Kioxia shares plunge 12% as OpenAI IPO delay fears trigger AI selloff

Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia leads losses in Tokyo as reports that OpenAI is postponing its public listing spark a broader retreat in artificial intelligence equities.

By Handelsavisen Newsroom · Automated 2026-06-26 05:51 UTC · 1 min read

Shares of Japanese flash memory specialist Kioxia Holdings fell 12% in Tokyo trading on Friday, leading a sharp decline across the artificial intelligence sector.

The selloff was triggered by reports that OpenAI, the developer behind the ChatGPT platform, is considering delaying its highly anticipated initial public offering.

The news sent shockwaves through tech-heavy markets, with investors reassessing the near-term liquidity and valuation anchors provided by a potential OpenAI listing.

Kioxia, a key supplier of storage solutions for data centers, saw its shares slide as the broader AI trade unwound.

The move reflects growing sensitivity to any disruption in the timeline of major tech IPOs that have underpinned the sector's recent rally.

This development follows a period of heightened volatility in US equity markets, where the Nasdaq Composite recently fell 2.2% amid heavy selling in major AI stocks.