Tech stocks try to rebound after global AI sell-off batters chip companies

A broad global risk-off move centered on AI infrastructure concerns hammered semiconductor stocks, with market leaders NVDA and AMD selling off sharply before an attempted rebound. The catalyst appears to be macro-level anxiety around AI capex sustainability rather than any company-specific earnings miss — both names reported strong fundamentals in their most recent filings.

NVDA remains the dominant force in AI compute, posting $215.9B in revenue, up 65.5% year-over-year, with an exceptional 71.1% gross margin and 55.6% net margin — rare figures for a hardware business at scale. AMD, while trailing significantly, still delivered $34.6B in revenue (+34.3% YoY), though its 12.5% net margin underscores a thinner profitability profile relative to its larger rival.

The bull case rests on the idea that neither company's fundamentals have changed — the selloff was sentiment-driven, and NVDA's margin profile in particular still looks exceptional. Bears, however, argue that AI chip demand is a concentration risk: if hyperscalers pull back on capex even modestly, revenue growth rates normalize fast and current multiples become difficult to defend.

The rebound attempt is the key watch item. If it fails to hold intraday, the selloff may have further to run as momentum traders exit and options hedges unwind. Investors should watch whether the recovery sticks into the close, and whether management commentary or analyst reaffirmations emerge to anchor sentiment.