AMD stock hit a new 52-week high on Friday, with shares reaching $174.16, a strong signal of investor confidence in the chipmaker’s momentum, especially in AI and data center tech.

The AMD stock has been on a tear lately, climbing 46% over the past six months and roughly 24% over the year.

What’s behind the move? Part of it comes down to AMD’s positioning in the rapidly expanding AI space.

Their latest high-performance chips seem to be resonating, not just in specs but in real-world adoption.

Analysts have started to take notice as both Erste Group and Bernstein raised their outlooks recently.

They’re pointing to an expanding AI lineup and renewed chip shipments to China as clear tailwinds. It’s not just hype anymore as there’s substance behind the rally.

AMD stock: What’s behind the rally?

One of the key drivers behind AMD’s recent rally is its MI355X GPU, built on the new CDNA 4 architecture.

The chip is already being shipped to big-name cloud providers like Oracle and, by some accounts, delivers up to seven times the compute power of the previous generation.

It’s also gaining traction with major players in the AI space, including OpenAI and Tesla, which only strengthens AMD’s position as a serious challenger to Nvidia’s dominance.

Looking ahead, AMD has even bigger ambitions. The MI400 series, expected to launch in 2026, is being designed to go head-to-head with Nvidia’s newest offerings.

AMD is betting on a fresh rack-scale architecture that’s supposed to deliver better performance per watt, a key factor for companies looking to scale AI infrastructure without breaking the bank.

Why is August 5 important?

All eyes are on AMD’s upcoming Q2 2025 earnings report, set for August 5, a date that could prove to be a turning point for the stock.

With shares already pushing new highs, investors are looking to this report for confirmation that AMD’s momentum isn’t just hype.

The stakes are high: analysts are expecting $7.41 billion in revenue, which would mark a 27% year-over-year jump, thanks mostly to strength in the data center and client segments.

Last quarter set a high bar. AMD posted a 36% revenue gain and a 57% spike in data center sales, raising expectations across the board.

This time around, the focus will be on whether the MI355X GPU is seeing real adoption, not just headlines, and whether there’s meaningful progress on the upcoming MI400 series, which is expected to launch in 2026.

Another key piece of the puzzle is China.

With recent US policy shifts loosening some export restrictions, AMD could soon resume full-scale shipments to one of its largest markets.

Bank of America and several other firms have already bumped up their revenue forecasts, projecting that the change could add hundreds of millions to AMD’s top line in the near term.

If AMD delivers on all fronts, this earnings call could be the catalyst that sends the stock into breakout territory.

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