Chip stocks in the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) have dropped over 10% from last week's record high, with options traders increasingly buying puts, signaling bearish sentiment. Put volume on SMH outpaced calls by four times, indicating expectations of further declines. This shift reflects waning enthusiasm for AI-related hardware stocks and is also seen in the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 and the Invesco QQQ ETF, where put options dominate. The trend suggests growing caution among investors and potential for continued downside pressure in semiconductor and tech sectors.
SK Hynix's options began trading in the U.S. with about 150,000 contracts by midday Tuesday, showing less excitement than expected despite a strong stock rally. The most popular trades were bearish call sales, possibly because leveraged single-stock ...
The Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (SOXL) surged nearly 293% year-to-date but recently fell about 30% in the last month, including a sharp 16% drop in one day. SOXL uses leverage to triple daily semiconductor index returns, but this also...
