The AI story is evolving, and according to Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman, we're finally moving past the breathless hype phase into something more tangible: actual hardware that can meet actual demand. The market seems to agree.
Chip Stocks Lead a "Monster Boost" for AI
Newman said Friday that the AI trade received a "monster boost" as investors flooded into semiconductor and supply chain stocks. Companies like Micron Technology (MU), ASML Holding (ASML), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM), and Intel Corp (INTC) led the charge.
The thesis is straightforward: AI demand isn't the problem. It's everywhere, overwhelming even. The bottleneck has been the industry's ability to manufacture chips at the scale required to keep pace. "The demand is there if the supply can be delivered," Newman wrote on X, capturing why chipmakers and equipment suppliers are suddenly outperforming their flashier, consumer-facing counterparts.
Wall Street Pivots From Big Tech to Infrastructure
In a Fox Business appearance Newman shared online, he described a notable market rotation. Some large-cap growth stocks pulled back while AI-linked chip companies surged ahead. Risk assets broadly performed well, but the real action was in companies that enable AI infrastructure rather than those simply deploying AI tools.
Investors are waking up to the fact that the AI boom requires a massive physical build-out. It's not enough to have clever algorithms and chatbots. You need fabs, advanced lithography machines, memory chips, and an entire supply chain humming at full capacity. That's where the money is flowing now.
China Demand, TSMC Expansion, and ASML's Advanced Machines
Newman pointed to several factors driving optimism in the chip sector. Strong demand signals from China, expansion plans at TSMC, and rising sales of ASML's extreme ultraviolet lithography machines are all suggesting the industry is laying groundwork for the next wave of AI-driven growth.
These aren't minor developments. EUV lithography is the cutting-edge technology needed to produce the most advanced chips. More EUV machines means more capacity to build the processors that power AI workloads. Meanwhile, TSMC's expansion plans signal confidence that demand will remain robust enough to justify massive capital investments.
According to Newman, the combination of expanding foundry capacity, increased availability of chipmaking tools, and better supply chain visibility is essential to sustaining the rally. The infrastructure is finally catching up to the ambition.
Still, Newman offered a word of caution. The durability of gains in AI-related stocks hinges on whether the industry can scale production quickly enough to meet relentless demand. If supply constraints resurface or expansion plans falter, the rally could stall.
For now, though, the narrative is shifting. The AI trade isn't just about who has the best model or the catchiest product demo. It's about who can actually build the chips that make all of it possible. And that's a hardware story through and through.