What Happened?
Shares of chip designer Allegro MicroSystems (NASDAQ:ALGM) fell 3.5% in the afternoon session after the broader semiconductor industry declined following new U.S. trade and export restrictions.
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced it was closing a loophole that previously allowed some foreign companies to export semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China without a license. These firms will now face the same licensing requirements as their competitors. This move adds to sector-wide pressure, as the government also recently introduced steep 100% tariffs on foreign-made semiconductors. Together, these regulatory actions create uncertainty for the chip industry, potentially impacting supply chains and international sales, which is likely weighing on investor sentiment for companies across the sector.
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What Is The Market Telling Us
Allegro MicroSystems’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 35 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 17 days ago when the stock gained 6.8% on the news that the semiconductor sector rallied in intraday trading as a favorable inflation report bolstered investor hopes for a potential Federal Reserve interest rate cut. The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data showed a slowdown in inflation, fueling a broad market rally that pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to new all-time highs. For the capital-intensive semiconductor industry, the prospect of lower interest rates is particularly welcome, as it can reduce borrowing costs for expansion and research and development. The positive macroeconomic sentiment provided a significant tailwind for the entire sector, as investors anticipate that a more accommodative monetary policy from the central bank will stimulate economic growth and demand for technology.
Allegro MicroSystems is up 35.2% since the beginning of the year, but at $30.85 per share, it is still trading 17.8% below its 52-week high of $37.51 from July 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Allegro MicroSystems’s shares at the IPO in October 2020 would now be looking at an investment worth $1,743.
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