The AI chip trade cracked this week, and the hunt for what replaces it has begun

The trade that defined the first half of 2026, buying anything with proximity to a GPU, broke apart in the holiday-shortened week before Independence Day. The PHLX Semiconductor Index, which had surged more than 80% in the first half, sank 6.3% on Wednesday and 5.4% on Thursday, a two-session decline of roughly 12%.