Wasteland Capital
Global Markets Investor, US, UK & European Assets
Semiconductor earnings have outpaced prices, making the selloff look more like forced positioning than a broken growth case. Since January 2025, the SOX rose about 114% while reconstructed forward earnings rose about 198%; the estimate is approximate. Hedge funds sold global tech at a greater-than-three-standard-deviation pace in October 5-16, a pattern seen near earlier lows, though another sharp flush could come before a reversal. x.com
Rising S&P earnings revisions and a Nasdaq valuation far below the 2000 bubble level argue against a bull trap in US large caps. Nasdaq trades at 18x forward earnings versus over 80x in 2000. Positive breadth divergences, record short ETF exposure and put volume, and semiconductors waking up add to the case. In all 19 post-midterm instances cited, markets were very green over the following 12 months. x.com x.com
Low forward earnings multiples across eleven stocks cannot persist indefinitely. Nvidia trades near 17.5x, its lowest in over a decade; Oracle near 15x, its lowest in six years. Uber is at 17x, Broadcom 19x, Vistra 15x, AppLovin 14.5x, TSMC 19x, Forgent Power Solutions 18x, Nokia 19.5x, American Express 17x and Western Digital 14x. x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com
At $1.5T of margin debt, a market crack could punish stocks vulnerable to cyclical earnings or high expectations. Micron's profits could fall fast if memory prices weaken; SanDisk's earnings could suffer if NAND pricing turns despite booming AI demand. Palantir's sky-high valuation leaves little room for a growth miss, SpaceX's private-market expectations could suffer if sentiment turns, and Tesla's premium could unwind if autonomy and robotics disappoint. x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com
The gap between semiconductor-capex momentum names and mega-cap tech looks stretched to the point of a rotation, favoring Amazon and Fidelity National Information Services over the chip ETF, Micron, SanDisk and Caterpillar. Big tech's financing of Micron and SanDisk can't last if their own stocks don't rise alongside; equity-dilution fears could bleed into actual capex. Fidelity National Information Services looks like a deep value opportunity. The rotation may be short-lived but volatile. x.com … Show more
AI, networks and power give these 12 stocks some of the decade's biggest tailwinds. Micron is one of three big HBM makers; Samsara connects fleets; IonQ builds quantum computers; Ciena supplies optics; GE Vernova and Eaton serve power demand; Dell ships AI servers. Netflix, the largest paid streamer, adds ads; Coupang, Korea's largest e-commerce platform, delivers same-day; Airbnb, the largest short-term rental marketplace, adds services; Arm enters data centers; CrowdStrike secures enterprises. … Show more
Dell is heavily overearning heading into a two-sigma melt-up, leaving the stock exposed to a reversal. x.com
Micron, Intel, AMD, Tesla and SanDisk look overextended and due for a pullback because their share prices have outpaced earnings over five years, and stocks follow EPS over time, as Peter Lynch said. Price versus EPS growth: Micron +1,071% vs +758%, Intel +97% vs -112%, AMD +453% vs -5%, Tesla +78% vs +7%, and SanDisk +4,746% vs +717%. x.com x.com x.com x.com x.com
Rapid revenue growth against forward valuations makes Nvidia and Micron additional calculated risks after the selloff, alongside Meta, Broadcom, IREN, Vistra, Nokia and Oracle. Nvidia grew revenue 106% and guides Q3 to $108B, plus or minus 2%, at 17.5x forward earnings; Micron grew revenue 379% to $54.2B, guides $61.5B next quarter and trades at 5x. The other six retain their growth, contracted-demand or customer-order cases. x.com
Tech and semiconductor bounces are mainly driven by less urgent hedge-fund selling rather than fresh buying. Per Goldman Sachs, tech is still being sold amid very low activity; there is no sign risk has been added yet. The unwind may be nearing its end, especially as hyperscalers stick to capex plans and Q3 semiconductor earnings look likely to be positive. Less crowded positioning and more normal multiples leave a healthier base for a longer-term rebuild. x.com