SK Hynix drops 10% as chip selloff spreads across Asia
Why it matters: The slide hit Samsung, Tokyo Electron and TSMC as investors reassessed AI server spending tied to U.S. tech demand.
SK Hynix shares fell more than 10% in Seoul on Tuesday, deepening a semiconductor selloff that spread across Asian tech stocks after another weak Wall Street session for U.S. chipmakers. Samsung Electronics dropped more than 8%, while Japan's Tokyo Electron lost over 9%, Advantest slid more than 8% and SoftBank Group fell nearly 5%. In Taiwan, TSMC was down more than 2%. The retreat followed a Monday decline in the VanEck Semiconductor ETF, with AMD down 5%, Teradyne off 4% and Micron Technology lower by about 2%. The moves highlighted how closely Asian chip shares, especially AI-linked memory suppliers such as SK Hynix and Samsung, track expectations for spending by U.S. hyperscalers.