US AI INVESTMENT HITS RECORD $1.77 TRILLION PACE

US private investment in information-processing equipment and software hit a record $1.77 trillion annualized pace in the third quarter of 2026, according to Commerce Department data tracked by the Federal Reserve. That is up from $1.43 trillion a year earlier, a 24% jump as companies pour cash into AI infrastructure. The surge now ranks among the biggest contributors to US GDP growth, with tech-heavy benchmarks like $QQQ riding the same wave.