

**A broad rally swept across AI chip stocks on Monday, with AMD and Intel surging more than 5% each as the semiconductor sector snapped a two-session losing streak.** Shares of Advanced Micro Devices and Intel each jumped more than 5% on Monday, leading a broad AI chip sector rally that lifted the iShares Semiconductor ETF 3.2% as buyers returned after last week's decline. "The market is rotating back into semis after a sharp correction, and the high-beta names are getting the biggest bids," said Rachel Kim, semiconductor analyst at Edgen. "AMD and Intel are the most sensitive to any shift in risk appetite." AMD shares climbed to about $560, extending a year-to-date gain of more than 150%. Intel rose more than 5%, while Broadcom and Google each gained roughly 3%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. advanced 2.6%, and Nvidia added 2.3%. The moves came without any company-specific catalyst, suggesting the rally was driven by macro positioning rather than fresh earnings or product news. The bounce shows how quickly sentiment can shift in AI-linked stocks, which have been volatile in recent weeks. AMD reports second-quarter earnings on Aug. 4, with analysts projecting $1.60 in adjusted EPS on $11.28 billion in revenue. That print will determine whether the sector can sustain its momentum or faces another leg lower. The rally follows a turbulent period for chip stocks. On July 16, the PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index fell 3% as TSMC shares dropped despite reporting better-than-expected quarterly results. Memory-chip names led the decline, with Sandisk and Seagate each falling more than 5% on oversupply concerns. AMD has been the focal point of the bull-bear debate in semiconductors. The stock trades at 74 times forward earnings, a multiple that bulls justify by pointing to data center revenue growth of 57% year over year in the first quarter. Bears argue the valuation leaves no room for error, especially after 89 insider transactions skewed toward selling in recent months. Intel's bounce is partly mechanical — the stock had fallen 15.6% in the prior week. But the company's turnaround narrative, centered on its foundry ambitions and AI accelerator roadmap, has kept institutional interest alive. For Nvidia, the 2.3% gain on Monday still leaves the stock well below its highs. The company posted $81.6 billion in revenue in its most recent quarter, up 85% year over year, but concerns about AI capital expenditure sustainability have weighed on the broader sector. TSMC, which manufactures the flagship AI accelerators for both Nvidia and AMD, reported June monthly revenue of roughly 442 billion Taiwan dollars, up 67.9% year over year. The company's N3 nodes remain sold out, and it is building three advanced packaging facilities in Chiayi Science Park with a combined annual output expected to exceed NT$300 billion. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

