Last week brought a fresh crop of winners in the large-cap space, and if you look at who made the top ten, you'll notice a few clear themes emerging. Semiconductors are back in favor, AI-driven power plays are heating up, and one aviation company just pulled off an interesting pivot that caught Wall Street's attention.
Leading the charge was FTAI Aviation Ltd. (FTAI), which surged 21.42% after announcing the launch of FTAI Power. It's a bold move—taking expertise from the aviation sector and pivoting into AI-driven power generation. Investors clearly liked what they saw, sending shares up more than a fifth in just five trading days.
Right behind FTAI was Symbotic Inc. (SYM), which soared 11.73% for the week. The warehouse automation company has been riding broader enthusiasm around supply chain technology and robotics.
Then we hit the semiconductor wave. Six of the ten biggest gainers last week were chip-related companies, which tells you something about where investor sentiment is flowing as we kick off 2025.
Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) climbed 8.77% as semiconductor and chip stocks traded higher at the start of the new year. The industry appears to be gaining momentum in response to upbeat sentiment across the sector.
ASML Holding N.V. (ASML), the Dutch chip equipment giant, rose 9.72% for the week. Intel Corporation (INTC) wasn't far behind, increasing 8.90%. ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. (ASX) added 6.71%, while Sandisk Corporation (SNDK) gained 6.17%.
The chip rally reflects renewed optimism about the sector's prospects, particularly as AI infrastructure demands continue to grow and companies position themselves for what many expect to be a strong year ahead.
Speaking of AI infrastructure, Bloom Energy Corporation (BE) gained 10.9% last week. The energy play is benefiting from a pretty straightforward thesis: AI needs massive amounts of power, and companies are scrambling to figure out how to deliver it. Bloom Energy's solid oxide fuel cells are suddenly looking a lot more interesting to investors who see data centers and AI workloads driving unprecedented energy demand. The strength appears to be a response to investor optimism about how increasing adoption of AI technology has placed a higher priority on energy production and data centers.
Reddit, Inc. (RDDT) soared 9.57% for the week. The social media platform got a boost amid broader market momentum, though headlines also circulated about Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian slamming California's proposed 5% billionaire wealth tax, warning that it could be an expensive mistake, especially for the state's startup economy.
Rounding out the top ten was Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSM), which gained 6.86% after the US Department of Commerce granted the company an annual export license for US export-controlled items. That's important for TSM's ability to serve American customers without regulatory friction, and the market rewarded the news accordingly.
Looking across these ten winners, you can see the market's current priorities pretty clearly: semiconductors are back in the conversation, AI-driven infrastructure plays are attracting capital, and companies making strategic pivots into hot sectors are getting rewarded. Whether these trends hold for the rest of January remains to be seen, but for now, these ten large caps are starting 2025 on a strong note.