AMD slips as tech rally pauses; Nvidia-Intel filing puts chip sector back in focus

AMD slips as tech rally pauses; Nvidia-Intel filing puts chip sector back in focus

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 09:54 ET — Regular session

  • AMD fell about 0.3% in early trade as the Nasdaq opened lower and chip stocks traded mixed. Reuters
  • Intel rose after a filing showed Nvidia bought $5 billion of Intel shares under a previously announced agreement. Reuters
  • Traders are watching rates and fresh signals on global chip demand heading into the new year. Reuters

Advanced Micro Devices shares edged lower in early trading on Monday, dipping 0.3% to $214.42 after touching an intraday low of $209.42.

The move mattered because the market is entering the final, holiday-thinned stretch of the year, when small shifts in risk appetite can swing high-growth technology names. Semiconductor stocks have been at the center of the AI-driven rally and remain sensitive to any change in rates and spending expectations. Reuters

AMD is one of the sector’s key bellwethers, sitting between Nvidia in AI accelerators and Intel in server processors. Investors often use its trading as a read on demand across data centers and PCs when liquidity is light.

Wall Street opened lower, with the Nasdaq down 0.8% at the bell as megacap technology stocks gave back some of last week’s gains, Reuters reported. Reuters

Chip stocks were mixed. Nvidia fell 1.3% and Broadcom dropped 0.7%, while Intel rose 0.8%; semiconductor exchange-traded funds were little changed.

Intel’s gain followed a filing showing Nvidia purchased $5 billion of Intel shares, completing a transaction announced in September. Intel said the deal price was $23.28 per share and involved more than 214.7 million shares in a private placement, a sale to a single buyer rather than the public market. Reuters

The filing kept attention on how U.S. chipmakers and designers are positioning for the next phase of AI infrastructure buildout, even as investors scrutinize capital spending and profitability across the supply chain. Reuters

Rates remain a key cross-current for tech shares. Reuters reported that investors have been watching the “term premium” — the extra yield investors demand to hold longer-dated U.S. Treasuries — as it has started rising again in recent weeks, a backdrop that can pressure richly valued growth stocks when borrowing costs climb. Reuters

On the demand side, a Reuters poll pointed to firm semiconductor momentum globally, forecasting South Korea’s December exports up 9.0% year-on-year, with semiconductor shipments jumping 41.8% in the first 20 days of the month. Reuters

“There is a lack of momentum in other products,” Stephen Lee, an economist at Meritz Securities in Seoul, told Reuters, underscoring how chips have been carrying trade growth. Reuters

For AMD, the next major catalyst is its quarterly report in early February; several market calendars list Feb. 3 after market close, though the date is flagged as unconfirmed on Wall Street Horizon. Wall Street Horizon

Heading into that update, investors are likely to focus on AMD’s data-center trajectory — including demand for AI accelerators and server CPUs — and whether company commentary supports expectations for continued AI-related spending into 2026. Reuters

Stock Market Today

  • Australian Shares Slip Amid Market Pause Ahead of Key Economic Data
    January 18, 2026, 8:08 PM EST. Australian shares slipped with the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.2% to 8,886 on Monday, retreating from a recent two-month high. Investors paused after a strong rally ahead of crucial economic data, especially the unemployment rate expected to rise slightly. Oxford Economics Australia highlighted the economy's "awkward position," noting signs of re-accelerating inflation and uneven growth, suggesting the Reserve Bank will likely maintain a patient stance on policy changes. Major banks including Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB, and ANZ Group fell between 0.5% and 0.7%, pulling the market lower. Conversely, gold stocks benefited from record bullion prices amid renewed global tariff concerns, with Newmont Corporation, Evolution Mining and Northern Star Resources gaining 1.8% to 2.1%. The market remains watchful for upcoming data to gauge the economic path.
Trump offshore wind pause sparks governors’ push for classified briefing and restart
Previous Story

Trump offshore wind pause sparks governors’ push for classified briefing and restart

Oracle stock slips after insider sale filing as OpenAI-linked spending stays in focus
Next Story

Oracle stock slips after insider sale filing as OpenAI-linked spending stays in focus

Go toTop