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Semiconductor slump drags global markets lower

Shares of Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML plummeted on Tuesday following a disappointing financial outlook, triggering a broader sell-off in the chip sector. European and US stocks traded lower, with significant declines in semiconductor shares, while Asian markets followed suit amid ongoing economic concerns. Gold prices edged higher, trading around USD 2670 per ounce, as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continued to rage on this week, while Bitcoin surged, trading near USD 67,200.

Date
Author
Shane Strowmatt, LGT
Reading time
5 minutes

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ASML shares dropped 16% on Tuesday after the company released its financial results a day early. ASML forecasted net sales for 2025 between EUR 30 billion and EUR 35 billion, at the lower end of previous guidance, and noted that revenue from China is expected to decrease to around 20% of total sales due to US and Dutch export restrictions. The company reported net bookings of EUR 2.6 billion for the September quarter, significantly below estimates, though net sales exceeded expectations at EUR 7.5 billion. Most European stock indices ended lower on Tuesday with the STOXX Europe 600 declining by 0.8%, while Germany’s DAX edged down 0.1% and France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.1%.

US stocks decline amid chip sector weakness

ASML’s weak results set off fears in the wider industry beyond Europe, with Nvidia shares dropping 4.7% due to potential US export restrictions on AI chips, while AMD lost 5.2% on Tuesday. Weak semiconductor stocks impacted the Nasdaq 100, which fell 1.37% to 20,159.83 points. The broader US indices also fell, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 0.75% to 42,740.42 points after initially hitting a record high. The S&P 500 declined by 0.76% to 5815.26 points.

Meanwhile, macroeconomic data couldn’t help to prop up the poor sentiment on Wall Street. New York State's manufacturing sector experienced a modest contraction in October, as indicated by the Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The general business conditions index fell sharply to -11.9 from last month's positive reading.

Asian markets follow Wall Street's lead

Asian markets saw widespread declines on Wednesday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 leading losses with a drop pf 1.9% following the downturn on Wall Street. The weak sentiment was exacerbated by Japan reporting a 3.4% year-on-year drop in private-sector machinery orders for August. Investors are anticipating further stimulus measures from China, with the housing minister set to address the real estate sector's challenges on Thursday. Mainland China’s CSI 300 declined 0.7%. In contrast, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index bucked the trend, rising 0.3%. South Korea's unemployment rate slightly increased to 2.5% in September, while the Kospi fell 0.7%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was 0.4% lower.

European macroeconomic data shows positive signs

Several macroeconomic data releases out of Europe came in strong on Tuesday, even if they weren’t enough to better sentiment on markets. The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany rose to 13.1 points in October, a 9.5-point increase from the previous month, reversing September's losses. In the UK, the unemployment rate declined to 4.0% in the quarter to August, down from 4.1% in July, as reported by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday. Meanwhile, industrial production in the euro area increased by 1.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis in August compared to July, following a 0.5% decline in July, according to Eurostat data released on Tuesday.

Corporate and economic calendar

Corporate news in focus: Quarterly figures from Abbott Laboratories, Morgan Stanley, and Prologis.

Economic data in focus: UK Consumer Price Index (08:00), UK Producer Price Index (08:00), Italian Consumer Price Index (10:00), European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde speaks (21:40).

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Editor: Alessandro Fezzi
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