 guidance points to astir $11.2 cardinal successful revenue. Memory leaders Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) and SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) joined the move, with SanDisk surging astir 17% connected Friday connected apical of a fiscal Q3 study showing gross of $5.95 billion, up 251% twelvemonth implicit year.

The Breadth Problem

Infotech climbed 2.58% Friday, portion nary different assemblage precocious by adjacent 0.6%, and 5 of 11 S&P sectors closed lower. Industrials and financials finished successful the red, a stroke to stocks that way cyclical economical trends.

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