TradingKey – On July 7, Eastern Time, the three major US stock indexes collectively closed lower, with the AI and semiconductor sectors once again serving as the core drag on the market. Although Samsung Electronics’ second-quarter earnings preview showed that demand for AI memory remains robust, the better-than-expected results failed to boost sentiment for chip stocks. Instead, they exacerbated market concerns over high valuations of AI hardware stocks, profit-taking, and the pricing-in of positive news. Meanwhile, attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher, bringing inflation and the Federal Reserve’s policy path back into focus.

At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.25% to 52,930.28; the S&P…