Germany’s crucial manufacturing sector finished 2025 on a sour note, with activity contracting at a faster pace. A key business survey shows the downturn deepened in December, driven by a sharp drop in foreign demand.
A major DRAM shortage is forcing PC makers into tough choices, with 2026 notebook shipments now forecast to drop 5.4%. Apple, however, is positioned to weather the storm better than rivals thanks to its supply chain deals and a new low-cost MacBook.
AXT Inc. has priced a public offering of over 7 million shares to raise roughly $87 million. The funds are primarily earmarked to expand production of indium phosphide substrates at its China-based subsidiary. The offering is set to close around December 30.
Meta is spending big to catch up in the AI race, acquiring the Singaporean AI agent company Manus. The deal, struck in just 10 days, values Manus at over $2 billion and gives Meta an immediate enterprise revenue stream.
Get ready for more expensive graphics cards. A new report claims AMD will start raising prices for its partners in January 2026, with NVIDIA following in February. The increases are expected to continue monthly, potentially pushing high-end cards to shocking prices.
The PC industry is in a state of desperation over a critical DRAM shortage. Major manufacturers are struggling to get allocations, which could force them to raise prices, ship underpowered laptops, or postpone new product launches entirely.
South Korean prosecutors have indicted ten former Samsung engineers for allegedly leaking critical 10-nanometer-class DRAM technology to China’s CXMT. The stolen IP, valued at roughly 1.6 trillion won, helped CXMT mass-produce its first 10nm DRAM in 2023. This leak could reshape the competitive land
In a move that’s more warning than weapon, the US will impose tariffs on semiconductors from China starting in 2027. The initial rate, however, is set at zero percent, turning the policy into a long-term bargaining chip.
Stephan Tanda, CEO of the $3.7 billion packaging firm AptarGroup, says China’s speed, infrastructure, and “different scale” of drive make it indispensable. He leverages Chinese teams to cut prototype development from 18 months to just 6 weeks. The innovation flow has shifted from “China for China” t
Samsung’s high-bandwidth memory business is staging a major recovery. After a rough start to 2025, the company has now surpassed Micron in quarterly market share thanks to key customer wins.
