ETFs Mixed: QQQ Up 1%, Semiconductors Rally

US equities navigated a mixed trading session on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with broad market exchange-traded funds like the iShares Russell 2000 ETF ($IWM+WL) advancing. The Invesco $QQQ+WL Trust ($QQQ+WL) saw a notable gain of 1%, reflecting strength in technology sectors. Notably, semiconductor ETFs such as the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) posted significant gains of 2.4% and 3.3%, respectively. This sector strength occurred as investors digested news of cooling inflation, with July's consumer price index reaching a four-month low, while energy and consumer discretionary sectors experienced slight declines. The State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) fell 0.1%, and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) was down 0.9%. Gold and natural gas futures showed positive movement.

### Story Arc / How We Got Here

Wednesday's trading action follows earlier indications of sector-specific dynamics. On August 5, 2026, Micron Technology (MU) shares saw a substantial jump amid a warning from Samsung regarding prolonged memory shortages extending through 2028. This situation also highlighted potential supply constraints for Nvidia (NVDA) AI accelerators due to High Bandwidth Memory availability. Today's semiconductor rally may reflect continued investor focus on supply-demand imbalances in the chip industry. Prior coverage can be found at /explore/micron-stock-gains-from-samsung-warning-nvidia-supply-risk.