Morning Bid: Chipped away

A look at the day ‌ahead in ​European and ​global markets from Rae Wee

The global chip rout extended into Friday, with stocks in Taiwan and Japan bearing the brunt of the ‌beating, while South Korean shares were spared as markets there were ⁠closed for a holiday.

Even higher-than-expected 77% earnings growth from TSMC the previous day failed to ‌impress investors, as shares of the ‌Taiwanese chip manufacturing giant sank 4%.

The moves across Asia set Europe up for a bumpy start. EUROSTOXX 50 futures slid 0.9%, while DAX futures were ​off 0.6%.

After a stellar run this year, investors have begun pulling back from crowded semiconductor trades, with concerns over heavy AI spending returning to ⁠the fore.

In a reflection of investor caution, the over-subscription rate of Chinese memory chip giant CXMT's $8.6 billion initial ​public offering came in much lower than most recent Chinese IPOs.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump declassified intelligence on Thursday that he ​maintained showed Chinese interference in U.S. elections, ‌reviving his long-running attacks on election security despite a U.S. intelligence assessment that found no evidence Beijing affected the 2020 vote ⁠that he lost.

Markets appeared to brush off his accusations, but Trump's harsh language about China risks rocking a relationship that has steadied following last year's costly trade war.

Trump hopes ⁠to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September about improving trade relations.

Fighting in the ​Middle East continued, as Iran said it launched fresh attacks on U.S. facilities in the Gulf on Friday after a sixth consecutive night of U.S. strikes on Iranian military facilities.

Over in ‌China, the country's foreign exchange regulator said on Friday it is allocating fresh quotas for qualified institutional investors' overseas investments, ‌following a recent crackdown on illegal cross-border capital flows.

Key developments that could influence markets ⁠on Friday:

- U.S. import prices, ‌industrial production and housing data

- ​Company earnings including Swedbank, Danske Bank, Sweco, Volvo, Burberry Group

- Reopening of 1-month, 3-month and 6-month UK government debt auctions

(Editing by ‌Sonali Paul)

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