Note: None of the material or content contained herein constitutes investment advice. It is solely for educational and informational purposes. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Sources: Fiscal.ai, Google Finance, 11 Apr 2026.
THE AUDIO BRIEF
THE RUNDOWN
US equity benchmarks traded up this week as investors balanced geopolitical developments with inflation data. The Nasdaq 100 led gains, rising 3.8% on an advance in information technology and record demand for AI-focused hardware.
The S&P 500 climbed 3.1%, supported by technology strength. Small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 rose 3.5%, benefiting from a temporary U.S.-Iran ceasefire that aided domestic-focused firms.
Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a more modest 2.7% increase.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite rose 1.5% for the week. While Canada’s market is heavily weighted toward energy and finance, its gains were slightly more tempered than U.S. peers as investors reacted to a 21% monthly surge in the gasoline index despite overall inflation matching expectations.
Markets remain headline-driven, focused on Middle East negotiations and stabilizing labour data.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
RISERS
Intel is a semiconductor manufacturer that rose 22.84% following an eight-session winning streak driven by strong server CPU demand and new AI chip partnerships.
Coherent Corp. provides lasers and optical materials (check out our recent EiC with Mikhail Zverev) and climbed 21.44% after unveiling advances in silicon carbide technology and reporting strong fiscal 2026 earnings.
Lam Research produces semiconductor manufacturing equipment and gained 19.49% due to record Q2 fiscal 2026 results and unprecedented demand visibility for AI-focused hardware.
FALLERS
Akamai Technologies is a cloud and cybersecurity company that fell 20.29% as increased competition in cloud infrastructure pressured growth and margin expectations.
ServiceNow provides enterprise cloud solutions and dropped 18.96% following a UBS downgrade citing weaker demand for non-AI software and shifting corporate budgets.
Axon Enterprise manufactures public safety technology and declined 16.25% due to legal uncertainty regarding its new headquarters and a wave of analyst price cuts.
SECTORS
Major U.S. sectors rallied this week following a two-week ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran. The Information Technology sector rose 4.27% as record revenues from Taiwan Semiconductor and strong AI chip demand boosted semiconductors. Industrials gained 4.20% due to firmer underlying demand for equipment. Conversely, Energy fell 4.59% as crude oil prices dropped 13% for the week following the de-escalation of conflict. Consumer Staples declined 0.35% as investors rotated into cyclical sectors, while Financials added 1.78% ahead of the first-quarter earnings season. Real Estate climbed 2.54% as Treasury yields retreated from recent highs.
