US STOCKS-Nasdaq climbs over 1% as SpaceX, Super Micro improve AI sentiment 

By Purvi Agarwal and Tharuniyaa Lakshmi

Oct 21 (Reuters) - The tech-heavy Nasdaq led gains on Wednesday after quarterly results from SpaceX and Super Micro Computer improved appetite for AI-linked stocks, while Netflix slipped as its forecast failed to impress investors.

Elon Musk's rocket and space technology firm SPCX.O rose 9.8% after he said on Tuesday that a merger of SpaceX and Tesla TSLA.O would be "a good idea". SpaceX also posted its first profit as a public company. Tesla shares were up 3.5%.

Super Micro SMCI.O jumped 10.3% to the top of the S&P 500 after the AI server maker forecast quarterly revenue and profit margin above Wall Street estimates, signaling that AI demand remained resilient.

Peers HPE HPE.N and Dell DELL.N rose 2.2% and 4.5%, respectively.

Investors drew comfort from the reports as concerns over the profitability of the AI buildout triggered a selloff in AI-linked stocks last week, with data center operator CoreWeave CRWV.O at the center of the storm. Its shares were marginally down, suggesting lingering caution in the sector.

"The sentiment around tech has shifted ... There's a lot of stress in the credit markets right now that is keeping a lid on breakouts in tech," said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide.

"Most people are just going to wait and see the whites of the eyes of that (next week's tech) earnings because the skepticism is very high right now, both in terms of sustainability of the buildout and the quality of the companies themselves."

At 11:36 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 132.16 points, or 0.25%, to 52,628.04, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 35.56 points, or 0.46%, to 7,748.13 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC gained 276.30 points, or 1.05%, to 26,701.12.

The S&P 500 information technology sector .SPLRCT rose 1.3%, lifting the benchmark index, as most chip stocks rebounded.

The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index .SOX was up 1.3%. The index has had a volatile month so far, during which it declined for eight consecutive sessions, marking its longest losing streak in 18 years.

The overall rise on the S&P 500 was contained by a 1.2% drop in communication services stocks .SPLRCL, dragged down by a 6.3% slide in telecom operator AT&T T.N despite beating third-quarter revenue and profit estimates.

Netflix NFLX.O slipped 1.8% after the streaming giant issued a weaker-than-expected forecast for its fourth-quarter profit. Google parent Alphabet GOOGL.O also lost 1.9%.

Investors are sharply scrutinizing corporate earnings, especially from AI-aligned companies, for clues on whether the AI spending cycle is sustainable and the impact from rising oil prices.

Meta META.O and Tesla are scheduled to report after markets close.

Meanwhile, oil prices remained elevated, with Brent crude futures trading near $110 a barrel. O/R

Data last week confirmed that price pressures were seeping into the US economy, and had broadened beyond energy products, supporting the case for another interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

However, markets largely expect the central bank to remain on hold.

Abbott Laboratories ABT.N fell 4.3% after the medical device maker cut its 2026 sales growth forecast.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.46-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.51-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 19 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 39 new highs and 133 new lows.