The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) surged 5.01% in pre-market trading on Friday, reflecting a broad-based rally in semiconductor stocks across global markets, driven by renewed optimism around artificial intelligence infrastructure spending and a strong rebound in Chinese tech shares.

The rally was fueled by a confluence of positive factors. Reports that Amazon is expected to increase its AI capital expenditure to $220 billion this year, combined with TSMC developing advanced AI chip packaging technology, provided a strong catalyst for the sector. Additionally, Sandisk and other beaten-down chip names surged in Thursday's U.S. session following upbeat AI infrastructure commentary, with one investor noting that "things have changed" for the stock.

The momentum extended into Asian markets, where China's A-share market saw a dramatic surge in semiconductor, computing hardware, and robotics stocks. The ChiNext Index jumped over 6%, while the STAR 50 Index soared nearly 9%. Hong Kong-listed chip stocks also rallied sharply, with a two-times leveraged product tracking SK Hynix surging over 55%, and Gigadevice Semiconductor Inc. climbing more than 20%. This global semiconductor strength provided a powerful tailwind for the SOXX ETF as it tracks leading U.S. chipmakers poised to benefit from the AI infrastructure boom.