New York, February 10, 2026, 10:09 EST — Regular session
- Ultra Clean Holdings shares rose about 9.8% to $55.74 in morning trading
- Policy headlines on potential U.S. chip tariffs and AI data-center demand set the tone for chip-linked stocks
- Investors are looking to Ultra Clean’s Feb. 23 results and outlook for the next catalyst
Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. shares jumped nearly 10% on Tuesday, lifting the semiconductor supply-chain stock to $55.74 in morning trade, after touching $56.77.
The move came as investors digested a Financial Times report that the U.S. is weighing exemptions for major technology firms from upcoming semiconductor tariffs on chips used to build AI data centers — a carve-out that could ease uncertainty around the supply chain. 1
Ultra Clean, based in Hayward, California, makes critical subsystems and provides ultra-high purity cleaning and analytical services used in chip manufacturing, leaving its shares sensitive to changes in customers’ capital spending — the money chipmakers and equipment firms put into new tools and factories. 2
Signs of strong AI-driven demand have stayed in the background. Taiwan reported January exports surged at the fastest pace in 16 years, driven by AI-related technology and cloud computing demand, data that kept attention on chip-linked suppliers globally. 3
Chip supplies and materials names also got a nudge from earnings. Entegris, which sells semiconductor materials and purity products, traded higher after results and a first-quarter outlook that topped estimates; CEO Dave Reeder said the company entered 2026 with “strong momentum” tied to more complex chip designs and AI-driven growth. 4
For Ultra Clean, the next concrete checkpoint is close. The company has said it will report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Feb. 23 after the market closes, with a conference call the same day. 5
Traders will be listening for how management frames demand into 2026, especially any change in customer build plans, shipment timing and gross margin — a key measure of profitability that shows how much the company keeps after direct production costs.
But the rally can cut both ways. Smaller suppliers can swing sharply if a big customer delays tool shipments, if factory ramps slip, or if guidance fails to match a market that has been bidding up anything tied to AI infrastructure.
The divergence inside the sector was clear on Tuesday: larger chip-equipment makers Applied Materials and Lam Research were lower in early trading even as Ultra Clean pushed higher.
