U.S. semiconductor equities dropped on Friday as investors grew uneasy about the escalating cost of AI infrastructure. Intel fell 3%, SanDisk 6%, Arm 3% and Marvell 4%, while Micron slipped 3% after a prior earnings‑driven rally. The broader Magnificent Seven largely held the line, but Nvidia was the sole megacap to trade lower, underscoring its isolation from the sector bounce.
European chip makers also retreated, with ASML down 2%, Infineon 5%, ASM International 3%, STMicroelectronics 4% and BE Semiconductor 3%. SoftBank Group led a regional sell‑off, plunging more than 12% and pulling its Arm Holdings shares lower despite a rebound in AI‑related stocks. Ortus Advisors’ Andrew Jackson warned that SoftBank’s upside may be capped by reports of an OpenAI IPO delay, while noting Qualcomm’s new AI data‑center chip deal with Meta could boost Arm through royalty payments, even as competition intensifies.
Across Asia, the weakness spread to SK Hynix (‑8%), Samsung (‑9%) and other key players, while Greater China tech names such as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu all fell. Apple rose 1% after announcing price hikes tied to higher component costs, fueling concerns that rising semiconductor prices could squeeze margins for major tech firms.
