NEW YORK, June 19, 2026, 05:05 EDT
- Nvidia ended up 2.95% on Thursday, just ahead of U.S. stock markets closing for Juneteenth.
- The Nasdaq rose 2.43% this week as a broad bounce in semiconductors gave the index a lift.
- The focus this week is on chip momentum holding up Monday and Micron’s numbers backing the AI spending story.
Nvidia shares firmed up ahead of the Juneteenth holiday, finishing at $210.69 on Thursday for a 2.95% gain. Investors went back to semiconductor stocks after the week opened with swings.
Last cash trade is in. Nasdaq’s 2026 holiday calendar has U.S. equity and options markets shut on Friday, June 19, for Juneteenth. Investors won’t get to react to Nvidia’s next move until after the weekend.
Nvidia is now more than just a chip stock. The company acts as a major index driver, a stand-in for AI spending, and with a market cap near $5.1 trillion, any big swing in its shares can shift both the Nasdaq and S&P 500.
Nvidia ended the holiday-shortened week up roughly 2.7%, rising from $205.19 on June 12 to finish at $210.69 on Thursday. Trading started strong on Monday, slipped Tuesday and Wednesday, but surged on Thursday when volume jumped to about 241 million shares.
Stocks posted strong gains Thursday with the Nasdaq up 1.91%, according to Reuters. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index jumped 6.4%. For the week, the S&P 500 rose 0.93%, Nasdaq added 2.43% and the Dow was up 0.71%. Trading Thursday was also influenced by “triple witching,” with the quarterly expiration of stock options, index options and futures. Reuters
Nvidia didn’t move alone as chip stocks rallied. Intel soared 10.6% after Donald Trump said Apple would team up with Intel on U.S. chip design and production, Reuters said. SignatureFD’s Tony Welch called the “package of data…still supportive.” Cantor’s Eric Johnston pointed to the Fed’s “more credibility around inflation.” Reuters
Nvidia is looking to back up AI talk with new physical investment. The chipmaker and Coherent kicked off a $2 billion AI infrastructure expansion in Sherman, Texas, according to AP. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called these AI “factories” the “infrastructure of the new industrial revolution.” Coherent CEO Jim Anderson also talked up “tremendous AI demand.” AP News
Micron’s fiscal Q3 report lands June 24, giving the market a straightforward check-in this week. The memory chipmaker’s pricing, supply, and capital plans, due Wednesday on its investor call, could either back up or challenge the AI server buildout. Memory chips like Micron’s get paired with Nvidia processors in these systems. Deutsche Bank analyst Melissa Weathers told MarketWatch she sees a memory chip glut running into 2028. MarketWatch
The set-up is messy. Hopes for AI infrastructure are still running strong, but rate concerns haven’t gone away. Political pressure is building on energy use, jobs and security risks tied to AI. Huang told AP some rules and safety standards for AI are needed, though he said wider use would mean more jobs.
Amazon’s AWS is looking to expand sales of its Trainium AI chips, Barron’s said, with the unit still backing Nvidia products. The report shows Nvidia’s biggest customers are also looking for ways to reduce how much they rely on its systems.
Nvidia’s risks didn’t disappear on Thursday, but the market showed buyers willing to step back in. Oil came off the boil, chip stocks caught a bid, and another earnings event is on the horizon. Whether that bounce was just pre-holiday moves or a start of something stronger should be clearer at Monday’s open.