SaaS stocks opened lower across the board Monday, with ServiceNow Inc. falling 4% ahead of its quarterly earnings report, as investors rotated out of growth software names before a heavy week of Big Tech results. "The selloff reflects positioning ahead of a critical earnings week for enterprise software, where any guidance miss could trigger a broader re-rating of the sector," Alex Nguyen, an analyst at Edgen, said. Adobe Inc. dropped more than 3%, while Microsoft Corp. and Salesforce Inc. each fell nearly 1% in early trading. The declines came as the broader market also weakened, with S&P 500 futures down about 1% and the 10-year Treasury yield slipping to around 4.5% after softer inflation readings. ServiceNow's results, due Wednesday alongside reports from Alphabet Inc., Tesla Inc. and General Motors Co., will serve as a bellwether for enterprise software demand. The company's subscription revenue growth and remaining performance obligations will be closely watched for signs that corporate IT budgets are holding up amid elevated interest rates. ## Earnings Week Looms Over SaaS Sector The selloff extended across the SaaS landscape, hitting companies with varying exposure to enterprise spending. Microsoft, which reports fiscal fourth-quarter results next week, has been a relative outperformer in the sector this year, supported by its Azure cloud business and Copilot AI offerings. The stock trades at about 35 times forward earnings, a premium to the broader market that leaves little room for disappointment. Salesforce, meanwhile, has been navigating a restructuring push under activist investor pressure while trying to sustain growth in its core sales and marketing software. The company's net revenue retention rate has stabilized in recent quarters after a period of decline, but investors remain focused on whether margin expansion can offset slower top-line growth. ServiceNow's 4% decline was the steepest among the group. The company, which provides workflow automation software to large enterprises, has been a beneficiary of corporate AI adoption, with its Now Assist platform driving incremental deal sizes. Its subscription revenue grew 22% in the most recent quarter, and its remaining performance obligations — a key forward-looking metric — stood at more than $9 billion. Analysts will be watching for updates on net revenue retention and customer count when it reports. ## Macro Headwinds Add Pressure The broader macro backdrop added to the pressure on software stocks. Pending home sales fell 5.4% in June and 30-year mortgage rates sat at 6.55%, data released Monday showed, reinforcing concerns that higher borrowing costs are cooling the economy. For SaaS companies, a slowing economy typically means longer sales cycles and smaller deal sizes — a dynamic that could weigh on second-half guidance. The decline in Treasury yields, while typically a positive for growth stocks, reflected a flight to safety rather than optimism about rate cuts. The 10-year yield at 4.5% remains well above levels that would meaningfully reduce the discount rate applied to future SaaS earnings, keeping pressure on high-multiple names. Alphabet's earnings on Wednesday will provide another read on enterprise software demand through its Google Cloud segment, which has been a growth driver for the company. Any signs of deceleration in cloud spending could compound the negative sentiment already weighing on the sector. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

Silver rallied to near $57 per ounce on Monday, gaining 2% as escalating US-Iran hostilities drove safe-haven demand and pushed oil prices above $90 a barrel, overshadowing rising expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike in September. "Geopolitical risk from the US-Iran conflict is overwhelming the rate narrative for now, but the upside in silver remains capped as long as the Fed maintains a hawkish posture," Kaynat Chainwala, AVP Commodity Research at Kotak Securities, said. Spot silver traded at $57.02 as of the London morning session, recovering from $56.70 — its weakest since November 2025 — after losing 7% in the prior week. COMEX gold edged up 0.12% to $4,021 per ounce but remained near a nine-month low. The rally in precious metals came as Brent crude breached $90 a barrel for the first time since June, up 27.8% from its July 1 low, after the US carried out an eighth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iranian military infrastructure and Iran retaliated against US allies in the Gulf, including strikes on a Kuwaiti power plant and oil facility. The Federal Reserve is now the primary headwind for silver. Markets priced in a 53% probability of a rate hike at the September meeting, up from 47% a day earlier, according to Trading Economics. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack joined a growing list of officials warning about persistent inflation, as oil's 30% surge from July lows threatens to keep price pressures elevated. Higher rates reduce the appeal of non-yielding assets like silver and gold. The metal's next major test is the $57.50 resistance level; a break above that could trigger further short-covering, while a failure to hold $56 would open the door to a retest of the November 2025 low near $54. **Supply and demand dynamics offer a mixed picture.** Silver's industrial demand — which accounts for more than half of global consumption — faces headwinds from a slowing manufacturing cycle, while investment demand through exchange-traded products has been volatile. COMEX silver inventories stood at 296 million ounces as of mid-July, according to exchange data, providing ample physical cover. On the supply side, global silver mine output is projected to decline 2% in 2026 to 820 million ounces, the lowest in four years, according to the Silver Institute, which could provide a floor under prices if industrial demand stabilizes. The immediate catalyst for silver remains the trajectory of the US-Iran conflict. Any diplomatic breakthrough that lowers oil prices would remove the inflation impulse driving rate-hike expectations, potentially allowing silver to rally toward $60. Conversely, further escalation that pushes Brent above $95 would reinforce the higher-for-longer rate narrative and keep silver capped below $57.50. The next key data point is the US core PCE inflation release on July 31, which will shape Fed expectations heading into the September meeting. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.