US STOCKS-S&P 500 ends down as AI worries hit chipmakers

Dow Jones Industrial Average
NASDAQ-100
S&P 500 index
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PHLX Semiconductor

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NASDAQ-100

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S&P 500 index

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Recasts with preliminary close of trading

SpaceX falls as it joins Nasdaq 100, brokerages launch coverage

Fiserv jumps on report of debit-network sale talks with US banks

Chip stocks tumble despite strong Samsung results

By Noel Randewich and Shashwat Chauhan

- The S&P 500 ended lower on Tuesday, weighed down by losses in Micron Technology and other chipmakers due to mounting doubts about the sustainability of Wall Street's AI-driven rally.

Chip stocks in Asia and the United States dropped after memory chip giant Samsung Electronics' 005930.KS blowout earnings report failed to satisfy investors with sky-high expectations.

Micron MU.O and Sandisk SNDK.O both fell, pulling the PHLX chip index .SOX lower.

Adding to worries about high-flying chipmakers, Reuters reported that Chinese startup DeepSeek is developing its own AI chip, a push that could reduce its dependence on Nvidia NVDA.O and Huawei chips.

According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 34.07 points, or 0.45%, to end at 7,503.36 points, while the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC lost 310.06 points, or 1.19%, to 25,811.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 140.30 points, or 0.26%, to 52,915.61.

Tuesday's chip selloff marked the latest bout of volatility among memory chipmakers and other AI-related stocks as investors worry that sharp gains related to the buildout of AI data centers may have left the shares too pricey.

"The story of today is the story of the last few weeks, and that's rotation after the blistering run in the AI buildout, semis and memory. Expectations have gotten to be almost impossible to beat for these companies," said Zachary Hill, head of portfolio management at Horizon Investments in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Another test of the appetite for chip stocks looms on Friday, when South Korean giant SK Hynix's 000660.KS U.S. listing starts trading on the Nasdaq.

Elon Musk's SpaceX SPCX.O fell in its first day of trading as part of the Nasdaq 100 index .NDX, and after a wave of brokerages initiated coverage on the stock.

The Dow ended lower after hitting an all-time high earlier in the session.

Oil prices rose following reports of attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

Fiserv FISV.O climbed after media reports that the firm had held discussions with U.S. banks including JPMorgan JPM.N and Bank of America BAC.N to sell its payments infrastructure business handling debit card transactions.

U.S. Federal Reserve watchers will get another glimpse into how new Chair Kevin Warsh steers the central bank when it releases the minutes of its latest meeting on Wednesday, the first of his tenure.