Dow slips as S&P 500, Nasdaq hit records on AI stock rally

US stocks finished mixed on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reaching fresh record highs as investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks offset ongoing geopolitical concerns tied to the conflict involving Iran.

The S&P 500 rose 0.62% to close at a record high of 7,519.47, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.18% to finish at 26,655.89.

Both indexes also touched fresh all-time intraday highs during the session.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged broader markets, falling roughly 107 points, or 0.21%, to close at 50,473.10.

Markets resumed trading after the Memorial Day holiday, with investors balancing optimism surrounding AI-driven earnings growth against uncertainty tied to Middle East peace negotiations and recent US military actions in Iran.

Semiconductor stocks drive market gains

Technology and semiconductor shares led the market higher as investors continued piling into companies tied to AI infrastructure spending.

Micron Technology surged sharply after UBS raised its price target on the stock to $1,625 from $535.

The rally pushed Micron’s market capitalization above $1 trillion for the first time.

Other memory-related stocks also advanced.

Seagate Technology gained about 4%, while Western Digital climbed roughly 8%. The Roundhill Memory ETF rose approximately 14% and reached a record high.

Qualcomm shares also moved higher after Bloomberg reported the company reached an agreement with TikTok owner ByteDance to supply chips.

Marvell Technology advanced as well, helping lift the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index to an all-time high.

Investors continued betting that growing capital expenditures tied to AI infrastructure, data centers, and advanced computing systems will support earnings growth across the technology sector.

According to LSEG data cited by Reuters, first-quarter earnings growth is now expected to reach 29% year-over-year, compared with estimates of 16.1% a month earlier.

Investors monitor US-Iran negotiations

Investor sentiment also remained heavily influenced by developments involving the United States and Iran.

President Donald Trump said talks with Iran to end the conflict were “proceeding nicely,” though he also warned the US could take further action if negotiations fail.

Meanwhile, US forces carried out what officials described as “self defense” strikes in southern Iran targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats allegedly attempting to place mines.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a potential agreement with Tehran could “take a few days,” while Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Tehran was seeking the release of $24 billion in frozen overseas funds.

Oil prices remained volatile following the developments. Brent crude rose roughly 4% to settle near $99.58 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude settled around $93.89 per barrel.

“You’ve got investors that are, I think, pathologically optimistic here that the war is going to end soon and that things are going to resume back to the way they were prior to the war,” said Ron Albahary, chief investment officer at LNW in a CNBC report.

“There’s a ‘tug of war going on’ in the market,” Albahary added, noting that investors are “believing in this tsunami of capex that has been driving markets higher,” while the broader economy remains “still relatively fragile.”