Tensions flare in Middle East and AI sell off continues

Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “SK Hynix could hardly have picked a tougher moment for its Nasdaq debut.

“Just weeks after entering the US market, investors are grappling with virtually every AI concern imaginable, from questions about hyperscale spending and model efficiency to worries that the sector’s extraordinary growth is beginning to slow.

“Against that backdrop, a set of results that largely reinforced the long-term investment case, but fell marginally short of elevated expectations, was enough to trigger a sharp reaction.

“More broadly, the sell-off across memory stocks looks more like a sentiment reset than a change in the earnings story.

“Investors are moving from a phase in which every quarter delivered huge upgrades to forecasts to one in which growth remains exceptional but increasingly needs to be measured against already lofty expectations.

“Forecasting this market remains incredibly difficult because the AI landscape is evolving so quickly, so some earnings-day volatility is inevitable.

“The key question now isn’t whether companies can keep delivering endless upside surprises, but whether this earnings cycle proves more durable than the market expects.

“In our view, the bull case remains intact, but the low-hanging fruit of constant upgrades is behind us.

“The opportunity increasingly centres on a structurally improved margin cycle, with higher peaks, shallower troughs and the potential for significant shareholder returns as monster earnings translate to enormous cash flows.”