How Apple’s New iPhone Models Could Affect Semiconductor Players

Things have been slow for the semiconductor industry in 2018 after rapid growth in 2017. The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) rose 36.5% in 2017 and only 8.6% in the first nine months of 2018. Stocks like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Qualcomm (QCOM), which underperformed in 2017, are gaining momentum in 2018 as they revive their business and come out as strong competitors. In contrast, stocks like Micron Technology (MU), Intel (INTC), and Broadcom (AVGO), which delivered strong returns in 2017, are seeing a slump in 2018.