AMD Pushes Into Autonomous Vehicles; Nvidia Chip Fraud Probe Widens

Advanced Micro Devices ($AMD) has expanded into the self-driving sector through a partnership with Turing Inc., a self-driving technology startup that has integrated $AMD AI accelerators into its autonomous vehicle systems. AMD Ventures has invested in Turing Inc., aligning financial backing with commercial deployment of the company's AI hardware beyond its existing data center and gaming AI efforts.

Singapore prosecutors have filed additional charges including money laundering against a key suspect in an AI server fraud case, escalating efforts to clamp down on Nvidia ($NVDA) chips being diverted illicitly to other locations including China. The charges represent a significant enforcement action in Southeast Asia's growing scrutiny of semiconductor supply chain compliance.

Micron, Intel ($INTC), and Sandisk have emerged as the best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 index this year, reflecting strength in the memory and semiconductor manufacturing sectors.

Palantir Technologies ($PLTR) has received positive attention from Wall Street analysts this week, with at least one respected analyst issuing a buy rating on the AI leader's stock. The endorsement comes as the company continues to expand its enterprise AI and data analytics platform.

President Trump's investment accounts sold $PLTR holdings and purchased Western Digital in the first quarter, shifting exposure from enterprise AI software to data storage infrastructure. $WDC has gained since 2023, reflecting investor interest in the data storage segment supporting AI workloads.

Alphabet ($GOOGL) is among Wall Street's favorite stocks to target this week, with analysts overwhelmingly bullish and price targets suggesting significant upside potential. However, analysts rarely issue sell ratings, partly because their firms often seek other business from the same companies they cover.

Wall Street closed mixed to complete a holiday-shortened week, with technology stocks showing varied performance across the sector. Netflix ($NFLX), $GOOGL, AeroVironment, and Apple ($AAPL) were among companies in the news.