Nexperia's Supply Disruption in China Heightens Chip Shortage Concerns for Automakers - Reuters
Nexperia Halts Supplies: Dutch chipmaker Nexperia has suspended wafer supplies to its Chinese assembly plant in Dongguan due to the unit's failure to meet payment terms, effective October 26.
Escalating Tensions: The suspension follows the Dutch government's seizure of Nexperia from China's Wingtech Technology and the removal of its Chinese CEO over security concerns.
Payment Demands and Supply Solutions: Nexperia's Chinese unit had recently resumed chip deliveries but demanded payments in yuan; the company is now seeking alternative supply solutions while denying plans to withdraw from China.
Impact on Global Supply Chain: The dispute raises global supply chain concerns, with automakers like Stellantis and Nissan monitoring the situation, and Volkswagen warning of potential production stoppages due to China's semiconductor export restrictions.
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- Strong January Performance: The VanEck Semiconductor ETF surged 12% in January, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 1.5% increase, indicating a robust recovery in the semiconductor sector and heightened investor confidence.
- Key Holdings Contribution: Among the ETF's top ten holdings, Micron Technology led with a 45.4% stock price increase in January, primarily driven by strong demand for memory chips, which boosted the overall ETF performance.
- Strong Earnings Expectations: Nvidia, the ETF's largest holding at 18.3%, is set to report earnings on February 25, with management guiding for quarterly revenue of $65 billion, a 65% year-over-year growth, which could serve as a significant catalyst for future ETF performance.
- Exceptional Long-Term Returns: As of February 6, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF has delivered a 62.2% return over the past year, quadrupling the S&P 500's 15.4% return, underscoring its investment value in the AI and semiconductor sectors.
- Market Recovery: The S&P 500 Index rose by 0.46%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.09%, and the Nasdaq 100 climbed by 0.61%, indicating a rebound in the market driven by recovering tech and chipmaker stocks, reflecting investor confidence in economic growth.
- Mining Stocks Surge: Gold prices increased by over 1% and silver prices jumped more than 6%, boosting mining stocks with Coeur Mining up over 6% and Freeport McMoRan up more than 5%, suggesting rising investor demand for precious metals amid inflation concerns.
- Positive Earnings Outlook: Over 79% of S&P 500 companies that reported earnings exceeded expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, marking the tenth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth, indicating sustained corporate profitability that could further drive stock market gains.
- Economic Data Focus: The market is closely watching upcoming employment and inflation data, with January nonfarm payrolls expected to rise by 69,000 and the unemployment rate to remain at 4.4%, as these figures will influence investor expectations regarding future monetary policy, potentially leading to market volatility.
- Nvidia Valuation Surge: Nvidia surpassed a $1 trillion valuation in 2023, becoming the world's most valuable company with a market cap of $4.39 trillion, reflecting the strong demand for its GPU chips driven by AI, thereby solidifying its market leadership.
- Samsung Profit Surge: Samsung's stock has risen 217% over the past 12 months, with operating profit expected to nearly triple in Q4 2025 compared to Q4 2024, benefiting from RAM prices projected to rise over 50%, highlighting its critical role in AI hardware demand.
- Micron's Growth Potential: Micron Technology, valued at $469.5 billion, has seen its stock rise 373% in the past year, with a 57% year-over-year revenue increase and a 180% surge in net income in Q1 of fiscal 2026, indicating strong growth potential amid memory shortages.
- ASML's Market Monopoly: ASML, the sole supplier of EUV lithography machines globally, has a market cap of $542 billion, with a 20.6% revenue increase in 2025 and a 48% growth in orders, showcasing its significant market position and growth potential despite being further from the trillion-dollar mark.
- Dow Hits Record High: The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 2.47% to reach an all-time high, reflecting market optimism about economic recovery, particularly amid strong rebounds in tech and chipmaker stocks.
- Consumer Confidence Rises: The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index unexpectedly increased to 57.3, surpassing expectations of 55.0, indicating enhanced consumer confidence that could drive future spending.
- Bitcoin Rebounds: Bitcoin surged over 11% from a 1.25-year low, lifting cryptocurrency-exposed stocks and signaling renewed investor interest and confidence in crypto assets.
- Strong Corporate Earnings: Over 79% of S&P 500 companies exceeded earnings expectations, with S&P earnings growth projected at 8.4% for Q4, providing robust support for the market and indicating ongoing improvement in corporate profitability.
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 Index rose by 1.10%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.60%, reaching an all-time high, reflecting positive market sentiment driven by strong tech earnings results.
- Tech Stock Recovery: Gen Digital and Roblox surged over 7% and 9%, respectively, after forecasting full-year adjusted EPS and bookings above consensus, indicating a robust recovery in the tech sector that may attract more investment.
- Consumer Confidence Boost: The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index unexpectedly rose to 57.3, a six-month high, surpassing expectations of 55.0, reflecting optimistic consumer sentiment about the economic outlook, which supports further market gains.
- Inflation Expectations Shift: While short-term inflation expectations fell, long-term expectations ticked up slightly, indicating market concerns regarding the Fed's monetary policy, which could influence future investment decisions and market volatility.
- Strong January Performance: The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) surged 12% in January, reflecting robust market confidence in the semiconductor sector, particularly driven by TSMC's earnings and soaring memory prices, highlighting the ETF's significance in diversified investments.
- Memory Price Surge: According to Trendforce, traditional DRAM prices are expected to rise by 90% to 95% compared to the previous quarter, while NAND flash prices are projected to increase by 55% to 60%, indicating strong demand from AI infrastructure development, further boosting stocks like Micron.
- TSMC Capital Expenditure Outlook: Although TSMC is not part of the SOXX ETF, its forecast for capital spending of $52 billion to $56 billion in 2026, a 40% increase from 2025, underscores the long-term growth potential of the semiconductor industry, attracting investor interest.
- Market Volatility and Outlook: Despite a 4.6% decline in SOXX in February, capital expenditure forecasts from major cloud companies have exceeded market expectations, suggesting that AI infrastructure development will continue to grow strongly in 2026, positioning semiconductor stocks to benefit from this long-term trend.











