Lana

But that could change.

If government support measures successfully boost confidence, China's consumer space might stage a recovery and even look cheap in hindsight.

AI hardware firms, by contrast, rely on global tech spending rather than the wallets of everyday folks.

And that cash pipeline looks healthy for now.

Although export-heavy firms, tech or otherwise, could run into trouble later if China's trade partners impose more tariffs and restrictions to combat the steady stream of cheap goods.

Before we dive into the next story, it's time for our daily check-in with Carl.

You've got questions.

He's got your answers.

Carl, what have you got for us?

Thanks, Carl.

Next up, SK Hynix and Microsoft are allegedly making it exclusive.

The Korean chip maker is slated to be the sole memory supplier for Microsoft's new AI chip, sending its shares to an all-time high.

This deal cements SK Hynix's early lead in AI memory, building on its supply agreement with Nvidia that helped send the shares up nearly tenfold over about three years.

Mind you, Samsung Electronics is close behind, nearing approval to supply its next-generation chips to Nvidia.

South Korea and its investors aren't complaining about some healthy competition.

Together, SK Hynix and Samsung have lifted the country's KOSPI index almost 20% so far this year, on top of a 76% surge in 2025.

It's a lucrative moment to be making memory chips.

Buyers just can't get enough.

As AI models grow bigger and chew through more data, high bandwidth memory and storage are fast becoming the main bottleneck.

That's giving producers room to lift their prices and pad out margins.