Intel Falls 6%, AMD Drops 5% as Chip Stocks Sell Off Hard
Semiconductor shares plunged Thursday despite bullish analyst calls, with Intel and AMD leading broad sector losses.
Semiconductor stocks took a broad hit Thursday, with Intel shares tumbling 6% to $119.83 at midday and Advanced Micro Devices falling 5% to $511.67, even as analyst sentiment heading into the session had appeared largely supportive. The iShares Semiconductor ETF, a closely watched benchmark for the sector, dropped 6% to $561.49, signaling the selloff was widespread rather than company-specific.
The decline is striking given the positive backdrop that preceded the move. Intel had recently attracted a bullish note from HSBC, which projected roughly 60% upside for the stock — a call that failed to cushion the blow as sellers overwhelmed buyers across chip names.
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The divergence between optimistic analyst targets and Thursday's market action underscores a recurring tension in technology investing: even well-reasoned fundamental calls can be drowned out by macro pressures, sector rotation, or profit-taking after a strong run. Chip stocks have been among the most volatile corners of the equity market, sensitive to shifts in interest rate expectations, AI spending narratives, and global supply chain developments.
For Intel specifically, the selloff came despite the company having secured recent positive news flow, suggesting traders may be locking in gains or repositioning ahead of upcoming catalysts. AMD's parallel decline reinforces the view that no single stock story drove the move — the entire semiconductor complex came under pressure in a single session.
Investors will be watching closely to see whether the pullback represents a healthy consolidation within a broader uptrend or the start of a more sustained correction in a sector that has attracted enormous capital flows tied to the artificial intelligence boom. Continue reading at Yahoo.
