Asian Stocks Slip Ahead of Fed Decision as China Deflation Concerns Deepen 
Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
Australia Enforces World-First Social Media Age Limit as Global Regulation Looms 
IBM Nears $11 Billion Deal to Acquire Confluent in Major AI and Data Push 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Adobe Strengthens AI Strategy Ahead of Q4 Earnings, Says Stifel 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns 
Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO 
Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy and Retail Shares Show Mixed Performance 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
ADB Approves $400 Million Loan to Boost Ease of Doing Business in the Philippines 
Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly 
Japan Weighs New Tax Breaks to Boost Corporate Investment Amid Spending Debate 
SK Hynix Shares Surge on Hopes for Upcoming ADR Issuance 
SK Hynix has secured a $458 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department to fund an AI chip packaging plant in Indiana. The facility will produce next-generation memory chips for AI systems, filling a crucial gap in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and creating 1,000 jobs.
U.S. Awards $458 Million to SK Hynix for Indiana Chip Plant
On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department finalized a grant award to SK Hynix—up to $458 million—to assist in financing an advanced chip packaging plant and an AI product R&D center in Indiana, according to Reuters.
An assembly line to mass produce next-generation high bandwidth memory chips will be a part of the $3.87 billion West Lafayette factory that the Nvidia supplier announced in April. These processors are integral to GPUs, which in turn train AI systems.
Government Loans Bolster Semiconductor Manufacturing
Additionally, $500 million in government loans will be made available for the SK Hynix project by the department. Upon completion of the project, SK Hynix would be eligible to receive the grant monies.
The government has stated that the project will close a critical gap in the supply chain for semiconductors in the United States and generate 1,000 new employment.
Congress Invests Heavily in U.S. Semiconductor Industry
The chief executive officer of the world's number two memory chip manufacturer, Kwak Noh-Jung, expressed his excitement about the opportunity to collaborate on "to build a robust and resilient AI semiconductor supply chain in the U.S."
Along with $75 billion in authorized government loans, Congress authorized a $39 billion subsidy scheme in August 2022 to support U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and associated components.
Major grants have been distributed by the Commerce Department to the top five semiconductor manufacturers: TSMC, Intel, Samsung Electronics, Micron, and SK Hynix. The $6.4 billion deal with Samsung is the only one that has not yet been finalized by the department.
South Korean Firms Lead in U.S. Semiconductor Partnerships
The government recently finalized a $75 million contract with Absolics, who will build a plant in Georgia to supply semiconductor manufacturers with sophisticated materials. Similar to SK Hynix, Absolics is a subsidiary of SKC, which is a division of the second-largest conglomerate in South Korea, SK Group.
