The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) is commonly regarded as the best barometer for the entire U.S. stock market. The index has advanced 45% since January 2023, due in large part to enthusiasm about artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. Indeed, the five largest AI stocks delivered incredible returns during that period, as detailed below:

The gains in AI stocks have been so substantial that some analysts have drawn comparisons to the dot-com bubble, a period in the late 1990s when rapid price appreciation in internet-based stocks let to absurd valuations across the technology sector. The dot-com bubble collapsed in March 2000, and the S&P 500 declined 49% by October 2002.

Could the AI boom cause a similar stock market crash?

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Source Fool.com