Intel and other tech-linked names led as investors weighed de-escalation hopes and AI momentum

Stocks climbed on Thursday, with a market roundup pointing to strength in technology and artificial-intelligence linked equities. The move was framed as part of a broader shift in investor sentiment, after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the Iran war, which helped ease concerns that had weighed on risk assets.

The same roundup tied the session’s macro backdrop to energy markets, noting that oil prices slid toward levels seen earlier before the United States tightened its stance toward Iran. Lower oil pressure can matter for equity valuations because it can reduce the risk of higher inflation and interest-rate pressure, though the direction of that relationship varies by period and sector.

Within the technology complex, the roundup specifically named Intel, SanDisk and Accenture among the stocks highlighted as the market leaned into areas perceived as benefiting from the long-running buildout of AI computing. Semiconductors and related hardware supply chains often attract flows when investors believe data center demand and AI spending are holding up.

For Intel, the mention underscored how widely the chipmaker is treated as a proxy for parts of the semiconductor cycle, especially where AI-related workloads are concerned. Intel’s business spans chips for data centers and client devices, along with an industrial “foundry” effort that it has positioned as a pathway to win additional manufacturing business from external customers, in addition to its own products.

The roundup also included SanDisk, a brand associated with flash storage and data-management products that can be used across data centers and enterprise systems. When investors become more optimistic about AI infrastructure spending, storage and data handling often attract attention alongside processing, because AI workloads typically require high-capacity, fast-access storage to support training and inference pipelines.

Accenture was included as well, reflecting a common pattern in market coverage where large consulting and services firms can track enterprise technology refresh cycles. In periods when companies accelerate cloud and AI deployments, demand for integration, modernization and managed services can rise, even if those businesses do not always move in lockstep with chip prices.

SpaceX was also cited among the stocks discussed in the roundup, illustrating how investors continue to mix traditional tech with high-growth, disruption-themed equities when they look for upside in narratives around next-generation computing and connected infrastructure. However, the market roundup itself did not provide details about specific company moves in the cited post beyond its stock-picking framing.