U.S. stocks opened mixed on July 13, with the three major indexes diverging. At press time, the S&P 500 edged up about 0.3%; the Nasdaq was nearly flat, weighed down by semiconductors; and the Dow moved modestly higher by roughly 0.3%. Apple shares surged to a fresh all-time high, becoming the session's standout story.

On the sector front, semiconductor stocks fell broadly: SK Hynix tumbled over 5%, Intel dropped more than 4%, Micron Technology slid over 5%, and Nvidia declined more than 1%. Bucking the trend, Apple rallied over 2%, pushing its total market capitalization past $4.7 trillion. Meta held relatively steady after announcing an expansion of its AI data center footprint. Meanwhile, several small-cap names saw extreme swings—Agenus skyrocketed more than 140%, and Twin Vee PowerCats surged over 170%.

Semiconductor Sector Weakens Broadly, Memory Chips Lead the Decline

At press time, Nvidia (NVDA) was down 1.1% at $208.65; Intel (INTC) fell 4.73% to $104.65; Micron Technology (MU) dropped 5.07% to $929.61; and SK Hynix (SKHY) sank 5.68% to $158.46.

On the news front, a South Korean brokerage lowered its earnings forecast for SK Hynix, noting that the company's high HBM revenue exposure has led to average selling price gains that trail the industry average. Combined with a sharp sell-off in the South Korean stock market and regulatory moves to curb retail leveraged ETFs, memory chip stocks came under broad pressure. Additionally, Nvidia was already down more than 1% in pre-market trading, breaching its 50-day moving average as investors rotated out of high-growth tech names. That said, analysts maintain a Buy rating on the stock, with an average price target of $323.83.

Apple Bucks the Trend to Hit Record High as Investors Sidestep AI Spending Risk

At press time, Apple (AAPL) was up 1.6% at $320.37, having surged as much as 2% intraday to touch $322.37—a new all-time high—bringing its total market cap to $4.74 trillion.

Growing concerns over whether massive AI spending will generate adequate returns are driving investors back toward Apple. Mark Bronzo, chief investment strategist at Rye Strategic Partners, noted that Apple's decision to stay out of the data center arms race is increasingly being viewed as an asset rather than a liability. On the same day, Meta announced it would expand its Hyperion AI data center in Louisiana to 5GW, with total investment exceeding $50 billion, further underscoring the enormous capital commitments tech giants are pouring into AI infrastructure.

Multiple Small-Cap Stocks See Extreme Volatility

At press time, Agenus (AGEN) had skyrocketed 141.64% to $8.10, with trading volume surpassing 113 million shares, the highest across the entire market. Twin Vee PowerCats (VEEE) surged 174.69% to $13.24, while Sobr Safe (SOBR) rallied 79.36%. Such outsized moves in low-priced small caps are typically driven by short-term news catalysts or speculative capital flows.

Elsewhere, SoFi Technologies (SOFI) slipped 1.36%, NIO (NIO) gained 2.62%, and Nokia (NOK) fell 6.11%. Among Chinese ADRs, NIO edged higher while Faraday Future (FFAI) declined 5.72%.