Tech Weekly: Micron Rises on Latest Results, Trump Media Jumps on TAE Merger

This week's tech sector performance

US stocks advanced this week amid key economic data releases, with tech leading gains after Micron Technology's (NASDAQ:MU) results release and easing artificial intelligence (AI) sector pressures.

The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) rose 0.02 percent on the week, closing Friday (December 19) at 6,834.5.

However, tech stock losses earlier in the week kept gains in check. The Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) lost 0.1 percent for the week to close at 23,307.62 on Friday.

3 tech stocks moving markets this week

1. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU)

Micron Technology reported earnings for its first fiscal quarter of 2026 on Thursday (December 18), showing strong results driven by surging high-bandwidth memory sales for AI data centers

Revenue reached US$13.64 billion, up 93 percent from last year and higher than the company’s September revenue projection of US$12.8 billion. Adjusted earnings per share were US$4.78, beating estimates of US$3.95. The company generated strong free cashflow and declared a US$0.115 per share dividend payable on January 14, 2026.

Looking ahead, Micron adjusted its profit guidance for the upcoming quarter to US$8.42 per share, higher than Wall Street's US$4.78 consensus, due to continued AI boom momentum.

Investors responded to the results by sending Micron shares up 10 percent post-earnings. Momentum carried into Friday’s trading session, spilling over into other tech stocks, which have come under pressure in recent weeks over lofty valuations and funding concerns. The company ended the week 0.58 percent higher.

2. Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ:DJT)

Trump Media & Technology Group rose nearly 30 percent before Thursday’s opening bell after the company announced plans to merge with fusion power company TAE Technologies.

The all-stock deal is reportedly valued at more than US$6 billion. Devin Nunes, chair and chief executive of Trump Media, and Dr. Michl Binderbauer, CEO and director at TAE, are set to serve as co-CEOs.

TAE is a private company with backing from Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and other companies. The merger is slated to create one of the first publicly traded nuclear fusion companies. “We’re taking a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations,“ Nunes said.

Shares of Trump Media closed the week with a gain of 39.53 percent.

3. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL)

Oracle shares dropped 5.4 percent on Wednesday (December 17) after a Financial Times report claimed data center investor Blue Owl Capital pulled out of a US$10 billion financing round for one of the AI data centers Oracle is constructing for OpenAI in Michigan. Talks reportedly stalled due to concerns over project delays, tougher debt terms, Oracle’s rising debt load and lease arrangements, per sources cited by the news outlet.

Oracle disputed the report’s implications, stating that Michigan negotiations are “on schedule” without Blue Owl.

The company said its project development partner, Related Digital, has chosen “the best equity partner from a competitive group of options, which in this instance was not Blue Owl.” Still, the company finished the week with its share price ahead by 2.18 percent as tech stocks staged an end-of-year comeback.

Top tech news of the week

• Ottawa introduced the Canadian Quantum Champions Program, pledging up to C$23 million each to Xanadu Quantum Technologies, Anyon Systems, Photonic and Nord Quantique, four Canadian companies developing fault-tolerant quantum computers.

• The Trump administration launched Tech Force with partners like Google, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and OpenAI. The program will recruit engineers to work on AI inside federal agencies.

• United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) is reportedly spending US$120 million on 400 robots that will be used to unload trucks as part of a US$9 billion automation plan.

• The Business Development Bank of Canada announced a C$4 billion investment in a new defense platform, noting that cultural opposition to defense investment is beginning to shift.

• BlackBerry (TSX:BB,NYSE:BB) shares fell over 10 percent on Friday, despite the company beating Q4 revenue estimates, due to ongoing concerns about the growth of its QNX division. The firm also raised the low end of its 2026 fiscal year revenue forecast, driven by strong cybersecurity software demand amid increased spending to combat cyber attacks.

• Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) shares rose pre-market on Wednesday (December 17) on reports that the company is in talks to invest more than US$10 billion in OpenAI. Part of the deal would include OpenAI using Amazon’s Trainium AI chips.

Tech ETF performance

Tech exchange-traded funds (ETFs) track baskets of major tech stocks, meaning their performance helps investors gauge the overall performance of the niches they cover.

This week, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) declined by 0.94 percent, while the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ) saw a loss of 0.66 percent.

The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) also decreased by 0.61 percent.

Tech news to watch next week

Markets will be closed mid-week next week, with low trading volumes likely keeping movement calm.

Watch for year-end selling in tech stocks, a potential rotation into safer sectors and light data like factory orders and home sales reports. Any comments on future interest rates could move markets somehwat, but expect mostly flat trading unless big news like policy changes breaks through.