Applied Materials stock jumps as Meta AI chip plan lifts semiconductor names
Applied Materials Inc. shares AMAT climbed nearly 7% on Thursday as semiconductor stocks rallied after reports that Meta Platforms plans to begin manufacturing its in-house artificial intelligence chip in September, boosting optimism around demand for wafer fabrication equipment and AI infrastructure. The broader semiconductor rally also lifted Lam Research and KLA Corp., while optical networking company Lumentum led gains in the S&P 500.