Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq fall as Samsung, DeepSeek spark chip sell-off and oil rises
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
US stock markets declined on Tuesday, reversing gains from the previous day's record-setting session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite fell a steeper 1.2%. The broad retreat was driven primarily by renewed pressure on semiconductor stocks, following a combination of disappointing signals from Samsung and fresh competitive concerns surrounding Chinese AI startup DeepSeek.
Reuters reported that DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence company that has already unsettled global tech markets, is now developing its own AI chip. This move positions DeepSeek as a direct competitor to established chipmakers, most notably Nvidia. Investors reacted with anxiety, fearing that an independent Chinese AI chip could erode demand for Western semiconductor products and further fragment the global technology supply chain.
Samsung's second-quarter results added to the turbulence. Despite reporting a remarkable 19-fold surge in operating profit, fueled largely by soaring demand for AI-related hardware, investors were left uneasy. Concerns centered on Samsung's forward-looking AI spending strategy and uncertainty about whether such extraordinary demand levels could be sustained. The disconnect between record profits and cautious market sentiment highlighted how sensitive investors have become to future guidance.
The tech sell-off overshadowed what had been a strong Monday rally, during which the Dow Jones climbed to a historic high above 53,000 points. Tuesday's pullback served as a reminder of the fragility underlying recent market gains, particularly in the technology sector, where valuations remain elevated and any negative news can trigger swift and significant corrections.
Compounding Tuesday's market unease, oil prices rose sharply after reports emerged of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane. Brent crude futures climbed above $75 per barrel and WTI crude reached $71 per barrel. The incident raised fresh concerns about the durability of a fragile US-Iran peace deal that had gradually allowed shipping traffic through the strategic waterway to recover.
Japanese translation
米国株式市場は火曜日に下落し、前日の史上最高値更新の勢いを失った。ダウ工業株30種平均は0.2%下落し、S&P500は0.5%、ナスダック総合指数は1.2%と大きく落ち込んだ。この広範な下落は主に半導体株への売り圧力によるもので、サムスン電子の決算内容と中国AI新興企業ディープシークへの懸念が重なった。
ロイター通信は、すでに世界のテック市場を動揺させている中国のAI企業ディープシークが独自のAIチップを開発していると報じた。これにより、同社は米エヌビディアをはじめとする既存の半導体メーカーと直接競合する立場となる。投資家は、中国独自のAIチップが西側の半導体製品の需要を損ない、世界のテクノロジーサプライチェーンをさらに分断する可能性を懸念した。
サムスン電子の第2四半期決算も市場の混乱に拍車をかけた。AI関連ハードウェアへの旺盛な需要に支えられ、営業利益が19倍という驚異的な伸びを記録したにもかかわらず、投資家の不安は拭えなかった。懸念の中心は今後のAI投資計画と、こうした異例ともいえる需要水準が持続可能かどうかという点にあった。
このテック株の売りは、ダウ平均が史上初めて5万3000ドルを超えた月曜日の力強い上昇を帳消しにした。火曜日の下落は、テクノロジーセクターを中心に、近年の相場上昇の脆さを改めて示すものとなった。株価評価が依然として高水準にある中、少しでも悪材料が出れば急速かつ大幅な調整が起きやすい状況が続いている。
市場の不安をさらに高めたのが原油価格の急騰だ。イランが世界的な海上輸送の要衝であるホルムズ海峡で商業船舶を攻撃したとの報告を受け、北海ブレント原油先物は1バレル75ドルを超え、WTI原油も71ドルに達した。この事件は、かつての脆弱な米イラン和平合意のもとで徐々に回復していた同海峡の船舶通航が、再び危機にさらされる懸念を呼び起こした。
Key vocabulary
- sell-offnoun
A rapid and large-scale selling of stocks or other assets, typically causing prices to fall sharply.
和訳: 株の急売り、投げ売り
A sell-off in tech stocks dragged the entire index lower by the close of trading.
- reversing gainsphrase
To give back or lose the price increases that were previously achieved, moving in the opposite direction.
和訳: 上昇分を失う、値上がり分を吐き出す
The index spent the morning reversing gains made earlier in the week after weak jobs data was released.
- erodeverb
To gradually reduce or diminish something, such as market share, profits, or confidence, over time.
和訳: 侵食する、徐々に減らす
Rising competition from Asian manufacturers could erode the profit margins of domestic electronics firms.
- fragmentverb
To break something into separate, disconnected pieces or parts, often reducing overall efficiency or unity.
和訳: 分断する、断片化する
Trade restrictions have begun to fragment the global semiconductor supply chain in ways that are difficult to reverse.
