Topic
semiconductor
Finance South Korea's Kospi tumbles 6% as SK Hynix miss, AI spending fears trigger chip rout
South Korea's benchmark Kospi index plunged 6% on Wednesday, closing at 5,663.24, its lowest since early April. The selloff was led by a 9.4% drop in SK Hynix after quarterly earnings missed forecasts, and a 4.8% decline in Samsung Electronics. Renewed concerns over high AI valuations and China's progress in low-cost AI models weighed on the sector, with regional markets like Japan's Nikkei and Taiwan's Taiex also falling.
Finance CXMT Soars Over 500% on Debut, Becomes China’s Most Valuable Listed Company on AI Memory Boom
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) surged over 500% on its Shanghai debut, reaching a market capitalisation of 3.65 trillion yuan ($539.21 billion) and becoming China's most valuable listed company. The IPO, Asia's biggest this year, raised 57.92 billion yuan ($8.6 billion), reflecting strong investor demand for a domestic semiconductor champion central to Beijing's tech self-sufficiency drive.
Technology CXMT Surges 470% on Debut to Become Mainland China's Most Valuable Listed Firm
Shares in CXMT, China's largest memory chipmaker, surged more than 470% on its debut on Shanghai's STAR Market, pushing its valuation to about 3.3 trillion yuan ($487.3bn) and making it the most valuable listed company in mainland China. The IPO comes amid a global tech selloff and a recent slump in Chinese stocks. CXMT manufactures Dram chips used in AI data centres, mobile phones, and PCs, and plans to use IPO proceeds to boost production and R&D.
India to Take Equity Stakes in Semiconductor Startups Under Semicon 2.0
The Indian government has approved Semicon 2.0 with a Rs 1,27,500 crore outlay, moving from one-time grants to milestone-linked funding and equity investments in semiconductor startups. The India Semiconductor Mission CEO Amitesh Kumar Sinha outlined a phased funding model where the government will generally keep its equity stake below 50%, avoid board representation, and allow founders to buy back shares. The policy addresses the challenge startups face in raising capital after the design stage.
Manufacturing TSMC pledges another $100bn to expand US production in Arizona
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC will invest another $100bn in Arizona, raising its total US commitment to $265bn. The Commerce Department says the move will create tens of thousands of jobs. The company also reported a 77% jump in second-quarter net profit to $22bn.
Manufacturing India Cabinet Approves Seven Major Decisions: Semicon 2.0, Mobile Manufacturing, Urea Plants, and Rail Projects
The Union Cabinet has approved seven major decisions covering infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, mobile phone production, fertiliser and railway projects. The package includes Semicon 2.0, the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) and the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026, with a combined outlay of Rs 2,19,353 crore. Key projects include a 46-km link corridor in Varanasi, doubling of Paradeep-Haridaspur railway line, and a fourth line between Dangoaposi and Rajkharsawan.
Technology Spain's Submer Invests $2 Billion in Madhya Pradesh Semiconductor Sector, Eyes 5,000 Jobs
Spain's Submer Group announced a $2 billion investment in Madhya Pradesh's semiconductor industry at the MP Tech Growth Conclave 3.0, expected to create nearly 5,000 direct jobs. The state government allotted 15 acres in Acharpura for a data centre project. Submer also plans to expand its liquid cooling solutions manufacturing and skill development programmes in India.
SK Hynix raises $26.5bn in record US share sale, tapping AI chip demand
SK Hynix raised $26.5bn in a New York share offering, the largest ever by a foreign firm in the US. The South Korean chipmaker, a key Nvidia supplier, sold 177.9 million American depositary shares at $149 each, with demand reportedly over seven times the available shares. The listing gives US investors direct access to the AI chip boom without trading overseas.
Business Micron overtakes Meta in market value as AI boom fuels rally
Micron Technology's market capitalization surpassed Meta Platforms and Tesla on Thursday, driven by a strong fourth-quarter forecast and $22 billion in customer commitments for AI memory chips. The rally reflects surging demand for memory and storage products powering artificial intelligence systems.
Business US Stocks Mixed as Micron Surges on AI Outlook, Apple Slides After Price Hikes
US stocks traded mixed on Thursday as a rally in AI-linked chipmakers, led by Micron Technology, offset losses in Apple after it announced price increases. The Dow rose 228 points, while the Nasdaq fell 1.2%. Micron surged 9.7% on strong earnings and forecast, easing AI valuation concerns. Apple dropped 4.8% after 15-20% Mac price hikes, attributed to rising memory costs. Markets also found support from easing Treasury yields after in-line inflation data.
Technology India's Semicon 2.0 to Broaden Chip Incentives Beyond Fabrication to Entire Ecosystem
India is finalizing Semicon 2.0, the next phase of its semiconductor mission, which will expand incentives beyond chip fabrication to include design startups and suppliers of chemicals, gases, materials, and equipment. ISM CEO Amitesh Kumar Sinha announced the policy will improve eligibility and incentive structures, aiming to localize the supply chain and reduce import dependence.
