Software Stocks in Turmoil: AI, Fed Policy, and Chip Shortages Hit Qualcomm, Arm, Alphabet – News and Statistics
Feb 8, 2026
An article from Yahoo Finance details recent challenges in the technology sector. The author states that the entire software investment thesis has been blown up, citing AI updates from Anthropic and Google as factors calling into question the long-term value of software companies. The article notes that many software stocks were priced for perfection coming into the year despite a far-from-perfect backdrop.
It points to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicating last week that additional interest rate cuts were not coming anytime soon, and suggests the nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed chair has not helped matters. The article then turns to specific technology companies, beginning with Qualcomm.
It describes Qualcomm’s guidance as having stunk, leading to a deserved sell-off, with the company citing weakness in the smartphone market largely due to a global memory chip shortage. Company executives said this dynamic could persist into 2027. The article criticizes management, stating, “An outlook like this should have been teed up by management three months ago.” It expects Qualcomm shares to stay in the penalty box and quotes HSBC analyst Frank Lee: “Smartphone headwinds an ongoing concern; AI chip potential still unclear.”
The article also addresses Arm Holdings, which provided less-than-savory guidance, also blaming memory chip shortages. It notes that Arm designs the architecture for a large portion of the world’s smartphone chips, leaving it with subdued royalty sales amid soft mobile processor sales. The author similarly criticizes Arm’s executives for their guidance and expects Arm shares to stay in the penalty box.
Finally, the article references Alphabet, noting it shocked everyone by calling for up to $185 billion in capital expenditures this year, compared to a Street estimate of around $120 billion.
This report provides a comprehensive view of the global memories industry, tracking demand, supply, and trade flows across the worldwide value chain. It explains how demand across key channels and end-use segments shapes consumption patterns, while also mapping the role of input availability, production efficiency, and regulatory standards on supply.
Beyond headline metrics, the study benchmarks prices, margins, and trade routes so you can see where value is created and how it moves between exporters and importers worldwide. The analysis is designed to support strategic planning, market entry, portfolio prioritization, and risk management in the global memories landscape.
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Key findings
- Global demand is shaped by both household and industrial usage, with trade flows linking cost-competitive producers to import-reliant markets.
- Pricing dynamics reflect unit values, freight costs, exchange rates, and regulatory shifts that affect sourcing decisions.
- Supply depends on input availability and production efficiency, creating distinct cost curves across regions.
- Market concentration varies by country, creating different competitive landscapes and entry barriers.
- The 2035 outlook highlights where capacity investment and demand growth are most aligned globally.
Report scope
The report combines market sizing with trade intelligence and price analytics. It covers both historical performance and the forward outlook to 2035, allowing you to compare cycles, structural shifts, and policy impacts across countries and regions.
- Market size and growth in value and volume terms
- Consumption structure by end-use segments and regions
- Production capacity, output, and cost dynamics
- Global trade flows, exporters, importers, and balances
- Price benchmarks, unit values, and margin signals
- Competitive context and market entry conditions
Product coverage
- Prodcom 26113023 – Multichip integrated circuits: memories
- Prodcom 26113027 – Electronic integrated circuits (excluding multichip circuits): dynamic random-access memories (D-RAMs)
- Prodcom 26113034 – Electronic integrated circuits (excluding multichip circuits): static random-access memories (S-RAMs), including cache random-access memories (cache-RAMs)
- Prodcom 26113054 – Electronic integrated circuits (excluding multichip circuits): UV erasable, programmable, read only memories (EPROMs)
- Prodcom 26113065 – Electronic integrated circuits (excluding multichip circuits): electrically erasable, programmable, read only memories (E.PROMs), including flash E.PROMs
- Prodcom 26113067 – Electronic integrated circuits (excluding multichip circuits): other memories
Country coverage
Country profiles and benchmarks
For the global report, country profiles provide a consistent view of market size, trade balance, prices, and per-capita indicators. The profiles highlight the largest consuming and producing markets and allow direct benchmarking across peers.
Methodology
The analysis is built on a multi-source framework that combines official statistics, trade records, company disclosures, and expert validation. Data are standardized, reconciled, and cross-checked to ensure consistency across time series.
- International trade data (exports, imports, and mirror statistics)
- National production and consumption statistics
- Company-level information from financial filings and public releases
- Price series and unit value benchmarks
- Analyst review, outlier checks, and time-series validation
All data are normalized to a common product definition and mapped to a consistent set of codes. This ensures that comparisons across time are aligned and actionable.
Forecasts to 2035
The forecast horizon extends to 2035 and is based on a structured model that links memories demand and supply to macroeconomic indicators, trade patterns, and sector-specific drivers. The model captures both cyclical and structural factors and reflects known policy and technology shifts.
- Historical baseline: 2012-2025
- Forecast horizon: 2026-2035
- Scenario-based sensitivity to income growth, substitution, and regulation
- Capacity and investment outlook for major producing countries
Each country projection is built from its own historical pattern and the regional context, allowing the report to show where growth is concentrated and where risks are elevated.
Price analysis and trade dynamics
Prices are analyzed in detail, including export and import unit values, regional spreads, and changes in trade costs. The report highlights how seasonality, freight rates, exchange rates, and supply disruptions influence pricing and margins.
- Price benchmarks by country and sub-region
- Export and import unit value trends
- Seasonality and calendar effects in trade flows
- Price outlook to 2035 under baseline assumptions
Profiles of market participants
Key producers, exporters, and distributors are profiled with a focus on their operational scale, geographic footprint, product mix, and market positioning. This helps identify competitive pressure points, partnership opportunities, and routes to differentiation.
- Business focus and production capabilities
- Geographic reach and distribution networks
- Cost structure and pricing strategy indicators
- Compliance, certification, and sustainability context
How to use this report
- Quantify global demand and identify the most attractive markets
- Evaluate export opportunities and prioritize target countries
- Track price dynamics and protect margins
- Benchmark performance against major competitors
- Build evidence-based forecasts for investment decisions
This report is designed for manufacturers, distributors, importers, wholesalers, investors, and advisors who need a clear, data-driven picture of global memories dynamics.
FAQ
What is included in the global memories market?
The market size aggregates consumption and trade data at country and regional levels, presented in both value and volume terms.
How are the forecasts to 2035 built?
The projections combine historical trends with macroeconomic indicators, trade dynamics, and sector-specific drivers.
Does the report cover prices and margins?
Yes, it includes export and import unit values, regional spreads, and a pricing outlook to 2035.
Which countries are profiled in detail?
The report provides profiles for the largest consuming and producing countries, enabling benchmarking across peers.
Can this report support market entry decisions?
Yes, it highlights demand hotspots, trade routes, pricing trends, and competitive context.
