Opinion: Despite weak stock performance, the AI industry "still revolves around Nvidia".
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US pre-market news at a glance: Samsung's earnings report triggered a collective weakness in semiconductor stocks in pre-market trading; SpaceX officially debuts on the Nasdaq 100 today.
According to BlockBeats, the following are key market news items before the US stock market opened on July 7th: 1. Samsung released its Q2 earnings forecast, showing an operating profit increase of over 1800% year-on-year, with single-quarter profits exceeding the total of the previous three years. Simultaneously, the company's revenue also increased by 129% year-on-year, reaching 171 trillion won. Affected by the semiconductor sell-off triggered by the "sell-off" of Samsung's earnings, chip-related technology stocks generally weakened in pre-market trading. The three major US stock futures indices showed mixed results in pre-market trading: Dow Jones futures rose 0.41%, Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.9%, and S&P 500 futures fell 0.09%. 2. SpaceX officially debuted on the Nasdaq 100 before the US stock market opened today, with Wall Street institutions collectively bullish. Most institutions believe that SpaceX is no longer just a traditional aerospace company, but a platform company with the potential for rocket launches, Starlink satellite internet, AI infrastructure, and future space computing. 3. DeepSeek is secretly developing its own inference chip. If successful, this would reduce reliance on external suppliers and give it more cost-effective hardware control. However, the project is still in its early stages and faces manufacturing and memory acquisition restrictions due to US export controls. 4. UBS recommends investors buy SK Hynix's upcoming American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and sell its South Korean shares, as these new shares are expected to trade at higher prices. 5. JPMorgan strategists say the recent weakness in semiconductor stocks should be seen as a buying opportunity, as the chip upcycle is not yet over, and truly meaningful new supply may not appear until 2028. 6. US ADP employment change for the week ending June 20 was 21,000, compared to 30,750 in the previous week. 7. BlackRock will launch an ETF tracking the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index, aiming to meet investors' growing demand for participation in the AI-driven stock market rally and challenge Invesco's dominant position. 8. Amazon is returning to the US bond market to raise funds for its artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company will issue eight benchmark bonds with maturities ranging from 3 to 40 years, raising at least $25 billion in the dollar bond offering. 9. Global brokerages have begun coverage research on Elon Musk's SpaceX (SPCX.O), and a preliminary consensus has formed on Wall Street: buy the stock. At least six brokerages, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and UBS, have given it a buy rating, optimistic about its long-term growth prospects, although doubts remain about profitability and valuation.
Counterpoint: Despite recent stock price corrections, the fundamentals of memory chips remain solid.
According to Mars Finance, on July 7th, MS Hwang, Director of Counterpoint Research, stated that the recent stock price pullback of memory chip manufacturers does not signify a fundamental shift in the memory chip market. Samsung Electronics fell 6.9% on Tuesday, and SK Hynix fell 6.1%, despite Samsung expecting another record-breaking quarter driven by strong demand. Some investors may believe that much of Samsung's upside potential, driven by expectations of improved profitability, has already been priced in. He said, "Recent strikes and political discussions surrounding profit sharing may also raise concerns about future shareholder returns." However, he pointed out that the fundamentals of memory chip manufacturers remain solid. According to Counterpoint's July memory chip price tracking report, DRAM prices are expected to rise 10%-20% in the third quarter, higher than its initial forecast of 5%-10%, as customers continue to place orders ahead of schedule.
10x Research: Bitcoin mining stocks pull back 20%, influenced by AI and semiconductor narratives.
According to a report by 10x Research, Bitcoin mining stocks have largely decoupled from Bitcoin price movements and have experienced a pullback of approximately 20%. The report states that Bitcoin mining companies are now deeply intertwined with the AI theme, which currently revolves more around global supply chains and competition than crypto adoption or financial digitization. Furthermore, the performance of Chinese LLM concept stocks and the prospects of the South Korean semiconductor supply chain are directly influencing the performance of Bitcoin mining stocks. Data shows that Riot's stock price movement has become increasingly synchronized with the Semiconductor SOX ETF since April 2026, with both recently declining from their highs, indicating that the performance of Bitcoin mining stocks is being influenced by sentiment in the semiconductor and AI computing power chains.
JPMorgan: Weakness in semiconductor stocks should be seen as a buying opportunity; the upward cycle is not yet nearing its end.
