Apple Inc. shares rallied on Wednesday, closing 5.1% higher at $213.25, their strongest finish since early July. The stock continued to gain in post-market trading, rising a further 2.5% to $218.56. Traders attributed the advance to optimism around the company’s semiconductor initiatives and a broader move into chip-related hardware, a theme that lifted other sector names including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Texas Instruments and Micron Technology. Apple’s one-day jump places it among the top performers in the S&P 500 for the session, reversing losses logged after its most recent earnings report.