Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 17
Asian Tech Stocks Tumble as US AI Sell-Off Hits SoftBank, TSMC and Kioxia
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 17

Asian Tech Stocks Tumble as US AI Sell-Off Hits SoftBank, TSMC and Kioxia

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 17

Summary

  • SoftBank fell 9.2%, Tokyo Electron lost 9% and Advantest slid 9.4% on Friday as a fresh U.S. semiconductor rout spread across Asian tech shares.
  • TSMC dropped 3.64% even after raising its 2026 capital spending outlook to $60 billion-$64 billion from $52 billion-$56 billion, with investors instead fixating on whether AI infrastructure spending is becoming too hard to justify.
  • Kioxia plunged more than 14% after a Texas jury ordered it to pay $229 million in damages for infringing a Viasat patent tied to computer memory technology.
  • U.S. pressure set the tone overnight: the Nasdaq fell 1.47%, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF nearly 4%, and Arm, Micron, AMD and Broadcom all lost more than 5%.
  • The latest slide extends a broader reversal in AI-linked stocks after months of outsized gains, as investors unwind crowded momentum trades and question whether lofty valuations can hold.

Insights

Tech giants are borrowing billions for AI. Will this massive bet create a new tech boom or trigger the next financial crisis?
With record profits but a massive legal bill, is Kioxia a falling knife or a golden opportunity before its US IPO?