According to BlockBeats, on July 7th, JPMorgan strategists stated that the recent weakness in semiconductor stocks should be seen as a buying opportunity, as the chip upcycle is not yet nearing its end, and truly meaningful new supply may not appear until 2028. The bank noted that the SOX Semiconductor Index fell approximately 5.4% in the shortened trading week before the Independence Day holiday, marking its second consecutive week of decline. However, the sector rebounded rapidly on Monday, with Marvell, Broadcom, and storage-related stocks such as Western Digital and Seagate leading the gains, indicating that funds are still willing to return to the AI hardware chain. JPMorgan's view is not entirely bullish on AI concepts. The bank prefers the semiconductor and infrastructure sectors, while remaining cautious about the so-called "AI cannibalization" area—industries that may be replaced by AI, have lower prices, or have reduced profit margins. Sectors most affected include software, business services, and media. In other words, JPMorgan believes that AI will still create winners, but it may not benefit all AI-related companies; the certainty for hardware suppliers is higher in the short term than for some application and service companies.
South Korean stocks plunge 20%, nearing a bear market; the AI boom faces the awkward situation of "the more disastrous the earnings, the steeper the decline."
According to BlockBeats, on Wednesday afternoon, July 8th, South Korean stocks extended their losses as investors reassessed the outlook for AI demand. The KOSPI index fell by more than 6% at one point, breaking below 7200 points, and has cumulatively fallen by more than 20% from its all-time high last month, poised to enter technical bear market territory. Memory chip maker SK Hynix fell by as much as 5%, and Samsung Electronics fell by 6.9%. The Korea Exchange initiated a temporary trading halt on the KOSPI index, suspending algorithmic trading. South Korean stocks were among the strongest performing markets globally this year, but their performance is highly dependent on SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, amplifying volatility when sector sentiment weakens. Even with Samsung Electronics announcing a 19-fold surge in quarterly profits earlier this week, chip stocks continued to be under pressure. Jordan Klein, a TMT sector expert at Mizuho Securities, stated that investors overreacted to Samsung's preliminary second-quarter results. He believes this sell-off in semiconductor stocks is more a sign of waning momentum than a deterioration in fundamentals. Klein stated that excluding one-off bonus expenses, Samsung's operating profit actually significantly exceeded expectations, with its storage business implied operating margin potentially exceeding 80%. He indicated that Samsung's single-quarter operating profit has already surpassed the total of the past three years, and reacting to Samsung's stock price based solely on preliminary results is "extremely short-sighted." Meanwhile, an AI trading rotation occurred in Asian markets. Hong Kong-listed Chinese stocks rose, with the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rising as much as 3.4%, the Hang Seng Tech Index rising over 5% intraday, Alibaba rising over 8%, and Tencent rising over 3%. Market analysts believe that funds are flowing from crowded trades focused on AI infrastructure to markets with lower valuations and more value-oriented characteristics. Reuters' report on DeepSeek's self-developed chip and The Information's report on Zhipu AI considering designing its own AI chip further fueled this rotation. (Jinshi)
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security: By 2030, the large-scale model of the human resources and social security industry will be mature and complete, and the artificial intelligence application system will be basically sound.
According to Mars Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Data Administration recently jointly issued the "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Application and Development of 'Artificial Intelligence + Human Resources and Social Security'". A relevant official from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security answered reporters' questions regarding the "Implementation Opinions". In terms of promoting the work, a three-step work goal will be achieved within five years. First, building the foundation. Taking this year (2026) as a benchmark, the initial formation of the artificial intelligence application system, standard system, and guarantee system in the human resources and social security sector will be promoted. The infrastructure for "Artificial Intelligence + Human Resources and Social Security" applications will be deployed, a number of high-performance human resources and social security industry large-scale models and intelligent agent applications will be cultivated, and about 20 application scenarios based on human resources and social security industry large-scale models and corresponding high-quality datasets will be created, forming a collaborative development ecosystem of computing power, models, data, and scenario applications. Second, popularization and promotion. By 2027, a number of human resources and social security industry large-scale models and intelligent agents will be widely applied, and about 50 high-value application scenario empowerment paths will be explored, achieving significant results in intelligent development. Third, widespread application. By 2030, high-quality datasets will be effectively supplied, large-scale models for the human resources and social security industry will be mature and complete, and the artificial intelligence application system will be basically sound, forming an innovative landscape where artificial intelligence is widely applied in the human resources and social security sector. (Cailian Press)