Signage for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) at it’s fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona, US, on Monday, March 3, 2025.
Rebecca Noble | Bloomberg | Getty Images
My top 10 things to watch Thursday, April 17
1. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing signaled an acceleration in artificial intelligence chips, which was lending support to beat-up chip stocks. TSMC shares jumped more than 3% on a solid first quarter. But the question mark going forward is President Donald Trump’s trade war.
2. TSMC’s quarter called into question who is leading and who is falling back in AI. I no longer think that Club name Microsoft cutting back is a sign that overall demand is slowing. I think it’s a sign that Microsoft’s demand is slowing from an inconsistent and maddening Azure slowdown.
3. Wall Street was heading for a mixed open after yesterday’s terrible session. The Nasdaq was looking higher today as Club name Nvidia stabilized after dropping nearly 7% on the disclosure of a big charge related to the company’s China-specific chip. The Dow, on the other hand, was looking lower on a crushing 19% drop in UnitedHealth shares following an earnings miss.
