The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Nasdaq ended sharply higher on Thursday after Alphabet and Advanced Micro Devices sparked a megacap rally on fresh optimism about artificial intelligence. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that shares of Alphabet jumped 5.3 per cent as analysts cheered the launch of the Google parent's newest AI model, while AMD soared nearly 10 per cent after estimating the potential market for its data centre AI chips could reach $45-billion (U.S.) this year. Other heavyweight tech-related stocks also gained, with Nvidia and Meta Platforms rising over 2 per cent. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index jumped 2.8 per cent, increasing its 2023 gain to 48 per cent, much of that fuelled by bets about the future of AI. The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 4.3 points at 20,278.51. The Toronto market's technology sector was also up. The energy sector fell to its lowest level since July 21, down 0.9 per cent as the price of oil extended its recent decline. U.S. crude oil futures settled four cents lower at $69.34 (U.S.) a barrel. The S&P 500 has steadily climbed since the end of October on expectations the Federal Reserve has finished its campaign of interest-rate hikes.