Samsung ships next-gen AI memory chips, S&P notching 9 winning weeks — buy the semiconductor breakout
Samsung just started shipping its most advanced AI memory chips to customers, sending its stock up 6%. At the same time, AI giant Anthropic was valued at nearly $1 trillion, and the S&P 500 is on its ninth straight winning week — all powered by massive AI spending.
Idea
The AI investment cycle shows no signs of slowing. Samsung just began shipping its HBM4E memory chips — the newest generation built specifically for AI data centers — and its stock jumped 6% on the news. Separately, Anthropic just raised money at a $965 billion valuation, surpassing OpenAI and proving that investors are pouring unprecedented sums into AI infrastructure. The S&P 500 has climbed for nine consecutive weeks, and semiconductors are the picks-and-shovels play on all of this: every new AI model needs more and faster memory. Buying a chip ETF like SMH or SOXX gives you exposure to the whole supply chain without betting on a single winner.