Artificial Intelligence 16 June 2026 - 18 June 2026

On June 17, 2026, U.S. markets declined after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady and signaled possible hikes in 2026. Meta shares dropped about 5.5%, with the decline coinciding with news of a key AI executive’s departure. Microsoft also fell 3.8% as investors digested the Fed’s projections and the company’s AI spending plans. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 both lost more than 1%. In contrast, Arm surged 5.69% after Bernstein raised its price target, citing strong performance. Vertiv gained around 7%, though the focus is now on valuation after a run-up in AI-infrastructure stocks. Applied Materials climbed 6.7% following a Citi price target increase, driven by AI-led demand for chip equipment. ASML rose over 4% in Amsterdam and 6.4% in the U.S. after Citi’s bullish outlook on wafer-fab gear, though export controls on China and delivery risks remain concerns. Nebius completed its acquisition of Eigen AI, boosting its stock as it prepares to join the Nasdaq-100, with attention shifting to execution challenges such as power, chips, and margins. Jabil shares jumped nearly 10% after beating Q3 forecasts and raising 2026 guidance. Allbirds, now Smartbird, soared about 50% after appointing a new CEO and expanding its financing to support an AI pivot. Southwest announced plans to move most systems to AWS cloud infrastructure by 2028 as part of a commercial overhaul. In other moves, Super Micro’s stock was pressured by dilution concerns despite Jane Street’s 8.5% stake, and Lumentum and Micron both pulled back as investors took profits in the semiconductor sector. Anthropic’s decision to block AI model access outside the U.S. became a topic at the G7, with investors scrutinizing AI companies’ spending and infrastructure. Nokia advanced in Helsinki but fell in New York as it focused on U.S. photonic-chip packaging and subsea upgrades for AI and cloud demand.