MetaEra: Microsoft Fuels AI Stock Rally; SK Hynix and CXMT Rise on Storage Chain Momentum

ME AI insights: This week, U.S. equities saw sharp shifts driven by major tech earnings, with AI trading moving from concerns over burning cash to validation of monetization. Microsoft, buoyed by strong Azure growth and the commercialization of Copilot, spurred a powerful rebound in the Nasdaq and semiconductor stocks. Apple, despite delivering an above-consensus earnings report, faced pressure due to weak guidance for the next quarter and constraints in chip and memory supply. Meanwhile, SK Hynix and South Korean chip stocks surged sharply at month-end, and ChangXin Memory Technologies’ listing on the STAR Market further fueled momentum in China’s domestic DRAM and AI storage supply chain. Overall, this week’s user focus has shifted beyond AI concepts to identifying which companies can convert AI investments into revenue, profits, and real orders. SK Hynix (up ~10.63% this week): After reporting record profits, its stock initially declined due to overblown expectations and a pullback in the AI chain; on 7/31, following strong earnings from Microsoft and Amazon that validated AI compute demand, HBM as a theme regained buyer interest, triggering a broad rebound in South Korean chip stocks. Microsoft (up ~14.59% this week): Microsoft’s earnings served as the anchor for AI trading this week—Azure grew 43%, and paid Copilot seats exceeded 30 million. On 7/30, shares surged 15.5% to $451.10, marking its best single-day performance in nearly 18 years, as the market repriced its AI monetization capabilities. Coca-Cola (up ~5.22% this week): Second-quarter revenue and profits both exceeded expectations, and the company raised its full-year EPS guidance to 9%-10% growth; sales were driven by World Cup marketing, zero-sugar beverages, and fairlife, pushing the stock near $90. Defensive consumer stocks attracted capital amid tech volatility. Apple (down ~8.32% this week): Q3 revenue of $109.4 billion and EPS of $2.02 both beat estimates, but next-quarter revenue guidance fell short of market expectations; chip and memory supply constraints weighed on sentiment, causing a sharp pre-market pullback as investors worried cost pressures would erode Apple’s margins. ChangXin Memory Technologies (up 465.82% on first day): Listed on the STAR Market on 7/27, closing at ¥49—up 465.82% from its ¥8.66 offering price—with a total market cap of approximately ¥3.28 trillion. Domestic DRAM and AI storage chains became the strongest theme on China’s A-share market this week, as capital continued to price in semiconductor self-reliance. (Source: BlockBeats)