Global semiconductor stocks faced broad pressure on Thursday amid a dual burden of surging oil prices and rising interest rates, with numerous chip industry equities posting significant declines. Market analysts noted that this round of selling was less connected to artificial intelligence demand or cloud computing capital expenditures, and more directly tied to inflation concerns stemming from rising energy costs and an increase in U.S. Treasury yields. Data showed that semiconductor materials manufacturer Qnity Electronics Inc (Q.US) saw its shares plunge 7.9% during the session, at one point ranking among the worst-performing components of the S&P 500 index. Peer companies also experienced selling pressure. Entegris (ENTG.US) fell 5.34%, ASML Holding NV (ASML.US) declined 2.5%, and Intel (INTC.US) dropped 5.69%.

Notably, the semiconductor sector decline occurred without any significant negative industry-specific news. Major technology firms such as Amazon (AMZN.US) and Meta Platforms (META.US) did not release new capital expenditure updates, and Wall Street analysts made no major rating changes to related companies. The market widely attributed the sell-off to macroeconomic factors. As escalating conflict involving Iran drove energy prices higher, investors grew concerned that a spike in oil costs could reignite inflationary pressures. Data indicated the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note climbed to 4.27%, representing an increase of approximately 0.3 percentage points since before the conflict intensified. Meanwhile, the international benchmark Brent crude oil price rose about 10%, surpassing $101 per barrel.

Analysts pointed out that the semiconductor industry is capital-intensive and characterized by long cycles. Constructing a chip fabrication plant typically requires several years and only yields substantial profits when operating at high capacity utilization. Consequently, rising interest rates often exert considerable influence on the sector's investment cycle. Adrian Helfert, Chief Investment Officer of Multi-Asset Strategies at Westwood, stated that higher rates not only increase corporate financing costs but may also slow economic growth, thereby dampening business capital expenditures—a particular challenge for industries like semiconductors that rely on long-term investment.

Of course, rising interest rates also pressure other capital-intensive sectors. For instance, mining stocks faced declines, with Freeport-McMoRan (FCX.US) falling 3.79% and heavy machinery giant Caterpillar (CAT.US) dropping about 1%. Overall, U.S. stock markets experienced a broad retreat, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average declining 1.52% and 1.56%, respectively. However, the semiconductor industry chain saw more pronounced losses compared to other sectors. Market analysis suggests that, in the current environment, the trajectory of interest rates remains a critical factor for technology stock valuations, while inflation expectations fueled by rising energy prices are further heightening investor caution.