The best-ever quarter for chip stocks is coming to an end, but price volatility remains high

Glonghui, June 30 — The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index has surged 81% in the second quarter and is poised to set a record for the best quarter in its history, with just one day left until the end of the quarter. By comparison, the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index rose 25% in the second quarter, while the S&P 500 Index gained 14%. However, just as people were beginning to celebrate, last week's sell-off sounded a warning. The Semiconductor Index plunged 7.9%, marking its largest weekly drop since April 2025. On Monday, the index experienced heightened volatility, swinging from a 3.2% loss to ultimately closing up 3.8%. "The trend over the past six months has been driven by the market's full commitment to building artificial intelligence infrastructure, but now people are beginning to question whether this trend is sustainable and whether we should be worried," said CJ Muse, Senior Managing Director and Technology Analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald. "The biggest concern is whether hyperscale data center operators can maintain and expand their investments after 2026," Muse noted, adding that he does not expect the current investment boom to end anytime soon.