Several tech stocks including Zeta Global, Cadence Design Systems, Atlassian, DigitalOcean, and Bentley Systems saw significant jumps in trading. This surge was attributed to a broader market rally driven by optimism around artificial intelligence and big tech, following the CES trade show which highlighted AI's continued growth as a primary market catalyst. The positive sentiment was further boosted by expectations of an easier monetary policy from the Federal Reserve.

Shares of several semiconductor companies, including Analog Devices, Applied Materials, KLA Corporation, Monolithic Power Systems, and onsemi, surged in the afternoon session amidst a broader market rally driven by optimism in artificial intelligence and big tech stocks. This upward movement was further supported by hopes for easier monetary policy from the Federal Reserve. Analog Devices, in particular, reached a new 52-week high, continuing a strong performance since the beginning of the year.

Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) stock surged 15.8% today after CNBC reported that computer memory chip prices, particularly for DRAM, are set to rise further in 2026 due to AI demand. While Western Digital does not produce DRAM, investors are betting that increasing DRAM prices could lead AI companies to seek cheaper alternatives like HDDs, benefiting Western Digital. Despite the surge, the author suggests Micron (NASDAQ: MU) presents a more compelling bargain due to its higher projected earnings growth rate.

Nio's CEO, William Li, has warned of "significant" cost pressures in 2026 due to surging memory chip prices, which are impacting the entire automotive sector. These chips are crucial for Nio's own Shenji chips, as well as Nvidia and cockpit chips used in its vehicles, with demand from AI players and computing centers driving up costs. Despite the rising expenses, Nio currently has no plans to pass these costs on to vehicle prices, affirming its ability to manage the situation through its gross margin.

Hg Saturn 1, managed by HgCapital LLP, General Atlantic Service Company, L.P., and Tidemark Capital, Inc. have agreed to acquire OneStream, Inc. (NasdaqGS:OS) from Tidemark Capital, Inc. and KKR & Co. Inc. for approximately $6 billion. The deal values OneStream's shares at $24.00 per share in cash, with Hg becoming the majority shareholder. Following the acquisition, OneStream will cease to be publicly traded, but its CEO and leadership team will remain, and its headquarters will stay in Birmingham, Michigan.

Shares of data-center cooling system manufacturers plummeted after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang suggested that next-generation Rubin chips might not require traditional water chillers, raising concerns about future demand. Companies like Johnson Controls and Modine saw significant drops, although some analysts believe the selloff is "overdone" given the companies' relationships with chipmakers and their capacity for evolving technology. Conversely, data-storage stocks, such as Sandisk Corp., surged following Huang's emphasis on the need for memory and storage in AI.

Western Digital (WDC) shares surged 17%, trading above $219 after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's CES remarks about "context memory storage" sparked an AI-driven rally among storage and memory companies. This jump reflects investor optimism about demand for data storage tied to AI data centers, with other companies like SanDisk, Seagate Technology, and Micron also experiencing significant gains. However, analysts caution that current high prices might not be sustainable long-term, and upcoming U.S. labor data could influence market expectations and tech trades.

Apple shares fell 1.8% to $262.34 following signals of the slowest App Store revenue growth in 11 quarters, according to BofA. Investors are closely monitoring Apple's services performance, especially as the company's valuation relies heavily on growth beyond hardware sales. Upcoming events include the U.S. December jobs report on January 9 and Apple’s fiscal Q1 results on January 29, which will provide further clarity on the company's financial trajectory.

Sima.Ai has initiated its first integration with Synopsys to enhance the development of automotive physical AI. This collaboration comes as Synopsys presented its vision for AI-driven, software-defined automotive engineering at CES 2026, highlighting technological advancements in the automotive sector.

Apple is set to release a significantly upgraded Siri in spring 2026, integrating advanced AI like Large Language Models (LLMs) for improved contextual understanding, personalized responses, and seamless app integration. This overhaul aims to address Siri's past limitations, emphasize on-device privacy, and position Apple more competitively in the AI landscape. The enhancements are expected to boost device sales and strengthen Apple’s ecosystem synergy.