Semiconductor Equipment Stocks Plummet by 2.6 Trillion Won Amid AI Hype

MKS Inc. (Nasdaq: MKSI) closed at $413.06 on July 1, down 7.14% from the previous day. Its market capitalization stands at approximately $27.9 billion (around ₩39 trillion), with roughly $1.86 billion (₩2.6 trillion) of value erased in a single session. Trading volume reached about 1.13 million shares.

The prior day, BMO Capital initiated coverage of MKS Instruments with an Outperform rating and a $453 price target, citing AI‐related equipment demand as the key growth driver. In early May, the company reported first‐quarter fiscal 2026 results that exceeded expectations, posting revenue of $1.08 billion (about ₩1.5 trillion) and adjusted EPS of $2.30. Strong demand from AI data centers and semiconductor packaging helped propel these results.

Headquartered in Massachusetts, MKS Instruments supplies semiconductor process‐control and vacuum/power‐distribution equipment, photonics solutions, and specialty chemicals. A significant portion of its sales comes from semiconductor chips, printed circuit boards and advanced packaging. While the ramp-up of high-performance AI server chips supports medium- to long-term growth, the company’s results and share price remain sensitive to broader economic conditions and the semiconductor investment cycle, leading to notable volatility.