The artificial intelligence trade may be broadening beyond chips and servers, with cybersecurity emerging as one of the biggest secondary beneficiaries. A sharp rally in cybersecurity stocks on Tuesday suggested investors increasingly view security spending as a necessary companion to AI adoption rather than a competing budget item. Cybersecurity ETFs were quick to reflect the sentiment, rallying sharply Tuesday after IBM Corp. (NYSE:IBM) suggested enterprise customers continue to prioritize cybersecurity spending even as they ramp up investments in AI infrastructure, reinforcing the view that security remains a key beneficiary of the artificial intelligence boom.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) surged more than 11%, while Okta Inc. (NASDAQ:OKTA) and Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) also posted strong gains of 10% and 7% respectively. Meanwhile, Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) also was up more than 3%.