Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.
U.S. stocks capped another powerful week of gains as the S&P 500 extended its rally to nine consecutive weeks, its longest winning streak in years, driven by continued enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks. The Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average also closed at fresh record highs, with investors largely looking past persistent inflation concerns and geopolitical uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict.
Semiconductor stocks remained at the center of the rally, led by Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU), which posted its best monthly performance since 1985 amid surging optimism around AI infrastructure spending. The memory-chip maker crossed the $1 trillion valuation threshold after analysts sharply raised price targets and projected continued explosive demand for AI-related memory products. The broader semiconductor sector also rallied strongly, with investors increasingly viewing the AI boom as a structural shift rather than a short-term cycle.
Despite the strong momentum, investors remain cautious about inflation and market concentration as the rally becomes increasingly dependent on a narrow group of technology leaders. April's inflation readings remained elevated, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates higher for longer even as equities continue climbing.
