Oct 14, 2026 · 7 min
Asian markets weigh chip weakness against AI-driven growth
SK Hynix Slides, Alibaba Rises, Mitsubishi Down
The episode connects immediate pressure on semiconductor and bank shares with longer-term questions about AI, exports, and urban investment.
- 1ASML’s muted earnings response coincided with weakness in Asian semiconductor stocks, including SK Hynix and Kioxia.
- 2Chinese internet shares gained as exports strengthened, while Australian and Japanese banks lagged after mixed U.S. bank results.
- 3Smart-city planning shows how AI and long-term urban strategy can respond to rapid population growth, with Dubai as the example.
Don't miss
The discussion shifts from falling semiconductor shares to Dubai’s long-term response to rapid population growth through urban planning.
The brief
Caroline Hepker and Anthony Stevens open with a muted market response to ASML’s earnings, then trace weakness across Asian semiconductor stocks, including SK Hynix and Kioxia.
The market picture is mixed: exports from China, South Korea, and Taiwan were strong, Chinese exports to the EU rose, and Chinese internet shares gained.
AI is both a market force and a labor question, as CFO plans to reduce headcount sit alongside investor attention to technology and semiconductor demand.
Australian and Japanese banks underperformed after U.S. bank results, adding a financial-sector counterpoint to the strength in Chinese internet shares.
The episode then turns from daily prices to smart cities, examining how AI and long-term planning could help rapidly growing urban areas, with Dubai as the example.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.