AMD Stock Levels to Watch Amid Optimism About AI Chips
33 minutes ago
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock rose again Friday after surging yesterday following a note from analysts who suggested the company’s latest AI chips could take on Nvidia’s (NVDA) offerings.
Analysts at HSBC said AMD’s MI350 series chips are comparable with Nvidia’s current Blackwell chips and next generation MI400 chips, due for release next year, could compete with Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin platform.
AMD shares have gained 22% since the start of the year. However, they have significantly unperformed Nvidia’s shares over the past 12 months due to the company’s inability to capture a greater share of the booming AI chip market.
Since bottoming in early April, AMD shares have traded higher in an orderly uptrend. More recently, the price broke out from a flag pattern in Thursday’s trading session on the highest volume in a little over a week, potentially signaling a continuation of the stock’s recent move higher.
In another win for the bulls, the 50-day moving average (MA) continues to converge up toward the 200-day MA, setting the stage for a golden cross signal. Meanwhile, the relative strength index confirms bullish price momentum, sitting just below the indicator’s overbought threshold.
Investors should watch overhead areas on AMD’s chart around $175 and $215, while also monitoring support levels near $135 and $115.
The stock was up 2% at around $147 in recent trading Friday.
Read the full technical analysis piece here.
AeroVironment, Kratos Get Boost from Pentagon Drone Push
1 hr 7 min ago
Shares of military drone makers AeroVironment (AVAV) and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) took off Friday, a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced new government plans to unleash drone production in the U.S.
In a video posted on X, Hegseth said he sent a memo to commanders of all the services explaining that he was “rescinding restrictive policies” on Pentagon purchases, which he said would boost the domestic manufacturing base by producing thousands of U.S.-made drones and prioritizing “buy American,” and that service personnel would be armed with low-cost, American-crafted drones. Hegseth added that senior officers had to “overcome bureaucratic risk aversion in budgeting, weaponeering, and training.”
Hegseth said that while U.S. “adversaries have produced millions of cheap drones, before us, we were mired in bureaucratic red tape. Not anymore.”
The news sent shares of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions up 12% to their highest level in 19 years. AeroVironment shares hit an all-time high June 30, and despite tumbling the next day after announcing a $1.35 billion stock and debt sale, the shares have added about two-thirds of their value this year, including a 10% gain Friday.
Levi Strauss Jumps After Strong Earnings, Boosted Outlook
2 hr 14 min ago
Shares of Levi Strauss (LEVI) soared Friday, a day after the denim retailer reported fiscal second-quarter results that topped analysis expectations and lifted its full-year outlook.
Analysts t JP Morgan noted that Levi’s management said it has seen “no signs of moderation in business momentum to date including June or 3Q-to-date,” as they lifted their price target to $23 from $18. The new target puts JPMorgan above the average price target of $20.63 held by the eight analysts tracked by Visible Alpha, split between six “buy” and two “hold” ratings.
Levi Strauss saw sales increase across all of its regions and in both of its men’s and women’s segments in Q2. The analysts noted executives said that the brand became the No. 1 women’s denim brand in the last 12 months.
Cheng Xin / Getty Images
Last quarter, Levi’s management said that it was considering price changes to mitigate the impact of tariffs, but said they planned to be “surgical” if they had to raise them at all rather than hiking prices across the board. JPMorgan analysts upgraded Levi stock to “overweight” from “neutral” following the Q1 report, but cut their price target on concerns that tariffs could hamper full-year profit.
Levi shares were up 11% at around $22 recently, trading at their highest level in more than a year.
Bitcoin Surges to Near $119K as Record Run Continues
3 hr 13 min ago
Bitcoin (BTCUSD) topped $118,000 for the first time, surpassing Thursday’s record as it continued to gain from companies adding it to their corporate treasuries and lawmakers passing pro-crypto legislation.
Bitcoin was trading at $118,000 recent, after rising to about $118,900 earlier Friday.
Bitcoin has now gained more than 25% so far this year, outpacing the S&P 500’s rise of 7% and surpassing the surge by AI darling Nvidia (NVDA), which this week became this first company ever to surpass the $4 trillion market capitalization milestone.
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Bitcoin surged earlier this year on retail investors buying into ETFs but took a hit, along with the broader stock market, after President Donald Trump imposed his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April. Since then, the cryptocurrency has gained from a wave of companies joining Strategy (MSTR) in loading up on bitcoin.
Crypto has also gained increased legitimacy with President Trump establishing a strategic bitcoin reserve and the Senate passing the GENIUS Act, a bill that would enable private companies to issue stablecoins. These are cryptocurrencies with their value tied directly to a state-issued currency, often the U.S. dollar.
Airline Stock Price Levels to Watch After Thursday’s Big Rally
4 hr 26 min ago
Airlines stocks were under pressure early Friday giving back some of the huge gains posted yesterday after Delta Air Lines (DAL) reported better-than-expected earnings and reinstated its full-year guidance.
Delta shares soared 12% on the results, while United Airlines (UAL) climbed 14% to lead S&P 500 advancers on Thursday and American Airlines (AAL) surged 13%.
Airline stocks had faced headwinds in the first half of the year due to soft travel spending as President Donald Trump’s trade policies dented consumer and business confidence, prompting carriers to lower their outlooks, or in the case of Delta, remove it. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said Thursday that the decision to restore full-year guidance reflected “our confidence in the business.”
Delta
Delta shares have broken out from a symmetrical triangle. Key overhead areas on the chart to watch sit at $59 and $70, while an important support level lies at $50. Delta shares were down 2% at $55.50 in the opening minutes of Friday’s session.
United
United’s stock oscillated within an ascending triangle before breaking out above the pattern and the 200-day moving average on Thursday. Crucial overhead areas sit at $104 and $116, while retracements may find support around $83. United shares fell about 2% to around $90 in early trading Friday.
American
American Airlines shares have broken out from a key horizontal line that stretches back to last September, which also marks the neckline of a double bottom pattern. Notable overhead areas to watch sit at $15 and $17.50, while the $12 level may provide support. American shares fell 2.5% to $12.60 recently.
Major Stock Index Futures Move Lower
5 hr 34 min ago
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.6%.
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S&P 500 futures also declined 0.6%.
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Nasdaq 100 futures were off 0.5%.
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