Advanced Micro Devices Inc. CEO Lisa Su revealed that her path to leading one of the world's biggest chipmakers was shaped by curiosity and an unexpected part-time job. Speaking on View From The Top: The Podcast in February 2025, Su reflected on the unlikely series of events that led her into the semiconductor industry. She emphasized that careers often evolve through unexpected opportunities rather than meticulous planning.

"Careers are very much by chance," Su said. "I'd like to think that you planned everything out minute by minute, but it's usually not like that."

A Chance MIT Job Sparked Her Passion

Su traced her fascination with engineering back to childhood, recalling how she was always eager to understand how things worked. She remembered watching her brother's remote-controlled toy car stop working and wondering why, a curiosity that eventually steered her toward studying math and science before enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The defining moment came during her freshman year when she was simply searching for a part-time job. Su landed a position in a semiconductor laboratory, where she wore a cleanroom "bunny suit" and performed "grunt work" for a graduate student by helping run experiments. Despite the routine nature of the work, she was captivated by the idea that an incredibly small chip could pack so much computing power.

"That's kind of how I fell in love with semiconductors," she said, adding that the experience ultimately shaped both her undergraduate and graduate studies.

Choosing Industry Over Academia

After earning bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from MIT, Su considered a career in academia but ultimately decided industry was a better fit. She explained that she enjoyed building products people could actually see and use—from consumer devices on retail shelves to chips powering some of the world's largest supercomputers—rather than focusing solely on academic research.

Su later built her career through roles at Texas Instruments, IBM and Freescale Semiconductor before becoming AMD's CEO. She credited continuous learning and on-the-job experience for helping her transition from engineer to leader. "The beauty of career development is when you get a chance to try something new and learn," she said.

Transformation Under Lisa Su

When Su took over as CEO of AMD in October 2014, the chipmaker was valued at roughly $2 billion, and its shares traded at about $3.28 apiece. Since then, AMD has undergone a dramatic transformation, with the stock climbing above $500 per share and the company's market capitalization surpassing $844 billion.

Su, whose net worth is estimated at $2.9 billion, was born in Tainan, Taiwan, in 1969 and moved to New York City with her family at age 3. The daughter of a mathematician and a bookkeeper who later became an entrepreneur, she has become one of the most influential figures in the global semiconductor industry.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) stock was little changed on Thursday, slipping 0.13% to $541.58, even as the broader market moved higher. The Nasdaq gained 0.38%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.59%. AMD’s modest decline appears to reflect profit-taking after a strong multi-month rally rather than a broader shift in market sentiment.

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said on Thursday that AMD’s pullback offers a buying opportunity, even though the dip is not especially large. Cramer said investors rarely get chances to buy AMD on weakness because the company offers both CPUs and GPUs. He said both products remain in strong demand, supporting his positive view of the stock.

Technical Analysis

The longer-term trend remains firmly positive. AMD is trading 4.3% above its 20-day simple moving average of $518.00, 17.3% above its 50-day SMA of $460.85 and 94.2% above its 200-day SMA of $278.30. The 20-day SMA remains above the 50-day SMA, while the 50-day SMA is above the 200-day SMA, confirming a bullish trend.

However, momentum has softened. The moving average convergence divergence, or MACD, remains below its signal line and the histogram is negative. That typically signals slowing upside momentum, even if the broader trend remains intact. Key resistance stands near $546.50. A move above that level could support another leg higher. Initial support is around $437.00, close to the 50-day trend area.

Earnings And Analyst Outlook

Wall Street expects AMD to report second-quarter results around Aug. 4. Analysts project earnings of $1.55 per share, up from 48 cents a year earlier, on revenue of $11.28 billion, compared with $7.68 billion last year. The stock trades at about 180.3 times earnings, reflecting a premium valuation tied to its growth outlook.

The consensus analyst rating is Buy, with an average price forecast of $499.44. Recent analyst actions include:

Benzinga Edge Rankings

AMD continues to score well across several Benzinga Edge metrics. Momentum scored 98.59, Growth 96.83 and Quality 95.35, while Value remained weak at 3.17, reflecting the stock’s rich valuation. The combination suggests investors continue to favor AMD’s long-term growth story. However, its premium valuation could leave the shares more sensitive to disappointing news or slower growth.

The Funds Most Invested In AMD

AMD remains a major holding in several semiconductor and AI-focused exchange-traded funds, including:

• iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: SOXX): 8.03% weighting.
• ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (NYSE: ARKW): 7.37% weighting.
• Dan Ives Wedbush AI Revolution ETF (NYSE: IVES): 7.19% weighting.

Strong inflows or outflows in these funds can influence demand for AMD shares because of their sizable portfolio allocations.