Stock investors brushed off rising oil prices on Monday. Instead, they focused on the accelerating artificial intelligence boom. The Nasdaq led all major indexes, adding roughly 0.5% on the day. Several AI-focused companies posted significant gains as fresh developments kept investor enthusiasm running high.
Nvidia steals the spotlight
Nvidia shares climbed more than 5% after the company unveiled its latest superchip. The world’s most valuable company described the new chip as the most efficient PC chip ever built. That announcement lifted several of its partners as well. Dell Technologies and HP both rose on the news. Additionally, ARM Holdings surged 16%, reflecting broad excitement about Nvidia’s push into the personal computing space.
Anthropic files confidentially for an IPO
Adding further fuel to the AI rally, Anthropic confirmed it had filed confidentially for an initial public offering. The company currently carries a valuation of $965 billion. Its filing follows a $65 billion Series H funding round that closed just days earlier. The news gave investors another reason to feel optimistic about the AI sector’s trajectory heading into the second half of the year.
Global AI momentum builds
The enthusiasm extended well beyond U.S. borders. Shares of Japan’s SoftBank Group surged 14% on Monday. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi index rallied sharply. The index, dominated by AI chipmakers Samsung and SK Hynix, brought its year-to-date gains to 109%. Together, these moves reflect a global wave of confidence in AI infrastructure investment.
Oil rises sharply on Middle East tensions
Not everything moved on AI optimism, however. Fresh tensions in the Middle East sent oil prices notably higher. Brent crude futures rose 4.2% to $94.98 a barrel. The spike came after Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the country was suspending negotiations with the U.S. over Israel’s conduct. The Wall Street Journal had not independently verified that report at the time of publication.
Oil subsequently trimmed some of its earlier gains. President Trump posted that he had held a productive call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also noted that talks with Iran were continuing at a rapid pace. Those comments helped ease some of the earlier tension in energy markets.
Bond and currency markets react
The 10-year Treasury yield also pulled back from earlier highs, settling at around 4.47% by afternoon trading. The dollar edged modestly higher on the day. Overall, markets demonstrated their ability to absorb geopolitical uncertainty as long as the AI growth story remains intact and driving sentiment.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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