{"id":65579,"date":"2026-07-28T23:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T03:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T23:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T03:08:12","slug":"global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Tech and Markets Under Pressure Amid Taiwan Selloff and Japan Earthquake"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/#Taiwan_Market_Rout_and_Semiconductor_Volatility\" >Taiwan Market Rout and Semiconductor Volatility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/#Japan_Earthquake_Disrupts_Sony_Production\" >Japan Earthquake Disrupts Sony Production<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/#OpenAI_Approaches_Massive_User_Milestone\" >OpenAI Approaches Massive User Milestone<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/#Middle_East_Tensions_Escalate_with_Joint_Strikes\" >Middle East Tensions Escalate with Joint Strikes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-tech-and-markets-under-pressure-amid-taiwan-selloff-and-japan-earthquake\/65579\/#China_Signals_Stability_with_Liquidity_Injection\" >China Signals Stability with Liquidity Injection<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Taiwan\u2019s TAIEX index plunged 4.65% (2,030 points)<\/strong>, marking its third-largest single-day loss on record as a global semiconductor selloff intensified.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sony Semiconductor (<a href=\"\/stock\/SONY\">SONY<\/a>) halted operations<\/strong> at its Kumamoto facility following a powerful <strong>6.8 magnitude earthquake<\/strong> in southern Japan, raising concerns over image sensor supply chains.<\/li>\n<li><strong>OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT is nearing 1 billion weekly active users<\/strong>, significantly ahead of previous industry expectations and cementing its lead in the generative AI market.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. and Saudi forces launched joint precision strikes<\/strong> against Iran-aligned militia positions in Iraq following a series of drone attacks on energy infrastructure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The PBOC maintained its overnight reverse repo rate at 1.25%<\/strong>, injecting <strong>600 billion yuan<\/strong> into the banking system to stabilize short-term liquidity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Taiwan_Market_Rout_and_Semiconductor_Volatility\"><\/span>Taiwan Market Rout and Semiconductor Volatility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Taiwan\u2019s benchmark <strong>TAIEX<\/strong> index suffered a historic collapse on Wednesday, dropping <strong>2,030.83 points<\/strong> to close at <strong>41,603.36<\/strong>. The <strong>4.65% decline<\/strong> was driven by a massive retreat from technology heavyweights, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSM\">TSM<\/a>) falling <strong>2.98%<\/strong> and shedding over <strong>NT$2 trillion<\/strong> in market capitalization. Other major players, including MediaTek (<a href=\"\/stock\/2454\">2454<\/a>) and Delta Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/2308\">2308<\/a>), hit their daily downward limits as investors reacted to cooling AI sentiment and broader macroeconomic uncertainty.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Japan_Earthquake_Disrupts_Sony_Production\"><\/span>Japan Earthquake Disrupts Sony Production<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A major <strong>6.8 magnitude earthquake<\/strong> struck Japan\u2019s Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, forcing <strong>Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing<\/strong> to suspend operations at its primary technology center. While no fatalities were reported among staff, the facility remains offline as engineers conduct safety inspections of sensitive manufacturing lines. The region is a critical hub for global semiconductor production; notably, <strong>TSMC (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSM\">TSM<\/a>)<\/strong> also evacuated its nearby JASM plant, though early reports indicate no significant structural damage to its facilities.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"OpenAI_Approaches_Massive_User_Milestone\"><\/span>OpenAI Approaches Massive User Milestone<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to reports from <em>The Information<\/em>, <strong>OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT<\/strong> is on the verge of reaching <strong>1 billion weekly active users<\/strong>. This growth trajectory represents a doubling of its user base since early 2025, driven by the rollout of advanced reasoning models and expanded enterprise integrations. The milestone comes as OpenAI reportedly prepares for a potential public offering, with internal valuations nearing <strong>$1 trillion<\/strong> amid surging demand for generative AI tools.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Middle_East_Tensions_Escalate_with_Joint_Strikes\"><\/span>Middle East Tensions Escalate with Joint Strikes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Geopolitical risks spiked as the <strong>U.S. military and Saudi Arabian Armed Forces<\/strong> conducted coordinated airstrikes against <strong>Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)<\/strong> positions in eastern Iraq. The strikes were a direct response to more than <strong>30 drone attacks<\/strong> launched over a 72-hour period targeting U.S. personnel and Saudi petroleum facilities. The Iraqi PMF reported multiple fatalities and accused foreign forces of violating national sovereignty, further straining regional stability ahead of planned diplomatic visits to Riyadh.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"China_Signals_Stability_with_Liquidity_Injection\"><\/span>China Signals Stability with Liquidity Injection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>People\u2019s Bank of China (PBOC)<\/strong> held its overnight reverse repo rate steady at <strong>1.25%<\/strong> during its latest open market operation. The central bank injected <strong>600 billion yuan ($88.58 billion)<\/strong> to manage month-end liquidity pressures and support the banking system. Simultaneously, China\u2019s Ministry of Finance announced plans to sell <strong>15 billion yuan<\/strong> in sovereign bonds in <strong>Hong Kong<\/strong> on August 5, part of a continuing strategy to expand its offshore yuan-denominated debt market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Taiwan\u2019s TAIEX index plunged 4.65% (2,030 points), marking its third-largest single-day loss on record as a global semiconductor 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