Samsung AI fears spark chip selloff; Vertex clinches biotech bet — July 8, 2026

S&P 500 -0.45% · Nasdaq -1.16% · Dow -0.25% · VIX 16.1 — July 8, 2026

The Nasdaq fell 1.16% today as Samsung's push into AI chips spooked investors out of semiconductor names. Intel dropped 9.7%, alongside AMD, Broadcom, and SanDisk—all caught in a profit-taking wave that felt less like earnings reality and more like a rotation out of the very stocks that carried the H1 rally. The S&P 500's 10% first-half gain has apparently made investors nervous; breadth was brutal at 28 up and 72 down among the 100 most active names.

CRNX stole the show with a 98.7% spike after Vertex announced a $10 billion acquisition—a decisive bet on the biotech's pipeline that sent shares from $42 to $83.53 in one session. On the flip side, Rivian got hammered 18% on news of a secondary offering, while Rocket Lab fell 10.4% with CEO questions lingering. Redwire and the space-adjacent names tanked as well, though SpaceX's rapid entry into index funds kept the sector in focus.

Energy stocks got a boost from Iran headlines pushing oil higher, but that wasn't enough to lift the broad market. VIX at 16.1 signals real unease—not panic, but genuine concern that the easy money from the first half is being repriced. The Fed minutes loom as the next catalyst, but today belonged to the sellers.

Market commentary generated from the day's data and headlines — not investment advice.

Biggest moves today

• CRNX (Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) ▲ +98.74% at $83.53 on 80.9M shares — VKTX Vs BCRX: Which Biotech Takeover Favorite Offers More Upside After Vertex’s $10B CRNX Deal? (Stocktwits)
• RIVN (Rivian Automotive, Inc.) ▼ -18.12% at $16.49 on 90.1M shares — New Share Sale Drags Rivian Automotive (RIVN) Down by 18% (Insider Monkey)
• RKLB (Rocket Lab Corporation) ▼ -10.40% at $83.41 on 26.0M shares — Rocket Lab (RKLB) Falls Hard — Its CEO May Hold the Answer (Insider Monkey)
• RDW (Redwire Corporation) ▼ -10.12% at $10.21 on 16.5M shares — Redwire (RDW) Nosedives 10% — Here’s Why (Insider Monkey)
• INTC (Intel Corporation) ▼ -9.66% at $110.39 on 139.5M shares — INTC, WDC, SNDK, AMD: Red-Hot AI Chip Stocks Lose Sheen In Samsung-Triggered Selloff (Stocktwits)
• IREN (IREN LIMITED) ▼ -9.33% at $39.81 on 42.1M shares — TeraWulf Drops 8% Even as Analysts Raise Price Targets on $19B Anthropic Deal, IREN Falls 7%, Applied Digital Slides 6% (24/7 Wall St.)
• JOBY (Joby Aviation, Inc.) ▼ -8.97% at $8.12 on 45.1M shares — Toyota Motor (TSE:7203) Extends Lexus MSG Partnership, Is It Fully Priced? (Simply Wall St.)
• WULF (TeraWulf Inc.) ▼ -8.87% at $20.24 on 51.1M shares — Profit-Taking Drags Terawulf (WULF) Shares by 8.87% (Insider Monkey)
• ESI (Element Solutions Inc.) ▼ -8.86% at $38.57 on 17.9M shares — Solstice (SOLS) Drops 8.7% on $14.5B Element Takeover (Insider Monkey)
• SOLS (Solstice Advanced Materials Inc) ▼ -8.74% at $62.10 on 15.0M shares — Solstice (SOLS) Drops 8.7% on $14.5B Element Takeover (Insider Monkey)

Most active by volume

#	Ticker	Price	Change	Volume
1	INTC	$110.39	-9.66%	139.5M
2	AAL	$17.20	-3.10%	134.4M
3	NVDA	$196.93	+0.71%	123.0M
4	RIVN	$16.49	-18.12%	90.1M
5	OPEN	$4.79	-5.89%	87.2M
6	SPCX	$149.47	-6.83%	83.3M
7	CRNX	$83.53	+98.74%	80.9M
8	SOFI	$17.75	-4.62%	77.2M
9	PATH	$11.65	-1.52%	73.3M
10	NOK	$11.85	-5.28%	69.3M
11	PLUG	$2.48	-6.06%	66.8M
12	NU	$13.61	-3.20%	66.6M
13	T	$21.09	+2.48%	66.2M
14	ONDS	$7.35	-6.01%	59.6M
15	PLTR	$134.37	+1.38%	52.3M
16	MU	$938.38	-4.71%	51.8M
17	WULF	$20.24	-8.87%	51.1M
18	GRAB	$3.93	+2.08%	44.7M
19	JOBY	$8.12	-8.97%	45.1M
20	AAPL	$310.66	-0.64%	42.1M
21	IREN	$39.81	-9.33%	42.1M
22	AMZN	$245.98	+0.75%	40.4M
23	F	$13.56	-1.95%	43.2M
24	BBD	$3.40	-0.96%	38.2M
25	ORCL	$141.60	-1.50%	42.8M

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Market data from Yahoo Finance; insider data from SEC EDGAR Form 4. For research only — not investment advice. Verify on the official source before trading.