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Apple price hikes trigger tech stock selloff on chip cost fears

Yahoo Finance AI2h ago5 min read
Apple price hikes trigger tech stock selloff on chip cost fears

Key takeaway

Apple announced steep price increases of 15–25% on MacBooks and iPads, citing higher memory and storage costs. The move wiped roughly $250 billion(約40兆円) from Apple's market value and triggered a broad selloff in semiconductor stocks, with investors concerned that ballooning component costs could force major tech companies to cut back on AI spending and weaken demand across the chip industry.

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3 Key Points

  • What happened

    Apple raised prices 15–25% on Mac and iPad models, citing higher memory and storage costs. MacBook Air rose $200 to $1,299, MacBook Pro climbed $300 to $1,999, and iPad Air rose $150 to $749. The move erased roughly $250 billion(約40兆円) in Apple's market value. U.S. chip stocks fell sharply in premarket trading: On Semiconductor dropped as much as 11.6%, Micron slid around 3.5%, and AMD and Intel each fell about 2.8%.

  • Why it matters

    Apple's move signals that rising component costs are starting to pinch the tech sector itself, not just chip suppliers. This potentially dampens enthusiasm over AI-driven growth, which had been driving investment in semiconductor stocks. Investors worry that if major tech companies face higher input costs and need bigger capital spending, they may become more selective about AI spending — a shift that could weaken demand across the entire chip ecosystem.

  • What to watch

    Asian markets also declined sharply on the same day: China's CSI 300 closed 3% lower, South Korea's KOSPI tumbled 5.8%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slid 1.8% to a fresh one-year low, dragged down by AI-related shares. Analysts also cited month-end and quarter-end rebalancing flows as a contributing factor to the selloff in large-cap technology names.

FAQ

Which Apple products saw the largest price increases?
MacBook Pro saw the largest single increase of $300 (to $1,999), while iPad Pro rose $200 to $1,199. MacBook Air increased $200 to $1,299, and iPad Air rose $150 to $749. iPhone prices were left unchanged.
How much market value did Apple lose from the price hikes?
Apple's shares dropped 6.15% on Thursday, erasing roughly $250 billion(約40兆円) in market value.
What did analysts cite as the broader concern?
Analysts warned that higher input costs, heavier capital expenditure needs, and rising funding demands are making investors more selective about AI exposure, potentially creating a broader ecosystem headwind as big tech companies feel the pain of higher component costs.

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