US midday market brief: Dow gains over 400 points as investors rotate to blue chips

Market Overview - The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 426 points, or 0.9%, indicating a renewed interest in large-cap stocks [1] - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also saw gains of 0.7% and 0.9% respectively, driven by a rebound in semiconductor stocks and strong bank earnings [1] Semiconductor Sector - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reported fourth-quarter revenues of $33.1 billion, a 20.5% year-over-year increase, and announced a capital expenditure budget of $52 billion to $56 billion for 2026, a 37% increase from 2025 [3][4] - TSMC's aggressive capex plan signals strong confidence in sustained demand for AI chip-making capacity, benefiting the entire supply chain including equipment makers like ASML and Applied Materials [4] - TSMC shares rose over 6%, and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF climbed 3.34%, indicating a robust outlook for the AI chip market [5] Banking Sector - Goldman Sachs reported a 12% profit increase to $4.62 billion, with deal-making fees up 25% year-over-year, while Morgan Stanley's profit jumped 18% to $4.4 billion, driven by a 47% revenue surge in investment banking [6] - Both banks' stocks reached fresh 52-week highs, with Goldman advancing 4% and Morgan Stanley nearly 6% [7] Economic Indicators - Weekly jobless claims were reported at 198,000, better than the expected 215,000, indicating resilience in the labor market [7] - A significant drop in Brent crude oil prices, down more than 4% to around $63.69 per barrel, alleviated inflation pressures, which typically benefits cyclical and financial stocks [8]