TAIPEI, Feb 8, 2026, 10:00 (GMT+8) — The market has closed.
- UMC’s U.S. shares closed Friday at $10.06, rising roughly 0.9%.
- Chip stocks rallied, lifted by Amazon and Alphabet signaling bigger bets on AI infrastructure.
- Attention now turns to U.S. events set for Feb. 12-13, with UMC also due to release its next monthly sales figures on March 5.
United Microelectronics Corp’s U.S. shares wrapped up Friday trading at $10.06, climbing late along with other chip names. The stock opens this week just under $10, still sitting roughly 21% off its 52-week peak of $12.68.
Markets have been closed for the weekend, but traders are already zeroing in on the next set of cues: U.S. economic numbers, results from chip-equipment makers, and clues about whether the AI-driven spending boom is still going. Capital expenditures—capex—basically refer to outlays for gear and added production muscle, and they tend to drive chip demand in a hurry.
After Amazon announced it expects capital expenditures to surge more than 50% this year—echoing Alphabet’s signal earlier in the week—tech shares caught a bid. Nvidia jumped 7.8%. The Philadelphia semiconductor index tacked on 5.7%. Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird, flagged “real demand for AI products” as a key driver following a bruising selloff. reuters.com
After three days in the red, stocks bounced back as investors reconsidered how AI might hit tech margins—and whether valuations had run too hot. “A healthy selloff,” said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth, who thinks the market’s showing “cooler heads” when it comes to AI’s timeline for shaking things up. Pavlik flagged projections that Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta together could pour around $600 billion into AI by 2026. reuters.com
Other stocks tied to foundry operations posted even bigger gains. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s U.S. shares closed the day up roughly 5.5%. GlobalFoundries wasn’t far behind, climbing almost 4.7%.
UMC shares in Taipei finished Friday at NT$61.90, ticking up 0.65%.
Industry sentiment remains upbeat. On Friday, the Semiconductor Industry Association projected global chip sales would reach $1 trillion this year, coming off $791.7 billion in 2025—a 25.6% jump. SIA chief John Neuffer told Reuters, “my orders are completely full,” calling the sector’s trajectory a “strong glide path” through next year. reuters.com
UMC, a contract chipmaker, does wafer fabrication—basically building chips to spec for its clients. Investors sometimes look at it as a read on the broader electronics cycle, even if everyone’s focused on the latest AI chip buzz.
Still, this move looks like little more than a bounce. Should cloud budgets turn out choppier than investors expect, or if non-AI demand remains sluggish, smaller foundries could see their pricing power evaporate in a hurry.
Next on the docket for the U.S.: The Employment Situation and the January CPI inflation report both hit on Feb. 13, 8:30 a.m. Eastern. That pairing has the potential to move bond yields and shake up tech valuations.
Chip-equipment names could be in focus as earnings roll in, with Applied Materials on deck for a key report Feb. 12.
UMC is set to report February monthly sales on March 5, the company said.
