NASDAQ rallies, tech and chipmakers lead bull charge with Applied Materials at all-time high - Fox Business

The NASDAQ experienced its largest percentage gain on Monday, June 29, driven primarily by technology and semiconductor stocks, with Applied Materials reaching an all-time high. This rally reflects gr... Read original →

Applied Materials’ record-high valuation signals a structural shift: semiconductor equipment makers are transitioning from cyclical enablers to strategic linchpins in the race for technological sovereignty. As sub-3nm nodes confront quantum tunneling limits, atomic-layer deposition and etch tools have become indispensable for sustaining Moore’s Law—triggering cascading demand for ultra-pure precursors and precision components upstream. Escalating U.S. export controls inflate compliance costs but fortify equipment vendors’ technological moats by locking in localized supply chains. Competitors like Tokyo Electron and ASML will accelerate EUV ecosystem integration, while Chinese players such as AMEC and NAURA exploit mature-node expansion to gain footholds. Over the next 18 months, geopolitical-driven redundancy and AI-driven capex will make equipment revenue visibility markedly stronger than in design or foundry segments, cementing a 'tools-first, capacity-later' industry paradigm.