U.S. stocks suffer from AI anxiety, while leading Asian chip manufacturers attract global capital.

Since 2026, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index has risen by more than 11%, while the US benchmark stock indices have declined, as investors worry that AI models may threaten the businesses of software, legal, and real estate service providers. The S&P 500 Index has fallen by 0.2% this year, and the Nasdaq 100 Index has dropped by about 2%. The divergence in stock market performance between the two regions highlights a shift in global capital investment preferences: from AI pioneer companies burdened with massive investments to hardware manufacturers with strong bargaining power, many of which are located in Asia.