Semiconductor stocks opened the third quarter on a weak note on Thursday, with several of the biggest winners from the AI rally witnessing sharp profit booking after a record-breaking run in the April-June period.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), which tracks major chip stocks, fell more than 5%, a day after ending its strongest quarter on record. The index had surged 71% between April and June as investors aggressively bought companies expected to benefit from the artificial intelligence boom.