Analysis

TradingKey - On October 12, South Korean memory chip stocks fell significantly in intraday trading. As of press time, Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) dropped by as much as around 4.1% to 252,500 won, while SK Hynix (000660.KS) fell by as much as about 4.01% to 1,624,000 won. Chinese DRAM manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) announced R&D progress on next-generation memory technology, further fueling market concerns over intensifying competition in the global DRAM industry.

TradingKey - On October 10, Eastern Time, Nvidia (NVDA) is in discussions with Reflection AI regarding further investment or an acquisition, with potential options including hiring employees and licensing technology, according to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter.

TradingKey - Amazon (AMZN) is seeking to further expand its footprint in the AI infrastructure space by acquiring artificial intelligence startup Decart. According to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the matter, the two parties are in acquisition talks that could value the deal at $7 billion.

TradingKey - During the week of October 5 to October 11, 2026, the U.S. macroeconomic environment was defined by persistent inflation pressures, rising long-term Treasury yields, and a complex monetary policy outlook.

TradingKey - On October 12, South Korean stocks weakened in early trade, with the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opening down 0.72% at 6,578.17 points, before extending its loss to 1.35% at 6,536.77 points. Japanese stock markets were closed for a public holiday.

TradingKey - ASML heads into October 14 earnings with AI-driven demand, raised 2026 guidance and new Hyper NA progress extending its lithography lead.

TradingKey - Bank of America heads into October 14 earnings with stronger NII, healthy credit and deposits, but softer investment-banking and trading momentum.

TradingKey - In the coming week (October 12 to October 16), the U.S. market will enter one of October's most critical macro data and earnings windows. U.S. September CPI, PPI, retail sales, industrial production, and regional manufacturing indices will be released in quick succession, alongside the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book. As the October 27–28 FOMC meeting approaches, inflation and consumption data will directly influence market expectations regarding the timing of the next rate hike.

TradingKey - Apple Inc. (AAPL) is set to enter a busy product launch cycle in October. Following the release of its next-generation iPhones in September, Apple plans to hold a smart home-themed event on October 13 and is reportedly scheduled to introduce a touchscreen MacBook Pro, an OLED iPad mini, as well as M6-powered MacBook Pro and iMac models around October 27.

Nvidia (NVDA) is in talks with U.S. artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI regarding a potential acquisition or additional investment. The acquisition discussions remain in the early stages, and a deal could be reached in the coming weeks or may ultimately fail to materialize. Options currently under discussion include a full acquisition, a talent acquisition, an increased equity investment, and providing Reflection AI with additional chips and computing resources. A talent acquisition typically refers to Nvidia absorbing the company's core employees and licensing its technology, which may involve fewer regulatory and integration hurdles than a full acquisition, though it does not mean it can entirely bypass regulatory scrutiny.

TradingKey - On October 2, Eastern Time, after Toshiba announced an expansion plan for data center hard disk drives (HDDs), Western Digital (WDC) and Seagate (STX) closed down 10.22% and 10.21% respectively on the day. The expansion plan sparked market concerns over increased future supply, HDD pricing, and manufacturers' profit margins.

For the week ending October 9, shares of Cerebras Systems (CBRS) once again approached all-time lows since its Nasdaq debut. The AI chip company went public in May this year at a market capitalization close to $95 billion and was viewed by investors as a challenger to Nvidia in the AI chip sector. However, the stock has remained under continuous pressure since then, currently down more than 50% from its record high. The immediate trigger for the sharp pullback in valuation was OpenAI's decision to select Nvidia GPUs over Cerebras chips to provide computing power when launching its GPT-6.1 Sol "Ultrafast" mode.

While the revenues of artificial intelligence companies continue to grow rapidly, investments surrounding their data centers, GPUs, power supply, and chip supply chains have already entered the "trillion-dollar era." The question then becomes straightforward: Can such massive infrastructure spending ultimately translate into sufficient revenues, profits, and economic growth?

According to South Korean media outlet The Elec, ASML will implement a uniform 10% price increase on replacement parts for lithography equipment supplied to the South Korean market, effective with shipments starting in January 2027. The price hike covers all spare parts for both extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems. This adjustment will raise equipment maintenance costs for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, while reflecting semiconductor equipment suppliers' push for greater pricing power amid AI-related capacity expansion.

TradingKey - Goldman Sachs heads into October 13 earnings with record Q2 results, strong equities trading and a more challenging backdrop for FICC and dealmaking.

TradingKey - UnitedHealth heads into October 13 earnings with improving medical costs and Optum margins, but weaker Medicare Star Ratings and regulatory scrutiny add risk.

TradingKey - Palantir (PLTR) shares have recently continued to trend higher, further breaching the $200 round-number mark on October 9. On that day, PLTR closed at $209.05, surging 5.17% and touching an intraday high of $209.58 to hit an all-time high, with a trading volume of approximately 37.58 million shares. Prior to this, the stock gained 2.40% on October 8, bringing the cumulative gain over the two trading days to around 7.7%. Calculated from the closing price of $188.75 on October 2, PLTR rose roughly 10.8% over the following sessions, with its short-term price baseline shifting noticeably higher.

TradingKey - On October 9, Eastern Time, Intel (INTC) closed down 2.22% at $104.70.

TradingKey - On October 9, Eastern Time, AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) closed down 10.48% at $50.97, touching an intraday low of $47.57 and setting a new 52-week low.

TradingKey - According to a report by Puck News on Friday citing people familiar with the matter, Netflix (NFLX) plans to lay off approximately 5% of its workforce. The plan has not yet been officially announced, and a Netflix spokesperson declined to comment. The exact scale of the layoffs and the affected departments remain to be confirmed.