- The Nasdaq Composite returned to record territory as investors pushed back into AI stocks, with the rally spreading across mega-cap technology, semiconductor ETFs and US growth exposure listed in Abu Dhabi.
- AMD crossed $1 trillion in market value for the first time on September 21, with shares up 9.6% at $613.31; AMD has gained about 185% in 2026, far ahead of the Nasdaq.
- Meta shares rose 11.4% on September 21 after Muse, launched September 8, recorded 2.8 million downloads in 12 days, with subscription tiers at $20 and $100 per month beginning to draw analyst revenue models.
- Semiconductor funds moved faster than the broad index: SMH rose about 5.2% and SOXX about 7.5% over the two sessions from September 18, against QQQ's roughly 3.6%.
- South Korean semiconductor exports jumped 259.4% year on year in the first 20 days of September, supporting the hardware demand case behind the rally.
Quotes
“Advanced Micro Devices crossed $1 trillion in market value for the first time”
“Meta shares have risen more than 20% since launch”
“The more concentrated the fund is in semiconductors, the stronger its response to the latest AI rally.”