U.S. technology stocks, particularly those involved in artificial intelligence, experienced a significant surge on Thursday following stronger-than-expected quarterly results from Microsoft and Meta Platforms. Investors are now eagerly awaiting earnings reports from Apple and Amazon.com, which are set to be released after the market close.
Microsoft’s shares jumped 8.7% while Meta Platforms gained 4.5%. Nvidia, a heavyweight in the AI sector, saw its shares rise by 4%. Other AI-related stocks also performed well, with Advanced Micro Devices rising 1.1%, Broadcom gaining 4%, and Super Micro Computer increasing by 4.7%.
Amazon’s shares climbed 2.9%, while Apple’s stock remained relatively flat after a federal judge ruled that the iPhone manufacturer had violated a U.S. court order related to its App Store practices. The demand for artificial intelligence continues to drive growth in cloud computing and digital advertising, although concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump’s global trade war remain a potential risk for many companies, especially those more closely tied to consumer spending.
The top U.S. technology and growth stocks, often referred to as the “Magnificent Seven,” had faced challenges earlier in 2025 due to investor concerns about the economic impact of Trump’s tariffs. However, the group has rebounded since Trump temporarily paused some of his more significant tariffs on April 9. Investors are now closely monitoring their earnings results.
“They’ve been the strength of this market for the last few years, and the qualities that give them that strength really haven’t changed much,” said Rick Meckler, partner at Cherry Lane Investments. “AI is still clearly something that is growing and probably not subject to whether consumers pull back some or not in the coming months.”
Microsoft’s latest report highlighted that AI’s contribution to Azure growth increased to 16 percentage points in its fiscal third quarter, up from 13 percentage points in the previous quarter. Meta Platforms’ earnings report also indicated that its AI-powered tools were effective in attracting advertising revenue despite economic uncertainty related to tariffs.
However, not all tech stocks performed well. Qualcomm, a mobile chip designer, saw its shares drop 8.1% on Thursday after the company issued a third-quarter revenue forecast that was slightly below Wall Street estimates. Earlier in the week, Super Micro Computer’s shares had fallen following the company’s decision to cut its revenue forecast.
