We recently published a list of Top 10 AI Trending News on Wall Street. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) stands against other top AI trending news on Wall Street.

China and the US have been at a crossroads over the past year over access to advanced chips and semiconductor equipment as technological rivalry heats up. While the US has been the most aggressive, it might have to rethink its export controls amid reports that Chinese buyers have found a way around them. Therefore, gaining access to its advanced artificial intelligence chips.

In order to limit China’s access to semiconductors for training and powering cutting-edge artificial intelligence, Washington has enforced export controls since 2022. President Joe Biden’s administration issued several directives and export controls that sought to stop China from acquiring the most cutting-edge chips. In the interest of national security, it also prevented China from obtaining sophisticated semiconductor equipment.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal, a clandestine network of brokers has emerged and is increasingly circumventing the restrictions. The report indicates that Chinese buyers might have the upper hand on routing advanced chips through third parties. The report further indicates that six AI servers with restricted Hopper chips have been delivered to at least two Chinese universities in Shenzhen and Wuhan since December.

Singapore’s government has already charged three men in a case that involves the sale of semiconductors that may violate US export laws. “We will not tolerate individuals and companies violating our laws or taking advantage of their association with Singapore to circumvent export controls of other countries,” Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam told a press briefing.

As it stands, the new administration under President Donald Trump faces an uphill task of finding ways to curb access to advanced technologies through third parties as the technological rivalry heats up. In a research note to investors, analysts at Jefferies reiterated that the US could tighten chip export controls, a development that could escalate the US-China tech war.

The analysts said that Trump has specifically instructed them to use export controls to close any gaps in existing regulations and guarantee and improve the U.S. technological edge. According to Jefferies, this sets the stage for the United States to impose more stringent export regulations on China.

The push for stringent and aggressive restrictions comes as China changes its approach from employing symbolic legal and regulatory changes to investing in advanced technologies. According to an analysis at the Emerging Technology Observatory (ETO), China is currently producing the majority of the fundamental research that may support future computer hardware. If those efforts become commercially viable, the US may soon be unable to use export restrictions to maintain its competitive edge in the design and manufacturing of high-performance microchips.

By doing this, Beijing is indicating that it has taken the time to assess its own economic advantages, disadvantages, and vulnerability to US sanctions and is now more assured of its ability to compete on an equal footing with the US. There are some distinctive features to China’s strategy, such as the establishment of an economic early-warning system, even though some of it can be viewed as mimicking US export restrictions against Chinese tech firms.

For this article, we selected AI stocks by going through news articles, stock analysis, and press releases. These stocks are also popular among hedge funds in Q4 2024.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

A closeup of a telecom tower with power lines connecting to it, representing the strength and reliability of network services.

Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28

Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) is a communication equipment company that provides network test, monitoring, and assurance solutions for communications service providers, hyperscalers, and network equipment manufacturers. On March 3, the company confirmed signing an agreement to acquire Spirent Communication’s high-speed ethernet and network security business lines for a base cash of $410 million and an additional $15 million contingent cash consideration.

The acquisition is poised to expand and strengthen Viavi’s solutions in ethernet testing and network security. It should also provide a synergistic product portfolio across various verticals, including AI and digital infrastructure. Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) is in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities in the growing markets of artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and network security by incorporating Spirent’s experience and product line. The acquisition should also improve the company’s capacity to cater to various market niches, such as government, NEMs, businesses, and service providers.

Overall, VIAV ranks 6th on our list of top AI trending news on Wall Street. While we acknowledge the potential of VIAV as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks old greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VIAV but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

 

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.