Investment bank Macquarie is making a bullish call on China's semiconductor sector, telling investors that now is the "best time" to buy Chinese artificial intelligence chip stocks, according to CNBC.
According to the CNBC report, Macquarie has also singled out one company as its favorite pick within the space, signaling conviction that goes beyond a general thumbs-up for the sector.
The timing of the call is notable. AI has driven enormous demand for the specialized chips that train and run large models, and chipmakers have been among the most closely watched stocks of the era. A bank explicitly labeling a moment the "best time" to buy is a strong, and unusually direct, signal to clients.
Macquarie's focus on Chinese chipmakers specifically points to a bet on China building out its own AI hardware supply. As access to top foreign chips has grown more restricted, domestic Chinese suppliers stand to benefit if buyers turn to home-grown alternatives — a dynamic that could reward investors willing to take the position now.
The available source is a single CNBC item summarizing Macquarie's view, so the finer details — including the name of Macquarie's favorite stock, price targets, and the full reasoning behind the timing — sit in CNBC's underlying reporting rather than in this summary.
Why it matters: when a major bank tells clients it's the "best time" to buy into a fast-moving corner of the AI boom, it's a read on where big money thinks the next gains in the chip race may come from.