Asia’s Chip Rout Eases as Investors Reassess Fed Path
Global equities staged a tentative recovery as softer-than-expected US jobs data eased immediate pressure on the Federal Reserve to resume interest-rate hikes, prompting a rebound in recently battered technology shares. Asian and European markets mostly advanced, with chipmakers and other tech names leading gains after a steep unwinding of artificial intelligence-related bets earlier in the week. The dollar weakened against major peers, while the yen clawed back some losses after briefly touching a 40-year low versus the greenback on expectations of higher US borrowing costs.
Investors have been recalibrating their outlook for US monetary policy since Thursday’s labour-market report showed the economy added fewer than half the jobs forecast in June and previous months’ figures were revised lower. The data signalled a cooler labour backdrop than many had assumed, giving the Fed “some breathing room to hold off from hiking rates,” according to market participants. Still, the prospect of further tightening this year has not disappeared, with analysts noting that elevated inflation and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s emphasis on price stability keep the door open to additional moves if conditions warrant.
The relief on rates came as tech shares tried to stabilise following sharp swings tied to concerns over an AI-fuelled rally that has propelled global benchmarks to lofty levels. Earlier, Seoul’s Kospi index had been hit hard, at one point plunging almost 7% in a single session after doubling in the first half of the year, with heavyweights SK hynix and Samsung Electronics sliding more than 8%. The selloff was compounded by margin calls on leveraged retail investors and reports that Apple was in talks to source chips from two Chinese suppliers, adding pressure to established chipmakers. Tokyo’s market also felt the strain, with Kioxia briefly losing around 14%.
Market strategists characterised the turbulence in Korea as an intense expression of a broader reassessment of AI-linked trades. “Korea is now the sharper version of the broader AI unwind,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management, adding that strong long-term earnings stories can still become “terrible trading vehicles” when leverage and momentum collide. While the latest US jobs data has helped stem some of the selling and supported a rebound in chip stocks, investors remain wary that stretched valuations, uncertain timelines for returns on massive AI investments and lingering rate-hike risks could fuel further volatility. For now, a combination of softer US economic signals and a partial recovery in tech has steadied global markets, but traders continue to watch incoming data and central-bank commentary for clues on whether the reprieve will last.
