SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) shares plummeted 5.08% during Friday's intraday session, reversing a powerful pre-market rally that saw the memory chip sector extend its previous session's massive gains.
The drop came as memory-related stocks suffered a rapid pullback. SK Hynix pared its gains to less than 1% after surging more than 8% at the opening bell, while Western Digital's gain narrowed to 1.5%. Micron Technology and SanDisk both slipped into negative territory, erasing earlier advances as the sector gave back its initial momentum.
The reversal suggests that profit-taking emerged after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index soared over 8% in the prior session, driven by Microsoft's blowout earnings and robust AI infrastructure spending plans. Despite the strong demand narrative, the sharp intraday retreat highlights lingering caution among investors after a month of heavy volatility in semiconductor stocks.