US Stocks Mixed, SOX Rises 2.8%; AI Hardware Stocks Surge Late as Memory Stocks Lead Gains, Micron Up Nearly 4%

TradingKey - U.S. Treasury yields rose again, putting pressure on equities as U.S. stocks closed mixed. AI hardware stocks surged late in the session, with memory and cryptocurrency stocks leading the gains.

At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.18% to 51,682.64; the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.39% to 26,522.55; and the S&P 500 Index gained 0.17% to 7,650.50.

Tech Stock Performance

Micron (MU) rose 3.92% to $1,015.8.

RBC Capital noted that Micron's current valuation barely reflects its exposure to the wave of AI-driven memory demand, and there remains "significant" room for valuation multiple expansion. RBC analyst Srini Pajjuri maintained an "Outperform" rating on the stock and a $1,500 price target, citing the continuous growth in memory capacity demand driven by AI workloads, particularly the evolution toward more memory-intensive agentic AI applications.

Among major tech stocks, Broadcom (AVGO) rose 2.97%, Nvidia (NVDA) rose 1.34%, TSMC (TSM) rose 1.02%, Amazon (AMZN) rose 1.00%, and Google (GOOGL) rose 0.64%; on the downside, Meta Platforms (META) fell 2.43%, SpaceX (SPCX) fell 1.36%, Microsoft (MSFT) fell 0.80%, Tesla (TSLA) fell 0.53%, and Apple (AAPL) fell 0.26%.

[Source: FutuBull]

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 2.78% to 11,921.69 points. Among the 30 constituents, 26 rose and 4 fell.

Among memory stocks, SanDisk (SNDK) rose 10.99%, Seagate Technology (STX) rose 6.93%, Western Digital (WDC) rose 4.13%, Micron Technology (MU) rose 3.92%, and SK Hynix (SKHY) rose 2.46%.

Company News

Anthropic Confirms Establishment of Bio Lab, Claude Reportedly to Attempt Controlling Robots for Experiments

According to a Reuters report on September 18, Anthropic has established a wet lab in the San Francisco Bay Area, pushing Claude beyond computational analysis and further into physical biological experimentation. Eric Kauderer-Abrams, head of life sciences at Anthropic, confirmed that the company is conducting experiments in its own facilities and collaborating with external institutions. He stated that physical experiments remain the ultimate test of biological research results, and the exploration of using AI to automatically execute laboratory work is still in its early stages. According to a person familiar with the matter, Anthropic hopes to have Claude control robots to complete scientific experiments, reducing the manual labor required during the experimental process. Anthropic responded that human oversight and involvement remain essential conditions for ensuring experimental safety.

Buffett Steps Down as Berkshire Chairman

Berkshire Hathaway announced on September 18 that 96-year-old Warren Buffett has officially stepped down as chairman effective immediately, assuming the role of chairman emeritus while continuing to serve as a company director. His son, Howard G. Buffett, was elected as the new chairman, and Susan Decker continues to serve as lead independent director. Greg Abel, taking over as chief executive officer in early 2026, will continue to be responsible for company operations; Howard will lead the board of directors, while Buffett remains as chairman emeritus and director.

SK Hynix Subsidiary Solidigm Plans to Build NAND Production Base in Eastern US

According to Yonhap News Agency, SK Hynix subsidiary Solidigm is considering building a NAND flash memory production base in the eastern United States. Solidigm is a US subsidiary established after SK Hynix acquired Intel's NAND business unit in 2021. According to industry sources on the 18th, Solidigm is evaluating site selection and detailed terms, planning to build a large-scale NAND production line in the eastern US. If established, this large-scale production line would become its first domestic production base in the US. Recent reports indicate that Solidigm is considering collaborating with Intel on memory production, while rumors of its Nasdaq listing continue to surface. An official from SK Hynix stated, "Solidigm is reviewing various measures to enhance its competitiveness, but nothing has been finalized yet."

Industry & Macro News

Fed's Schmid: Rate Hike Is a Step Toward Restoring 2% Inflation Target

Federal Reserve official Jeffrey Schmid said he voted in favor of a rate hike, noting that recent data shows the inflation trend exceeding 3%. Raising interest rates is a step toward restoring the 2% inflation target. The current inflation problem is not merely an energy issue, as price growth "remains hot" across a broad range of goods and services. He added that high inflation is a sign of supply-demand imbalances. Apart from inflation, the economy is performing well, with the labor market moving toward balance and economic growth remaining solid.

U.S. CFTC Submits New Crypto Regulatory Proposal for White House Review

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is delivering on its pledge to rapidly advance crypto regulatory rules, after a landmark digital asset bill failed to advance in the U.S. Senate this week. As the futures and swaps regulator that was set to become the primary regulator for the crypto market under the CLARITY Act, the CFTC has submitted a new proposal aimed at regulating crypto asset trading and markets for White House review. Information published by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Friday shows that the proposal was accepted on Thursday.

Saudi Aramco Reportedly Suspends Crude Allocations to European Customers for Next Month

Saudi Aramco has notified at least two European refining customers that they will not receive any crude oil allocations next month following an attack on a key Saudi pipeline to the Red Sea, according to people familiar with the matter. European customers typically receive Saudi crude under long-term contracts that ensure steady monthly supplies, but those deliveries will not take place next month. Last week, Saudi Arabia was forced to shut down its East-West pipeline after a drone attack. A person familiar with the matter said Wednesday that the pipeline is expected to resume partial operations within days and fully resume operations within six weeks.