Issue No. 24  •  Wednesday June 24, 2026

THE TRADING ADDICT

NEWSLETTER

by Maria Helmick

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Is This the AI Trickle-Down Effect?

Korean chip stocks flashed red. U.S. tech followed. Now all eyes are on Micron.

Today looked less like panic and more like profit-taking.

AI stocks have had a big run, and after a move like that, investors usually start looking for a reason to lock in some gains. Today, the easy excuse was AI spending.

But that is not new. Everyone knows AI is expensive. Chips are expensive. Data centers are expensive. Power is expensive. The whole thing costs a fortune.

The market did not suddenly wake up today and realize that building AI infrastructure takes money. That has been the story for a while. The difference today was that several unknowns showed up at the same time, and when that happens, traders get nervous fast.

The bigger issue was the mix of unknowns hitting the market at the same time.

The Fed may not cut as soon as investors hoped. Rates may stay higher for longer. Inflation may still be sticky. AI spending is being questioned again. And Korea's chip stocks flashed red overnight.

That is a lot for the market to digest at once. One headline is usually manageable. A pileup of question marks is different.

The Fed part matters because higher rates are not friendly to expensive growth stocks. When rates stay high, investors become more selective. They start asking which companies can actually turn spending into earnings, and which ones are just riding the AI wave.

That is why AI stocks are sensitive here. The story is still exciting, but the prices had already moved. When the market gets stretched, it does not take much to shake people out.

The real clue came from overseas.

South Korea matters because it is a major part of the AI chip and memory trade. The KOSPI dropped nearly 10%, while Samsung and SK Hynix both fell more than 12%.

Those are not side stories. Samsung and SK Hynix sit right in the middle of the AI buildout. They are tied to memory, chips, and the technology supply chain that supports the whole AI boom.

That does not mean Korea caused the entire move in U.S. futures. It may still be a normal pullback after a big run. But when major chip and memory names start flashing red overseas, it is worth paying attention.

Sometimes where there is smoke, there is fire.

The pressure then showed up in U.S. semiconductors, tech names, and Nasdaq futures. It was not just one company or one headline. It was the AI chain getting questioned at the same time.

That does not mean the AI trade is broken. It means traders were looking at the whole group a little more carefully.

After a strong run, the market was looking for a reason to cool off. Once the unknowns piled up, traders had a reason to take profits.

That does not mean buyers have disappeared. In fact, some investors may be waiting for exactly this type of pullback before stepping back in.

That is why the next few days matter. If the strongest names hold up, that tells us buyers are still there. If the selling keeps spreading, then the market may be telling us the AI trade needs more time to reset.

That is where Micron comes in.

Micron is the next big test. MU reports earnings Wednesday, 6/24, after the close, and this one could matter more than usual because Micron sits right in the middle of the AI memory trade.

If demand still looks strong, buyers may have a reason to step back into the sector. If the numbers disappoint, the market gets another excuse to question the AI run.

That is why the market will be watching Micron so closely. This report could help restore confidence in the AI trade, or give investors another reason to question it.

The real question is not whether AI costs too much. The real question is which companies can turn all this spending into real earnings.

That is where the winners and losers will separate.

The companies with real demand, real margins, and real earnings power should be the names investors come back to first. The hype names may not get the same second chance.

So no, today does not look like the end of AI.

It looks more like the market shook the tree, took some profits, and is testing where the real buyers are.

If the strongest names hold up and buyers step back in, this pullback may end up being a better entry, not a warning sign.

Maria's Bottom Line The silver lining under this dark cloud was the Crazy Ivan. Days like today can create better premium, and we do not get that setup every day. When fear shows up, I want to be ready — not chasing, not forcing, just looking for the right strike, the right size, and enough room for the trade to work. When fear rings the bell, premium answers.

Educational only. Not financial advice.

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Math Makes Money TRADES OF THE WEEK 0DTE SPX  •  $30K SCHWAB ACCOUNT Week of June 22, 2026

Entry (ET) Premium Type Wings Stop 11:53 AM $3.00 MEIC 50W 95% 12:00 PM $2.25 MEIC 50W 95% 3:09 PM $3.50 MEIC 50W 95% 3:09 PM $2.25 MEIC 50W 95% 3:30 PM $3.00 MEIC 50W 95% 3:44 PM $1.45 MEIC 50W 95% All trades 0dte SPX iron condors on the $30K Schwab account. MEIC = Multiple Entry Iron Condor. 50W = 50-wide wings. 95% = stop loss on short leg. No profit target — let trades expire.

Risk Warning At the time of this writing, we plan on entering most of these trades, but they are part of a much greater and larger trading program and should be considered for educational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice of any kind. Trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for every investor. You can lose some or all of your money. Nothing here is financial advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or copy any trade. Do not copy trades blindly. Do your own due diligence, understand the risk, and make decisions based on your own account, risk tolerance, and financial situation.

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» Daily Trading Update · Day 171 · Tap for live dashboard

Green on a red tape. Tue Jun 23 (semiconductor selloff, NQ down ~1,000 pts) combined 0dte +$13,673 on 244 trades. $1M anchor +$13,998. Grand Total $1,390,222 — 2nd consecutive NEW ATH.

» Quick Short · Watch on YouTube The AI Trickle Effect Maria on Korea, semis, and Micron tonight ►  WATCH ON YOUTUBE