Trends

‘AI laggards’ find favour as Magnificent Seven stocks lose lustre

OUR TAKEInvestors are turning their attention to the “AI laggards”, a group of companies that have exposure to the AI theme but have failed to keep pace with the gains of the biggest AI winners in the first half of the year. This interest has been driven by the view that, after a long period

AI laggards-7.18

Headline

OUR TAKEInvestors are turning their attention to the “AI laggards”, a group of companies that have exposure to the AI theme but have failed to keep pace with the gains of the biggest AI winners in the first half of the year. This interest has been driven by the view that, after…

Context

OUR TAKE Investors are turning their attention to the “AI laggards”, a group of companies that have exposure to the AI theme but have failed to keep pace with the gains of the biggest AI winners in the first half of the year. This interest has been driven by the view that, after a long period of dominance, the big AI players are beginning to see their growth slow. Over the past month, these laggards have outperformed, with Intel in particular up 6.6%, following broader declines in chip stocks triggered by new US trade restrictions aimed at China. Despite these challenges, laggards have begun to appeal to investors looking for value in a sector where growth expectations are increasingly hard to justify. — Heidi Luo , BTW reporter AI “laggards” such as Intel, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and International Business Machines (IBM) are attracting investor attention as potential catch-up candidates in the market, according to analysis by Melius Research.

Evidence

Pending intelligence enrichment.

Analysis

Over the past month, these laggards have shown improved performance. Intel, for example, posted a remarkable 6.6% gain despite broader declines in the chip sector in response to new US trade restrictions affecting the industry. This rise reflects a broader market shift, with investors looking to find value in companies that had been overshadowed by the more prominent AI frontrunners. The strategic focus on AI laggards like IBM and Intel signals a significant pivot within the technology sector. With the top tech giants expected to experience slower earnings growth, smaller and lesser-known tech companies are coming into the spotlight, driven by their lower valuations and robust fundamentals. Also read: Ilya Sutskever launches new AI company Also read: Amazon adds $2.75 billion investment to AI company Anthropic

Key Points

  • Wall Street shifted its focus to “AI laggards”’ such as Intel, AMD and IBM, viewing the potential for significant gains.
  • Amid slowing earnings growth for tech megacaps, companies with subdued market expectations attracted investors’ attention.

Actions

Pending intelligence enrichment.

Author

Heidi Luo (h.luo@btw.media)· author profile pending