Japanese stocks plummet as SK Hynix announces $28.6 billion share buyback plan

Key Takeaways

Japanese Stocks Plummet as Bond Market Anxiety Hits AI Sentiment

Japanese stocks slumped on August 19, 2026, with the Topix benchmark dropping 3.1% to 4012.31, as anxiety over surging bond yields sapped risk appetite from the AI trade. The tech-heavy Nikkei 225 also fell 3.2% to 65326.42. Electronics and banks were among the sectors weighed down by the decline.

SK Hynix Announces $28.6 Billion Share Buyback

SK Hynix, a memory chipmaker, announced a $28.6 billion share buyback plan, aiming to buy back up to 24 million shares between August 20 and November 19, 2026. The company also raised its shareholder return pledge to over 50% of cumulative free cash flow from 2025 to 2027.

Stripe Agrees to Buy AI Firm OpenRouter

Stripe Inc. agreed to buy AI firm OpenRouter, although the terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is seen as a strategic move by Stripe to enhance its AI capabilities.

Marvell vs. Broadcom: One AI Stock Is a Better Buy

Marvell Technology Group's recent deal with Google has given the company a significant boost in its custom AI-chip role, challenging Broadcom Inc. in the process. Marvell's stock price has surged 15% since the deal was announced, outperforming Broadcom's 5% gain.

2 AI Stocks, 1 Winner: Which Has More Upside?

Broadcom and Marvell both crushed earnings on the same AI tailwind, but one offers durable cash flow while the other bets everything on optical speed. The gap between them tells you exactly which kind of risk you are actually taking on.

New Report: Reshoring Will Fail Unless AI Becomes the Operating System of the American Factory

A new report highlights the importance of AI in reshoring, citing the need for AI-enabled automation, analytics, or digital operations to make reshoring successful. The report notes that 88% of manufacturing executives say reshoring now depends materially on AI.

Pony AI Is Scaling Robotaxis Fast

Pony AI, a leading player in the autonomous driving space, is making significant strides in scaling its robotaxi services. The company's technology is capable of handling complex scenarios such as heavy rain, fog, and construction.

Kohl's is Rolling Out AI for Back-to-School

Kohl's is launching a new tool to help families stay on budget during the year's busiest shopping stretch. The tool, which is being tested in a few stores, uses artificial intelligence to organize lists by grade level and provide personalized recommendations.

Bybit Launches AI Future City Campaign

Bybit, a cryptocurrency exchange, has launched 'Build Your AI Future City,' a gamified experience for global traders bullish on the AI revolution. The event offers a combined prize pool of up to $300,000.

Fine-Tuning LLMs: A Costly 'Tech Debt,' Says Data Scientist

Fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) can be a costly and time-consuming process, according to a data scientist. The process involves gathering and synthesizing examples, validating them, labeling them, and then iterating through fine-tuning and evaluation cycles.

Own and Earn From NVIDIA's Most Powerful AI Hardware

B3-IQ offers a platform for investors to own NVIDIA's most powerful AI hardware, including the H200, for as little as 30% down, then earn passive income renting them out.

AI Startup Callosum Raises $100 Million to Match Tasks to Chips

Callosum, a startup that makes software to match specific artificial intelligence tasks with different models and chips, has raised $100 million in early financing.

The Indian City Where AI Is Creating Jobs for Humans

The city of Karur in India is emerging as a hub for data annotation, a crucial part of the AI development process. Humans are helping train artificial intelligence to better perform tasks like chopping vegetables.

Sources

• Japanese Stocks Slide as Bond Market Anxiety Hits AI Sentiment
• SK Hynix Announces $28.6 Billion Share Buyback on AI Boom
• Stripe Agrees to Buy AI Firm OpenRouter; No Terms Disclosed
• Marvell vs. Broadcom: One AI Stock Is a Better Buy After Google's Deal
• 2 AI Stocks, 1 Winner: Which Has More Upside?
• New Report: Reshoring Will Fail Unless AI Becomes the Operating System of the American Factory
• Pony AI Is Scaling Robotaxis Fast—Can the Stock Reach BofA’s $17 Target?
• Kohl's is rolling out AI for back-to-school — but will it actually move the needle on sales?
• Bybit Launches AI Future City Campaign Connecting AI Market Themes With TradFi Perpetuals
• Fine-Tuning LLMs: A Costly "Tech Debt," Says Data Scientist
• Own and Earn From NVIDIA's Most Powerful AI Hardware
• AI Startup Callosum Raises $100 Million to Match Tasks to Chips
• The Indian City Where AI Is Creating Jobs for Humans