US tech stocks soar collectively; the industry signals behind ASML breaking through a $520 billion market cap

U.S. stocks continued their strong momentum at the open, with technology stocks generally rising, among which the semiconductor sector performed the best. ASML rose by 6.8%, with its market capitalization surpassing the $520 billion mark for the first time, hitting a new all-time high. This reflects an overall improvement in the semiconductor industry’s prosperity, and this signal may also have reference significance for the crypto market.

U.S. Stock Market Opening Data Overview

Why is the semiconductor sector leading the rally?

TSMC’s capital expenditure plan is the key driver

During the night trading session, semiconductor stocks already surged collectively, with ASML once up over 5%. The core reason is that TSMC released new capital expenditure guidance. According to the latest news, TSMC expects its capital expenditure to be between $52 billion and $56 billion in 2026, with further increases in the next three years.

The significance of this news lies in the fact that: as the world’s largest wafer foundry, TSMC’s capital expenditure plans directly reflect the overall chip industry’s optimistic outlook. Increased spending means expansion, which indicates a bullish view on chip demand. As the leader in chip manufacturing equipment, ASML naturally becomes the biggest beneficiary.

Clear signal of industry prosperity

Looking at individual stock gains, the entire semiconductor supply chain is rising: ASML up 6.8%, TSMC up 4%, Micron Technology up 3%. This is not just the performance of a few stocks but a resonance across the entire sector. It indicates that the market’s long-term outlook for the chip industry is optimistic — bullish.

The significance of ASML surpassing $520 billion in market cap

This marks a new high for ASML’s stock price. A market cap of $520 billion signifies high market expectations for the company’s future profitability and growth prospects. Considering ASML’s monopoly position in chip manufacturing equipment and the ongoing global demand for advanced chips, this valuation level reflects investors’ confidence in the long-term industry trend.

Will this drive the crypto market to follow suit?

This is a question worth pondering. According to market discussions mentioned in the news, the strength of U.S. tech stocks has indeed sparked thoughts about the correlation with the crypto market.

Historically, strong performance in U.S. tech stocks often boosts crypto market sentiment, especially when the gains exceed 1%. Currently, NASDAQ is up 0.88%, just shy of that threshold, but the trend is positive. The recovery in the semiconductor industry may reinforce investors’ optimism about the future performance of tech stocks, thereby positively influencing risk appetite for crypto assets.

However, it is important to note that the crypto market is influenced by multiple factors, and U.S. stocks are just one of them. Macro liquidity, policy expectations, and project developments within the crypto space also have impacts. It cannot be simply concluded that a rise in U.S. stocks will necessarily lead to a rally in the crypto market.

Summary

The collective rise of the semiconductor sector, especially ASML surpassing $520 billion in market cap, reflects an improvement in the global chip industry outlook and market optimism about the sector’s prospects. The increase in TSMC’s capital expenditure plan is the core driver of this rally. From the perspective of the crypto market, the strong performance of U.S. tech stocks may improve market risk appetite, but this linkage requires ongoing observation and should not be over-interpreted.