TradingKey

As of the September 18 close, CrowdStrike (CRWD) has posted a remarkable year-to-date gain of 102%, with its stock price surging an impressive 177% from its February low of $85.68. In a year when software stock valuations have been broadly compressed, this doubling rally was driven not by earnings reports, but by the market re-pricing AI cybersecurity demand: a leap in model capabilities has rapidly expanded the attack surface, turning endpoint protection from routine procurement into non-discretionary spending; whichever company shields artificial intelligence enterprises from next-generation threats captures the valuation premium in the cybersecurity sector first.

As memory prices continue to rise, market concerns over supply shortages are intensifying. Jason Chen, Chairman of PC and IT hardware giant Acer, provided a starkly contrasting assessment of the current price-hike narrative in the memory market. He stated bluntly that repeated claims by the top three memory suppliers—Samsung, SK Hynix (SKHY), and Micron (MU)—that "price increases will persist into 2027" are not factual. Instead, constrained by antitrust regulations that forbid direct price coordination among manufacturers, they are using public statements to signal one another. "Anyone who has been through this cycle will understand that this is actually just signaling."

In a phone interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst, U.S. President Trump stated that he is deciding whether to launch a catastrophic military strike against Iran, saying, "My question is, whether and when I level the entire country? They had better watch themselves." The threatening remarks came a day after Trump returned early to the White House from Camp David, cutting short his scheduled weekend trip. He noted that he is currently in "decision mode" regarding Iran and that "very major events will happen in the not-too-distant future."

TradingKey - According to CNBC, Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang is becoming a key supporter of Trump's opposition to a unified slowdown in the AI industry.

TradingKey - UK AI cloud provider Nscale, backed by Nvidia (NVDA), has officially launched its US IPO process, seeking to raise additional capital for its global data center expansion while the market remains enthusiastic about artificial intelligence infrastructure.

TradingKey - COST closed near $893.9 ahead of Sept. 24 earnings as Q4 sales stay strong. Can $888 support hold and prevent a drop toward $874.81?

TradingKey - The expansion of AI data centers is driving demand growth for high-speed optical modules, lasers, and optical switching equipment. Lumentum's (LITE) business is more focused on optical communications, while Coherent (COHR) covers industrial lasers and engineered materials in addition to data center connectivity products.

TradingKey - AZO closed at $2,844.31 near 52-week lows ahead of Sept. 22 earnings. Can $2,834 support hold and trigger a rebound above $2,901?

TradingKey - As Capital Markets Day approaches, Novo Nordisk (NVO) is facing mounting pressure from institutional investors.

TradingKey - Both Micron Technology (MU) and SanDisk (SNDK) benefit from AI data center expansion, but they have different business structures.

TradingKey - Large-scale short-term options trading drove strength in the memory chip sector, with SanDisk (SNDK) emerging as the standout performer. On September 18, SanDisk surged 10.99% on heavy volume to close at $1,791.82, after touching an intraday high of $1,797, coming just shy of the $1,800 psychological milestone.

XRP's rebound failed to hold above the $1.4 mark as bullish defenses retreated, raising the risk of a retest of $1 going forward.

TradingKey - At the close on September 18, Eastern Time, Micron (MU) shares rose 3.92% to close at $1,015.80, after touching an intraday high of $1,016.44; this followed a 5.50% surge on September 17. The two-day cumulative gain approached 10%, reclaiming the $1,000 round-number threshold. Compared with its low of $902.60 on September 14, the stock has rebounded by more than 12%.

TradingKey - Anthropic is reportedly planning to launch its initial public offering in November 2026, a delay from the October timeframe previously expected by investors. Meanwhile, the company, along with OpenAI, Google, and SpaceXAI, is facing an antitrust lawsuit over allegations of coordinating to slow down AI development.

TradingKey - The Project Jupiter data center leased by Oracle (ORCL) in New Mexico is facing new financing pressure. The syndication of approximately $18 billion in loans associated with the project has stalled, signaling rising investor concerns over project progress, financing costs, and Oracle's creditworthiness.

TradingKey - Anthropic is evaluating plans for a new model release to address competitive pressure from OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.

TradingKey - On Sunday (September 20), Bitcoin (BTC) consolidated at high levels following Thursday's rebound, currently trading around $81,100. Bitcoin had previously dropped to near $75,500, hit by the stalled progress of the US crypto bill and Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, but subsequently reclaimed the $76,000, $78,000, and $80,000 thresholds in succession, as market sentiment improved.

SpaceX's weighting in the Nasdaq has doubled to 2.82%. Will its stock price continue to rally, or will it face a sell-the-news profit-taking phase?

TradingKey - During the week of September 21 to 25, Eastern Time, the US stock market will focus on the meeting between Chinese and US leaders, the Federal Reserve's policy outlook, and economic data such as US new home sales and durable goods orders.

TradingKey - At the close on Friday (US Eastern Time), WTI crude oil (USOIL) tumbled 5.58% on the day, falling back below the $100 mark to close at $95.46. Middle East supply disruptions had previously driven WTI to nearly $107, but as expectations grew for a partial restoration of Saudi oil pipelines alongside increased diplomatic mediation, oil prices declined for a third consecutive trading session.