Big Tech AI Spend Lifts Indexes; Chip Earnings Mixed

Major indexes were on track to end the week on an upbeat note after Big Tech earnings revived optimism in the artificial intelligence trade, with AI spending showing no sign of letting up. Cloud infrastructure demand and accelerating AI adoption drove gains across technology names, though semiconductor stocks showed mixed results amid diverging end-market dynamics. Investor focus remained centered on the durability of AI capital expenditure commitments and their translation into revenue growth.

Amazon ($AMZN) reported Q2 revenue of $200.6B with EPS of $1.88 meeting estimates, while AWS surged 37% with a $25B AI run rate, driving the stock up 8.7% in after-hours trading. Microsoft ($MSFT) and Meta ($META) confirmed that demand for compute is not cooling off, according to reports citing their recent results. Anthropic, currently preparing for an October 2026 IPO, holds a $965 billion valuation but lacks the balance sheet depth to self-fund physical infrastructure, leading Google ($GOOGL) to backstop its infrastructure needs. Salesforce ($CRM) showed Q1 fiscal 2027 organic revenue growth of 8.7%, with AI solution adoption outpacing actual revenue acceleration, highlighting the gap between enterprise AI adoption and monetization.

Qualcomm ($QCOM) reported Q2 calendar 2026 results exceeding revenue expectations, though sales fell 4% year-on-year to $9.95 billion, with non-GAAP profit of $2.21 per share meeting consensus estimates. Guidance for next quarter's revenue came in at $10.1 billion at the midpoint, 1% above analysts' estimates, with the automotive segment highlighted as a key growth driver offsetting smartphone headwinds. AMD ($AMD) stock soared 12.7% as a 2.5-gigawatt infrastructure agreement could expand capacity available to customers deploying its artificial-intelligence systems. Arm Holdings ($ARM) reversed its initial after-hours decline, rising 4% after revenue and profit forecasts beat expectations as AI demand outweighed weaker smartphone royalties, with Citi reiterating a Buy rating and $300 price target while noting the company remains well positioned to benefit from long-term AI infrastructure growth.

Netflix ($NFLX) secured a multi-year global licensing deal with AMC Global Media for The Walking Dead Universe, covering the original series and six spin-offs for international streaming outside the US. Content is scheduled to arrive on the service in key markets including the UK, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand starting in 2027, adding a well-known genre franchise to its content slate as global streamers compete for viewer attention. Reddit is delivering leading growth but commands a top-of-the-market price, forcing investors to decide if its operational lead is already paid for, according to market analysis.

Palantir ($PLTR) is set to report earnings on August 4, with speculation that no earnings beat may be sufficient to prop up shares this earnings season given current valuation levels. AI momentum continues to collide with weakness in core smartphone markets for chip designers, with Wall Street sending mixed signals on semiconductor stocks. The durability of Big Tech AI capital expenditure and its conversion into revenue growth remains the central question for technology investors heading into August.