Shares of Dell Technologies hit a record high on Friday amid a rally in companies working on generative artificial intelligence applications, buoyed by strong optimism for the new technology. AI-heavyweight Nvidia posted strong quarterly results and forecast current-quarter revenue above Wall Street expectations on Wednesday, reinforcing that customers' spending on genAI will continue to hold strong. The positive momentum extended to Dell, which has recently launched AI-oriented personal computers and more powerful servers in collaboration with Nvidia.
Dubbed the Magnificent Seven stocks, Apple, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Tesla lived up to their name in 2023 with big gains. But the middle part of the second quarter of 2024 showed a big divergence of returns.
Expectations of higher interest rates haven’t dealt a blow to technology stocks, an unusual occurrence. Many tech companies now possess a rare profit potential. A large chunk of their valuations are comprised of profits that are expected to arrive in the far future, making them especially vulnerable to higher rates.