As the U.S. Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the midterm elections, heralding a shift in the political landscape, major technology and semiconductor stocks fell sharply on the New York Stock Exchange on the night of the 5th (Korea time). AMD plunged more than 10%, while Nvidia and Micron Technology also declined together. Tesla also recorded a drop in the 7% range. In contrast, AppLovin surged more than 30%, showing sharp differentiation even within tech stocks.

■ Semiconductor Stocks Plunge Across the Board

In the U.S. market that day, AMD fell to $437.52, down $51.26 (10.49%) from the previous session. It recorded a double-digit decline among large-cap semiconductor stocks, facing strong selling pressure.

Micron Technology fell to $734.23, down $61.00 (7.67%), and Nvidia declined to $192.33, down $7.80 (3.90%). The broad weakness in the semiconductor sector coincided with the decline of the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index that day. In particular, artificial intelligence (AI)-related semiconductor companies all showed weakness, highlighting the share price burden on large-cap tech stocks.

Computer hardware maker SanDisk also fell to $921.53, down $115.87 (11.17%). Its decline stood out among major stocks with the highest trading volumes.

■ Tesla Down 7.92%... Apple and Amazon Rise

Electric vehicle maker Tesla dropped to $354.70, down $30.49 (7.92%). Tesla draws attention as one of the key stocks that indicate shifts in investor sentiment toward tech and growth stocks.

The SPCX stock, labeled as SpaceX, also fell to $128.07, down $7.85 (5.77%). However, the exact listed entity and nature of this stock require separate verification, and it should not be interpreted as a decline in the share price of SpaceX headquarters.

Microsoft declined to $548.60, down $7.21 (1.30%), showing weakness.

However, not all large-cap tech stocks fell. Apple rose to $351.59, up $2.08 (0.60%), and Amazon.com also climbed to $266.78, up $0.75 (0.28%). AppLovin's rise was particularly notable. AppLovin skyrocketed to $353.39, up $81.64 (30.04%) from the previous session. Even as large-cap semiconductor and electric vehicle-related stocks plunged, strong buying flowed into some software stocks.

■ Challenges Left by the 'Blue Wave' on the Market

Another variable in the market that day was the outcome of the U.S. midterm elections. With the Democratic Party winning a landslide victory in the midterms, assessments emerged that the so-called 'Blue Wave' had become a reality, and investors are focusing on future policy changes in the U.S. Congress. The expansion of Democratic influence in Congress could bring changes to corporate regulation, tax policy, energy policy, and legislative discussions related to the AI industry. In particular, regulatory policies surrounding large tech companies and the direction of support for advanced industries could become important variables in the stock market going forward.

However, it cannot be definitively concluded that the plunge in semiconductor stocks and Tesla that day was caused by the Democratic victory. No direct causal relationship between the election results and the share price movements of individual stocks has been confirmed. In fact, even within the same tech category, Nvidia and AMD fell, while Apple and Amazon rose, and AppLovin surged more than 30%. This shows that not only political uncertainty but also individual companies' earnings, growth prospects, and investors' assessments can be reflected differently.

■ Where Did Trading Volumes Concentrate?

Trading volumes also confirmed where the market's attention lay. Micron Technology recorded $5.629 billion, Nvidia $5.061 billion, and AMD $3.912 billion in trading volume. Tesla showed a trading volume of $3.34 billion, and SanDisk $3.201 billion.

As the New York Stock Exchange faces a new political environment following the Democratic Party's midterm election landslide, attention is focused on whether the declines concentrated in semiconductor and AI-related stocks will continue until the market close. However, current figures are intraday prices, not final closing prices. The declines of major tech stocks and the direction of indices may change depending on the remaining trading hours.

[Some AI assistance was used. This article does not recommend buying or selling any specific stock, and investment decisions and responsibilities rest with the investor.]