Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which rebounded yesterday, have reversed course, dropping over 2% in early trading today.
As of 9:02 a.m. (South Korean time) on Friday, Samsung Electronics is trading at 187,300 KRW (about 127 USD), down 2.24% (4,300 KRW (about 2.9 USD)) from the previous day’s close.
SK Hynix has also declined, trading at 918,000 KRW (about 623 USD), a 2.44% (23,000 KRW (about 16 USD)) decrease.
Market analysts attribute this downturn to the bearish shift in U.S. stock markets overnight, which has dampened investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.61%, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 indices dropped 0.26% and 0.56%, respectively.
Adding to market jitters, reports of an attack on Iran’s oil facility in Bahrain have reignited tensions in the Middle East. This geopolitical uncertainty, coupled with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices touching 82 USD during trading, has further stoked concerns over oil market stability.
The semiconductor sector also took a hit, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falling 1.17%. This decline follows reports that the U.S. government is considering new regulations that would require Nvidia and AMD to obtain prior approval for exporting artificial intelligence (AI) chips to any global destination.