Shanghai, Feb 1, 2026, 09:41 GMT+8 — Market closed
- VeriSilicon closed higher on Friday, riding the wave of strength across chip-design stocks heading into the weekend.
- A small batch of employee-incentive shares will turn tradable on Feb. 2.
- Monday’s China activity data and the Hong Kong chip listing calendar are drawing traders’ attention.
VeriSilicon Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Class A shares (688521.SS) jumped 6% on Friday, closing at 222.01 yuan ahead of the weekend shutdown of mainland markets.
Shares in chip-design firms helped push the tech-heavy Shanghai Stock Exchange higher late in the week. An ETF focused on chip design, tracked by Wind data, climbed over 1% intraday Friday. VeriSilicon stood out as one of the biggest winners within that group.
Why it matters now: On Monday, a supply event could shake up short-term positions, despite its modest size. Over the weekend, trading tips revealed that around 57,000 VeriSilicon shares will unlock on Feb. 2, representing about 0.01% of the total shares.
VeriSilicon offers chip customization and licenses semiconductor IP, based on company profile info from local fund coverage. This combo usually makes the stock move in line with overall sentiment on domestic semiconductor demand and “hard tech” investment trends. Sina Finance
Chinese chip stocks have also gained some momentum on merger buzz. Montage Technology and Axera Semiconductor both kicked off share sales in Hong Kong, aiming to raise a total of HK$10 billion ($1.28 billion), Reuters said. The key dates for these offerings are all set for next week.
The macro picture looks murkier. China’s official manufacturing PMI dropped to 49.3 in January, signaling contraction since it fell below the 50 mark. Huo Lihui from the National Bureau of Statistics pointed to seasonal effects and said “market demand remains weak.” Meanwhile, Ting Lu at Nomura cautioned that Beijing will have to step up efforts to keep growth above 4.5% this year. Reuters
Signs from offshore suggest the chip cycle is gaining strength. South Korea’s semiconductor exports in January jumped over 100% compared to last year, driven by AI server demand and rising memory prices. Investors often see this as a key indicator of global electronics momentum.
VeriSilicon’s shares jumped sharply on Friday, leaving plenty of optimism priced in. Still, if Monday’s activity data falls short or risk appetite wanes, those gains could evaporate just as fast.
The Feb. 2 unlock, linked to an equity incentive plan, involves roughly 57,000 shares, according to market data provider 10jqka. Though small, traders keep an eye on these dates for potential spikes in employee selling.
Next up: a private-sector PMI for China, set for Feb. 2. A Reuters poll flagged that holiday timing might skew early-year factory data. Mizuho Securities analysts suggested factories could have “front-loaded” production before the late-February travel rush. VeriSilicon’s first test comes Monday’s open — specifically, if the stock can maintain its Friday surge through the unlock. Reuters
