Apple Raises MacBook Prices Up to $300, SoftBank Shares Plunge Over 12%
AAPL•Apple raised MacBook and iPad prices by up to $300, driving its share price down over 6% as AI-driven chip costs surged. Microsoft set Xbox price hikes of $100 to $150 from August 1 while South Korea’s KOSPI slid to about 8,600 and SoftBank shares fell over 12%.
1. Price Increases by Apple and Microsoft
On June 25 Apple raised prices on MacBook and iPad models by up to $300 in response to surging AI-driven memory and storage chip costs, leading its shares to close more than 6% lower. Hours later, Microsoft announced Xbox console price increases of $100 to $150 per model effective August 1, triggering a 3.5% share decline.
2. Impact on Asian Markets
The consecutive pricing decisions from two major technology firms sparked a broad Asian equity selloff, with South Korea’s KOSPI dropping from 8,930.31 at June 25 close to around 8,600 in early trading. Semiconductor names were hit hard: SK Hynix and Samsung each fell over 4%, SK Square declined roughly 7%, Advantest dropped more than 6% and Tokyo Electron lost over 2%.
3. SoftBank and Arm Holdings
SoftBank Group shares plunged over 12%, weighed down by its significant semiconductor exposure. Its chip-design unit, Arm Holdings, also slid 3.2%, reflecting investor concern about sustained AI chip cost pressures and potential delays in major AI backer IPOs.
4. Mixed Sector Responses
Some semiconductor players offered relief: Micron posted stronger-than-expected quarterly results and Qualcomm secured an AI data center chip deal with Meta. Analysts warn that if hyperscaler stocks continue to underperform, broader market advances could remain constrained.
