Mounting concerns about AI investment rattled chipmakers and infrastructure providers this week.
- SOXX fell 10.2% in the week through Thursday.
- CoreWeave plunged 15% on Wednesday, triggered by a drop in its bond prices.
- Apple reportedly plans to launch Apple Intelligence in China in December.
A sharp selloff in chip and AI-linked stocks dominated the conversation this week, spilling over into markets across Asia despite strong quarterly results from TSMC and ASML. Investors also grew wary of the financial health of neocloud operators, while reports suggested Apple was finally gearing up to launch its AI features in China.
Here are the top headlines:
Chip Stocks Extend Selloff
U.S. semiconductor stocks fell sharply in the week amid fresh fears over the sustainability of AI spending and high valuations of major players in the sector. Concerns over CoreWeave’s plummeting bond prices, a Gartner report warning about the future of neocloud businesses, and hotter-than-expected inflation fueled the selloff.
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) shed 10.2% in the week through Thursday, with Intel (INTC) and Micron (MU) falling over 9%.
CoreWeave Debt Concerns
CoreWeave shares slumped as investors scrutinized the debt financing behind its AI infrastructure expansion. CRWV plunged 15.5% on Wednesday after Bloomberg reported that the company’s unsecured debt due in 2032 fell below 80 cents on the dollar, a level widely seen as the threshold for financial strain. Shares recovered on Thursday, although the weekly drop stood at 15%.
Anthropic IPO Valuation Expectations Ease To $1.5 Trillion
Some Anthropic investors are considering a valuation of around $1.5 trillion for the AI startup’s anticipated IPO, below the earlier expectation of $2 trillion. Slowing sequential revenue growth and rising AI financing costs have prompted investors to reassess the company’s valuation.
TSMC, ASML Results Highlight AI Chip Demand
Strong results and upbeat outlooks from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and ASML Holding (ASML) eased concerns about a potential slowdown in AI chip demand, setting a positive tone ahead of hyperscalers’ earnings reports in the coming weeks.
ASML raised its 2026 sales outlook for a third time, while TSMC projected a 51% revenue increase in the ongoing quarter. Their shares still fell amid the broader chip selloff.
China Approves Alibaba AI Models For Apple’s iPhones
Apple Inc. is gearing up to release its artificial intelligence platform in mainland China, after it received approval from Beijing after a lengthy process, Bloomberg reported.
The iPhone maker is planning to launch Apple Intelligence in the region in December as part of an upcoming iOS 27.3 update, according to Bloomberg’s sources, although the launch will exclude the new Siri AI assistant.
How Did Tech Stocks Move?
Shares of AI infrastructure firms Intuit, Inc. (INTU) and Shopify, Inc. (SHOP) were among the top gainers in the Nasdaq-100, rising 9.6% and 8.3%, respectively.
The Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (QQQ) fell 3.1%, while Rocket Lab Corp. (RKLB) plunged 19.2%, emerging as the biggest loser in the week.
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