New Delhi, May 18 -- US stocks to buy for the short term: The S&P 500 has gained about 8% year-to-date despite the Middle East conflict and rising concerns over inflation, which saw the biggest rise in about three years. The primary driver of this rally is the bullish sentiment around AI .

"Markets have begun pricing a material probability of a hike before year-end. Equities went to new highs anyway. The reason is $725 billion- the combined AI capital expenditure commitment from Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon for 2026, up 77% from last year. A spending cycle of that scale overrides an inflation print," Subho Moulik, Founder and CEO, Appreciate, pointed out.

"This week's five names come from the physical layer of the AI buildout, an...