Technology AI chip demand drives Samsung to record 1,800% profit surge in Q2
Samsung Electronics expects a 1,800% profit increase for Q2 2026, reaching 89tn won ($58bn), its third consecutive record quarter. The surge is fueled by global demand for AI memory chips, with supply constraints pushing up prices. Shares have more than doubled since the start of the year.
Technology Chipflation Hits Enterprise Hardware as AI Demand Drives Memory Prices Up 15x
Rising demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI is causing a chip shortage, driving up prices of standard DRAM, NAND, and legacy microcontrollers. Prices of eMMC memory have increased 12 times, DDR memory 15 times, and smart TV prices have risen 30%. Industry leaders warn of further increases and supply constraints, affecting everything from smartphones to kitchen appliances. Enterprise technology buyers must prepare for higher component costs and potential delays.
Technology Finance Ministry Panel Clears Rs 1.25 Lakh Crore for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0; Cabinet Approval Next
The Expenditure Finance Committee under the Finance Ministry has cleared a Rs 1.25 lakh crore outlay for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, significantly higher than the first phase's Rs 76,000 crore. The proposal now goes to the Union Cabinet for approval. The mission aims to deepen domestic chip manufacturing, supporting equipment, materials, and indigenous designs, with 12 projects already approved under Phase 1.
Technology India's Jewar Set to Become Chip Manufacturing Hub with Rs 6,750 Crore Investments, Says Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Union Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced two electronics manufacturing projects totaling Rs 6,750 crore in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, which are expected to generate 3,000 jobs. The projects focus on advanced multi-layer PCBs and HVAC components, aiming to transform Jewar into a 'Silicon Valley of North India' and reduce India's dependence on imported PCBs worth Rs 40,000 crore annually.
Technology How SK Hynix's 14-year bet on AI chips made it South Korea's most valuable company
SK Hynix overtook Samsung Electronics to briefly become South Korea's most valuable listed company, driven by an early bet on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips essential for AI servers. The turnaround began with SK Group's 2012 acquisition and culminated in record profits after ChatGPT triggered an AI investment boom.
Technology Qualcomm Acquires AI Chip Software Startup Modular for Nearly $4 Billion
Qualcomm announced the acquisition of chip startup Modular for nearly $4 billion in stock, including $300 million for employees. The deal brings Modular's software platform that lets AI code run on different chips, and signals Qualcomm's push into data center AI. Modular was founded by Chris Lattner and Tim Davis, and raised $250 million nine months ago.
Technology Why IMEC’s new 6G chip breakthrough is exactly what Nvidia’s Jensen Huang is looking for right now
Belgium-based IMEC unveiled a breakthrough in III-V chiplet integration on 300mm silicon, enabling denser chip configurations and lower costs for 6G. This aligns with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's vision of telecom as the next AI frontier. Nvidia has invested $1B in Nokia and formed a coalition for AI-native 6G platforms.
Technology RAM Crisis Will Drive Hardware Prices Higher Into 2027, Nothing CEO Warns CTOs
Nothing CEO Carl Pei warns that the RAM crisis is not ending soon, with memory now the most expensive component in smartphones, accounting for over 50% of hardware costs. Phone prices are rising and will continue into next year. Nvidia's Jensen Huang expects the shortage to last 'quite a few years,' while ex-Samsung boss Kye-hyun Kyung predicts a potential softening by late 2027 or early 2028 due to Chinese RAM expansion.
Technology Nvidia Still Dominates GPU Market but AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT Gains Traction in Steam Survey
According to Valve's latest Steam Hardware Survey, AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT has suddenly become the most popular AMD GPU with a 1.33% market share, surpassing Nvidia's RTX 4070 Ti. However, Nvidia still dominates the desktop GPU market, led by the RTX 3060. The survey provides a limited but interesting glimpse into hardware preferences, though it focuses on gaming rather than enterprise applications.
Technology Semiconductor stocks lose $1.3 trillion in worst week since 2020 amid chip rout and external shocks
Semiconductor stocks suffered their worst week since 2020, erasing $1.3 trillion in market cap. While triggered by Broadcom's softer AI chip guidance, external factors including a strong US jobs report, renewed US-Iran conflict, and upcoming mega-IPOs from SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI compounded the decline. Chip demand remains strong but investor skittishness may affect AI infrastructure financing.
Technology Old Nvidia GPUs Resurrected, SK Hynix Plans to Triple Memory Production by 2034
Old Nvidia RTX 3060 and 3050 GPUs are being resurrected by graphics card maker Manli in Asia as budget alternatives amid rising current-gen GPU prices. Meanwhile, SK Hynix chairman Chey Tae-won revealed plans to double wafer capacity by 2031 and triple it by around 2034, accelerating from a previous 20-year timeline to meet surging memory demand driven by AI.