New York, February 10, 2026, 10:09 EST — Regular session
- Ultra Clean Holdings jumped roughly 9.8%, trading at $55.74 during the morning session.
- Chip stocks responded to fresh U.S. tariff headlines and ongoing buzz around AI data-center demand.
- Ultra Clean’s earnings and guidance, due Feb. 23, have become the next key focus for investors hunting for a new catalyst.
Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. surged close to 10% Tuesday, sending the semiconductor supply-chain name up to $55.74 in morning action. The stock earlier reached $56.77.
Investors reacted after the Financial Times reported the U.S. is considering letting big tech companies off the hook for some of the next semiconductor tariffs, specifically for chips powering AI data centers. That carve-out could help clear up some of the supply chain questions. 1
Ultra Clean, headquartered in Hayward, California, produces key subsystems and delivers ultra-high purity cleaning plus analytical services for the chip industry. Its stock tends to move with shifts in customer capital spending — that is, how much chipmakers and tool suppliers are pouring into new equipment and plants. 2
AI-fueled demand has been quietly building. Taiwan’s January exports shot up at their quickest rate since 2008, propelled by a wave of orders tied to AI technologies and cloud computing. The data kept chip suppliers around the world firmly in focus. 3
Chip suppliers and materials stocks picked up a lift from earnings news. Entegris shares rose after the company reported results and a first-quarter forecast ahead of expectations. CEO Dave Reeder pointed to “strong momentum” heading into 2026, driven by advances in chip complexity and AI-related demand. 4
Ultra Clean is set to deliver its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 numbers on Feb. 23, right after the closing bell. Management plans to hold a conference call later that day. 5
Traders are tuned in to what management says about demand heading into 2026. Any commentary on customer build plans, shipment schedules, or gross margin—it’s all under the microscope. Gross margin, that crucial profitability metric, reflects what’s left after direct production expenses.
The rally’s a double-edged sword. Shares of smaller suppliers can whipsaw—one big client pushing out tool deliveries, a factory ramp missing its cue, or guidance coming in soft versus a market that’s been snapping up anything labeled AI infrastructure, and volatility hits hard.
Tuesday saw a split inside the sector. Shares of Applied Materials and Lam Research slipped in early action, while Ultra Clean moved up.
