SK Hynix shares plunge 10% amid Asia tech rout as Fed rate hike fears, AI funding worries mount

SK Hynix is crumbling under a dual shock of macroeconomic panic and sudden operational retrenchment. Shares plunged 10% in a steep session that deepened a five-day losing streak, leaving the memory giant down 57% from its peak according to Bloomberg. The drop reveals a critical internal complication: 24/7 Wall St. reports SK Hynix has delayed equipment orders for next-generation HBM4 chips, transforming what began as general market weakness into a concrete operational slowdown.

External pressures are multiplying just as quickly across Asian markets. Morningstar reports Samsung and SK Hynix are jointly leading a widening semiconductor selloff, propelled by escalating competition fears from China. Meanwhile, CNBC reports that mounting anxiety over artificial intelligence funding and renewed Federal Reserve interest rate hike fears are fueling an aggressive exit from high-valuation tech names.

The critical factor moving forward will be how the memory sector absorbs delayed equipment spending during a prolonged downturn. As SK Hynix delays HBM4 tool procurement and chip stocks rout further, the market faces heightened scrutiny over whether artificial intelligence infrastructure demands can endure tighter monetary policy and sharpening Chinese competition.