AI Memory Demand Bolsters Tech as April Shorts Spare US Tech 100 Leaders

April short interest data reveals bearish positions concentrated in smaller high-beta tech stocks, leaving US Tech 100 large-caps with minimal exposure and limited downside from positioning. This follows March 13 volatility, where Intel shares surged ~25% on Q1 adjusted EPS $0.29, revenue $13.6B, and Q2 guidance of $13.8–$14.8B beating Street $13.03B, amid Meta's ~10% workforce cuts (~8,000 jobs) and Microsoft's buyouts for ~7% of US staff. Latest May 1 updates highlight strengthening AI-driven memory demand, with SanDisk up 5.1% and expected to exceed 2Q guidance, supporting sector upside despite mixed storage results.