SK Hynix Inc. 12-layer HBM4E memory chips on a LPDDR5X CAMM2 memory module arranged at the company’s office in Seongnam, South Korea, on Friday, July 24, 2026. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Co. are set to test investor appetite for memory chips as South Korea’s stock market now a bellwether for global AI sentiment grapples with violent swings driven by leveraged chip bets. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Asian technology stocks fell Thursday, tracking U.S. peers that pulled back in overnight trading, underscoring the heightened volatility in tech names globally.
In Japan, SoftBank Group dropped 4.36%, while chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron was over 5% lower. Advantest lost 2.14%, and Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia declined 8.84%.
In South Korea, SK Hynix fell 9.71% and Samsung Electronics declined 6.13%. Seoul Semiconductor dropped 4.27%.
Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer, was 1.46% lower.
Tech stocks have been seeing heightened volatility in recent sessions, with South Korea’s semiconductor-heavy market whipsawing between steep losses and record gains.
Despite the heightened volatility analysts remain optimistic over the outlook of the tech sector, with J.P. Morgan saying in a Wednesday note that the tech sell-off in Asia had not derailed AI investment cycle.
While investors have sold off stocks on worries over the sustainability of aggressive AI spending, the bank said it does not expect hyperscalers to cut back on investment.
“Stepping away from the share price moves, we do not see any fundamental indicators that signal meaningful weakness in the next 6-12 months,” J.P. Morgan said.
Global growth is being driven by AI and defense spending, S&P Global said in a report dated Aug. 5. “A growing source of momentum is coming from the technology sector.”
The global purchasing managers’ index output of tech equipment increased in July at the fastest rate since May 2021, S&P Global noted. “Alongside rising demand for software and related IT services, technology reported the fastest growth for ten months,” it added.
Asian technology stocks had surged Wednesday, with SoftBank soaring more than 13%.
