Retail investors buy $9B of US equities, largest weekly purchase in 16 weeks

US equities: US equities are shares of companies listed on American stock exchanges, spanning sectors such as technology, finance, health care, and industrials. In the reported period, retail investors strongly increased net purchases of US stocks, with demand concentrated in AI-related companies and exchange-traded funds rather than distributed evenly across the market. Semiconductors: Semiconductors are electronic components that power computing, communications, and artificial-intelligence systems. They were a leading destination for the reported retail buying, with chip stocks attracting particularly strong demand as investors continued favoring AI-linked hardware. AI Infrastructure stocks: AI infrastructure stocks represent companies supplying the computing hardware, data-center capacity, networking, and related systems needed to develop and operate artificial-intelligence applications. Retail investors directed substantial buying toward this group, reinforcing a broader shift toward AI-enabling businesses rather than only consumer-facing AI companies. Retail flows: The reported buying followed two consecutive weeks of rising retail net purchases, indicating accelerating rather than isolated enthusiasm for US stocks. Market backdrop: The buying occurred as major US equity indexes reached record highs, suggesting retail investors were adding to AI exposure despite elevated market valuations and ongoing debate about the durability of the AI boom. AI concentration: Recent coverage says retail capital was heavily concentrated in AI-related stocks and ETFs, showing that the broader equity buying was driven disproportionately by an AI investment theme.