MARKETS

Apple shares rose nearly 2% towards a record high, lifting its market value above $5 trillion as investors considered its AI plans, borrowing and buybacks.

AMD shares climbed 9.5% after strong CoreWeave results and bullish analyst views on server processors fuelled a broader semiconductor rally and extended the stock's rebound.

Nvidia shares rose nearly 5% after two days of steep losses, supported by stronger AI sentiment, while analyst downgrades and political pressure on CEO Jensen Huang persisted.

Intel shares rose more than 9% as strong CoreWeave results revived investor interest in AI infrastructure stocks, despite Intel's weak outlook and ongoing analyst caution.

Asus shares rose 2.04% as Taiwan's Taiex posted its sixth-largest single-session point gain, led by TSMC and a broader rebound in technology stocks.

Some Vanguard customers reported being unable to access their accounts during Wednesday's busy US trading session, although monitoring services found no confirmed widespread outage.

Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Bill Ackman, Shaun Maguire and Cathie Wood have backed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as the company investigates alleged foreign intelligence links and potential security risks.

The scandal surrounding Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has erased about $400 billion in market value, triggered investigations into Megaspeed and intensified scrutiny of the global AI chip supply chain.

Sandisk shares surged nearly 13% after CoreWeave's strong results and higher spending outlook renewed investor interest in memory and storage companies tied to AI data centres.

CECO Environmental shares rose 11.48% after record third-quarter results, a surge in orders and backlog, and higher 2026 forecasts fuelled investor optimism about future growth.

AXT shares rose more than 15% as investors returned to AI hardware stocks following strong CoreWeave results, while the company's profitability and valuation remained in focus.

Bloom Energy shares rose nearly 12% after strong CoreWeave results eased concerns about slowing AI infrastructure spending, extending the fuel-cell maker's sharp weekly rebound.

South Korean stocks rose for a second day as strong CoreWeave earnings renewed confidence in AI spending, driving semiconductor gains and renewed foreign buying.

The Nikkei 225 gained 1.31% to its highest close since last week's sell-off as strong CoreWeave earnings boosted AI and semiconductor shares despite renewed US rate concerns.

Nebius shares rose more than 15% after rival CoreWeave reported strong growth and raised its forecast, with investors now focused on Nebius' earnings, spending and financing plans.

Azenta shares climbed 18% after the life sciences company exceeded fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while its fiscal 2027 outlook surpassed analyst forecasts.

CoreWeave shares surged nearly 20% after third-quarter revenue beat expectations, forecasts were raised and executives pointed to strong demand, easing concerns about slowing AI infrastructure spending.

The Nasdaq rose 1.5% and the S&P 500 gained 0.9% after CoreWeave's strong results boosted AI stocks, while rate concerns kept the Dow near flat.

Reports have intensified scrutiny of Alice Huang's background, relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and alleged role in chip exports to China as Nvidia investigates.

Nvidia's board has appointed former US prosecutor Joon H. Kim to investigate CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with a woman linked by US agencies to alleged Chinese spying.

Nvidia shares have fallen nearly 10% in two sessions as investors assess leadership uncertainty surrounding Jensen Huang, while analysts remain broadly bullish on the company's artificial intelligence business.

Monadelphous shares reached a record high after the engineering contractor issued first-half guidance above market forecasts, citing strong activity and A$830 million in new contracts.

PLS Group shares gained 6.5% as lithium stocks rallied on the ASX, although the producer remains exposed to volatile spodumene prices and battery-market demand.

Sunrise Energy Metals shares climbed nearly 8% as investors assessed progress on the Syerston scandium project, proposed US financing and the company's planned Nasdaq listing.

Life360 shares gained 10% on the ASX after falling 15.3% following quarterly results, as investors weighed strong growth against slower expected subscriber additions and weaker advertising margins.

NRW Holdings shares rose 6.5% as Australian mining services stocks extended their rally, following strong guidance from Monadelphous and renewed investor interest in contractors.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has apologised for an extramarital affair as the company investigates reports of possible foreign intelligence links, sending shares sharply lower.

Csquare reported 25.6% third-quarter revenue growth, record bookings for a 14th consecutive quarter and higher full-year guidance, sending its shares sharply higher in morning trading.

Sanmina shares rose more than 10% after the electronics manufacturer exceeded fourth-quarter estimates and issued a stronger fiscal 2027 forecast, powered by demand for AI server systems.