Wall Street’s favorite bet comes undone as chips whipsaw market

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) fell 21% in July, its worst month since 2008, as investors question the sustainability of AI-driven semiconductor demand. Volatility surged, with the index experiencing frequent intraday swings and all stocks in the index declining. Concerns over competition and open-source AI models, along with a hedge fund forced to sell tech shares due to margin calls, highlight growing skepticism in the sector.