U.S. equities traded mixed midday on July 20, with major indexes diverging. The Nasdaq climbed more than 1% before paring gains, the S&P 500 edged modestly higher, while the Dow slipped into negative territory after an early advance. Google's next-generation AI chip developments lifted semiconductors, with Intel surging over 4% and Nvidia adding more than 1%. Archer Aviation skyrocketed over 18% on news of its collaboration with Anduril Industries, fueling a broad rally across the eVTOL space.

Sector-wise, semiconductors and eVTOL names stood out as the session's clear leaders. On the biotech IPO front, Zhengye Biotech exploded over 190% higher and Advanced Biomed surged more than 62%. Meanwhile, select low-priced names saw wild swings — AMC Entertainment rallied over 21%, while Eos Energy warrants and BURU tumbled more than 30%.

Semiconductors Ride AI Chip Wave; Intel Up Over 4%

As of reporting, Intel (INTC) gained 4.32% to $99.15, while Nvidia (NVDA) rose 1.35% to $205.55. The catalyst: Google is reportedly developing a next-generation AI inference chip codenamed "Frozen v2," integrating its Gemini architecture directly into silicon for up to 10x energy efficiency gains. In a separate boost, former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli publicly endorsed Micron Technology, arguing that AI-driven demand for high-bandwidth memory could propel its profitability toward Nvidia-like levels.

eVTOL Sector Rallies Across the Board; Archer Aviation Surges Over 18%

At last check, Archer Aviation (ACHR) soared 18.36% to $5.26, and Joby Aviation (JOBY) climbed 3.18% to $7.46. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman publicly praised Anduril Industries' new autonomous Thunder rotorcraft, co-developed with Archer, which features a hybrid-electric tiltrotor design and is capable of operating alongside Apache helicopters in combat scenarios.

Elsewhere, AMC Entertainment (AMC) surged 21.39% to $2.36. Netflix (NFLX) slipped 1.41%. IREN (IREN) jumped 19.45% to $40.16. NU Holdings (NU) gained 3.86%. Among China ADRs, XPeng's CEO declared the company is "not far" from surpassing the Tesla Model Y, as the automaker unveiled its all-electric SUV L03 with a European price tag around $40,000.