S&P 500, Nasdaq Close Lower On Tech Weakness But Recover After-Hours On Strong Micron Earnings — MU, AVGO, GOOGL In Focus

Micron Technology reported strong fiscal results after Wednesday's close, helping broad tech indices recover after-hours following a weaker regular session for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. MU posted $37.4B in revenue (+48.9% YoY), with 39.8% gross margins and $7.59 diluted EPS — a print that signals robust demand for HBM and data-center DRAM, the core AI memory buildout story.

The read-through touches two heavyweights: Broadcom (AVGO) and Alphabet (GOOGL). AVGO, with $63.9B in revenue (+23.9% YoY) and industry-leading 67.8% gross margins, is directly levered to custom AI silicon and networking demand that MU's strong print validates. GOOGL's $402.8B revenue base (+15.1% YoY) and 32.8% net margin reflect its role as both a hyperscaler customer of these chips and a competitor in AI infrastructure.

The second-order tension is whether MU's strength represents a genuine AI capex supercycle sustaining into 2025, or whether the stock already prices a near-perfect HBM ramp with limited upside room after the move. AVGO faces a similar question — its custom ASIC exposure is a structural tailwind but consensus is already constructive and the valuation reflects it.

For GOOGL, the angle is more defensive: it's a beneficiary of AI monetization but also a heavy spender on the same chips MU and AVGO supply, meaning stronger chip demand is modestly margin-dilutive at the hyperscaler layer. What to watch: MU's guidance for the next quarter, any HBM supply commentary, and whether AVGO's next print confirms the AI silicon demand signal.