Monolithic Power Systems, Analog Devices, and Penguin Solutions Shares Are Soaring, What You Need To Know

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after the US-Iran ceasefire eased fears of a major disruption to global tech supply chains.

Semiconductors are the backbone of the modern economy, and any threat to global shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz creates immediate “scarcity premiums.” With the strait reopened, the logistical path for raw materials and finished chips becomes far more predictable and cost-effective. The rally was also fueled by the continued “AI revolution,” which remains a primary growth driver regardless of oil price swings.

However, the cooling of energy-driven inflation provides a more favorable backdrop for the massive capital expenditures required to build new fabrication plants. As the “geopolitical discount” evaporates, chipmakers are seeing strong buy-side interest across both the logic and memory markets.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

Analog Devices’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 7 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 9 days ago when the stock gained 6% on the news that the VanEck Semiconductor ETF jumped nearly 5% in response to the de-escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict.

The sector rallied specifically because semiconductors were highly vulnerable to the supply chain disruptions that occurred during the war. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is a critical victory for the industry, as the waterway is essential for the transit of noble gases and materials used in chip fabrication.

Analog Devices is up 34.9% since the beginning of the year, and at $369.31 per share, has set a new 52-week high. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Analog Devices’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $2,354.