Shares of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC<\/a>) are down 4% to $104.97 in Monday morning trading, while Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD<\/a>) stock is off 4% to $533.58 and Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT<\/a>) shares are down 4% to $581. The selling started at the open and leveled out into mid-morning. <\/p>\n The move caps a blistering run for the chip complex. Intel stock is up 182% year to date (YTD), AMD shares are up 147%, and Applied Materials shares have gained 126%. With the NASDAQ 100 down 1.28% on the session, the broader tech tape has weakened alongside semis, amplifying the profit-taking impulse. <\/p>\n Memory Rout and Oil Spike Hit Chip Complex <\/p>\n The immediate trigger came from Asia. South Korean brokerage KIS published a Q2 2026 profit estimate for SK Hynix that landed 8% below consensus, citing slow HBM4 shipments and heavy reliance on high-bandwidth memory. SK Hynix shares fell 15% on the Korean exchange, dragging Samsung and the KOSPI, which slid 9% and triggered a brief trading halt. <\/p>\n The read-through was swift. Applied Materials, which counts SK Hynix as a key HBM and DRAM equipment customer, absorbed the biggest hit in the group. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA<\/a>) stock and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO<\/a>) stock each declined 2% as memory-cycle worries rippled across the AI hardware complex. <\/p>\n July 16 is the Final Day to Tap Into the Lithium Boom (sponsor) Here’s why you should do the same before their July 16 investment deadline: lithium prices are up 75% this year, with demand projected to grow a staggering 5X by 2040. <\/p>\n With tech that can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods, EnergyX is preparing to unlock up to 15M+ tons. Become a private-stage EnergyX investor before the July 16 deadline<\/a>. <\/p>\n Adding to the pressure, renewed U.S.-Iran fighting over the Strait of Hormuz sent crude sharply higher. WTI crude oil is up 3.64% over the past 24 hours to $74.01 a barrel, which is a concern as rising energy costs pressure semiconductor margins and stoke broader macro risk-off flows. <\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n Sector Proxy and Equipment Names Under Pressure <\/p>\n The iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX<\/a>) is down 4% to $555.93, mirroring the sector drawdown. The fund is concentrated in the exact names caught in today’s selloff, so its beta to memory and AI-hardware sentiment is elevated. It does not use leverage, but concentration risk is meaningful. <\/p>\n Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX<\/a>) stock, another equipment maker with heavy memory exposure, is down 5% to $332.95. Lam’s South Korea revenue of $1.34 billion underscores the direct SK Hynix read-through for the picks-and-shovels equipment group. <\/p>\n Bull and Bear Case on Intel <\/p>\n For Intel as the primary mover, the bull case rests on an AI-driven chip cycle that has already delivered. Intel’s Q1 2026 revenue rose 7% year over year (YoY) to $13.58 billion, and the Data Center and AI segment grew 22% YoY under CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Polymarket contracts assign a 67% probability to Intel topping its next quarterly report. <\/p>\n The bear case is what Monday is pricing in. Memory-cycle risk flagged by the SK Hynix estimate, oil-driven macro pressure, and rich valuations after Intel’s 361% one-year gain all argue for caution. Investors should consider keeping their position sizes modest given the daily volatility on names that have tripled or more from year-ago levels. <\/p>\n What to Watch <\/p>\n Watch for whether WTI crude oil stabilizes below $75 and whether SK Hynix finds a floor overnight in Seoul. Any further escalation around the Strait of Hormuz could keep the risk premium in oil elevated, extending pressure on the chip complex. <\/p>\n The next catalyst is earnings. Intel’s Q2 2026 earnings report is due later this month, and Polymarket contracts on the release expire July 23. That report may reset the memory-versus-AI-compute debate for the whole group, and investors can watch it closely for margin and Data Center guidance. <\/p>\n Meet America’s Newest $1b Unicorn (Sponsor) <\/p>\n A US startup just passed a $1 billion private valuation, joining billion-dollar private companies like OpenAI and ByteDance. Unlike those other unicorns, you can invest in EnergyX right now; <\/a>but only until July 16.<\/a> <\/p>\n Over 50,000 people already have, along with global giants like General Motors and POSCO. <\/p>\n Here’s why there’s so much interest: EnergyX’s patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. That’s a big deal, as demand for lithium is expected to 5X current production levels by 2040. Become an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before the 7\/16 investment deadline.<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/a> Thinkstock <\/p>\n
General Motors, POSCO, and 50,000+ everyday investors have already backed lithium producer EnergyX<\/a>. <\/p>\n