SK Hynix Hits Record High as AI Data Center Spending Frenzy Lifts Memory Chip Outlook

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May 5, 2026

SK Hynix shares surged to a record high on Monday, climbing 12.52% to close at 1,447,000 won ($985.29), as foreign investors piled in following stronger-than-expected signals from major U.S. tech companies that their massive artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout remains firmly on track.

The South Korean memory chipmaker significantly outperformed its larger rival Samsung Electronics, which rose a more modest 5.44% amid concerns over a potential strike by unionized workers demanding a greater share of the company’s booming AI-related profits.

The broader market rose 5.1%. The sharp rally underscores SK Hynix’s emergence as one of the clearest winners in the ongoing AI boom. The company has aggressively positioned itself in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, the specialized, high-performance memory essential for training and running advanced AI models, giving it a strong edge as demand continues to outstrip supply.

Sustained Boom Expected

Support for a more prolonged upcycle came from Bank of Korea senior deputy governor Ryoo Sang-dai, who suggested the current semiconductor boom could last longer than previous cycles. His remarks echoed the optimistic tone struck by both SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics during their earnings conference calls last month.

Last week’s earnings from the four major U.S. tech giants, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, reinforced investor confidence. All four companies signaled that AI-related capital spending would not slow, with combined outlays now expected to surpass $700 billion this year, up from around $600 billion previously.

Microsoft and Meta both raised their capital expenditure forecasts, citing higher-than-expected memory chip prices as a major factor. Amazon was particularly blunt about the supply-demand imbalance during its earnings call.

“I think everybody knows that the cost of these components, particularly memory, has skyrocketed. We are just in a stage where there’s just not enough capacity for the amount of demand,” Amazon said.

The comments highlight a critical dynamic: even as memory prices remain elevated, the world’s biggest cloud and AI players are committed to accelerating their data center investments, creating a powerful tailwind for specialized memory producers like SK Hynix.

SK Hynix has benefited from its early and heavy focus on HBM technology, securing key supply agreements with leading AI chip designers, most notably Nvidia. While Samsung has also expanded in the space, SK Hynix has captured significant market share in the most advanced HBM products required for next-generation AI accelerators.

The contrast with Samsung was evident on Monday. While both companies are major memory players, Samsung’s shares lagged due to labor tensions. Unionized workers are pushing for larger bonuses tied to the company’s strong AI-driven performance, raising the risk of production disruptions.

Analysts say SK Hynix’s more focused bet on high-margin AI memory, combined with strong execution, has made it the preferred play for investors seeking direct exposure to the AI infrastructure buildout.

The broader context is one of sustained tightness in the memory market. Surging demand from AI data centers has strained global supply chains, pushing prices higher and encouraging hyperscalers to commit even more capital. This environment favors companies like SK Hynix that have invested early and secured design wins in the most cutting-edge segments.

With Big Tech showing no signs of pulling back, despite rising costs, many in the industry now expect the current cycle to be longer and more structurally driven than past semiconductor booms, which were often tied to shorter consumer electronics cycles.

Monday’s record close reflects growing conviction among global investors that SK Hynix is exceptionally well-placed to benefit from this multi-year shift. While the chip sector is notoriously cyclical, the combination of insatiable AI demand and persistent capacity constraints has created one of the most favorable setups for leading memory specialists in years.

Foreign buying was a key driver of the session’s momentum, highlighting SK Hynix’s appeal to international investors hunting for high-conviction AI plays in the Asian supply chain. As long as U.S. tech giants continue raising their spending plans and memory supply remains tight, SK Hynix appears set to remain a standout performer.

MediaTek Recruits Former TSMC Packaging Veteran as Taiwan’s AI Chip Supply Chain Becomes a Global Strategic Asset

By

Samuel Nwite

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May 5, 2026

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Taiwanese chip designer MediaTek has appointed former TSMC executive Douglas Yu as a part-time adviser, in a move that underscores how advanced chip packaging has become one of the most valuable and strategically sensitive segments of the global artificial intelligence supply chain.

The appointment comes as MediaTek intensifies efforts to expand beyond its traditional smartphone chip business into AI accelerators, custom silicon, and advanced computing infrastructure, sectors now attracting hundreds of billions of dollars in global investment.

Yu joined TSMC in 1994 and retired in 2025 after more than three decades at the world’s largest contract chipmaker. During that period, he held several senior positions in backend research and development and played a central role in developing TSMC’s advanced packaging technologies, including its highly sought-after CoWoS platform.

CoWoS, short for Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate, has become one of the foundational technologies powering the modern AI boom.

The technology enables high-performance processors, memory stacks, and other semiconductor components to be tightly integrated into a single package, significantly improving data-transfer speeds, reducing latency, and increasing energy efficiency. The packaging architecture is widely used in advanced AI chips, including processors designed by Nvidia for training and running large AI models.

MediaTek said Yu would help guide the company’s research, development, and investment strategy in future advanced packaging technologies tied to TSMC’s ecosystem.

The hiring pinpoints a profound shift underway across the semiconductor industry. Historically, leadership in chipmaking was defined largely by transistor miniaturization and fabrication process technology. But the rise of generative AI has changed the economics of computing, pushing advanced packaging into the center of the competitive landscape.

Industry executives increasingly describe packaging as the new bottleneck in AI infrastructure. The enormous computational demands of large language models and AI accelerators require processors and high-bandwidth memory systems to operate with extremely fast interconnect speeds. That has made sophisticated packaging solutions such as CoWoS essential to AI server performance.

As a result, TSMC’s advanced packaging capacity has become one of the most constrained resources in the global technology sector.

Customers, including Nvidia, major cloud providers, and AI startups, have spent the past two years scrambling to secure CoWoS capacity amid persistent shortages. Analysts say packaging constraints, rather than wafer fabrication limits, have increasingly become the primary factor slowing deliveries of advanced AI hardware.

The bottleneck has grown so severe that several hyperscalers and semiconductor firms have begun redesigning supply chains and investing directly in packaging ecosystems to secure future access. Against that backdrop, MediaTek’s recruitment of one of the architects behind CoWoS signals that the company wants a much deeper role in the AI infrastructure value chain.

The company last week said it expects to generate multiple billions of dollars in revenue from AI accelerator ASIC chips by 2027, marking one of its clearest indications yet that it intends to become a major supplier in the custom AI chip market.

ASICs, or application-specific integrated circuits, are increasingly viewed as one of the fastest-growing segments in semiconductors as hyperscalers seek alternatives to general-purpose GPUs. Companies such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are aggressively developing custom AI chips to reduce costs, optimize workloads, and lessen dependence on Nvidia’s expensive processors.

That shift has created significant opportunities for chip designers capable of offering tailored AI silicon solutions.

MediaTek’s growing ambitions also reflect broader structural changes in the global semiconductor industry. Demand tied to AI data centers has triggered one of the largest infrastructure spending cycles in technology history, with major cloud providers expected to collectively spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually on AI-related infrastructure through the decade.

Much of that spending is flowing toward chips, memory systems, networking equipment, and packaging technologies. Taiwan has emerged as perhaps the single most strategically important location in that ecosystem.

Beyond TSMC’s dominance in advanced chip manufacturing, Taiwan has also become critical in server assembly, advanced packaging, AI hardware integration, and semiconductor testing. The island’s ecosystem now sits at the center of the AI compute supply chain that powers companies including Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Google.

That dominance has elevated geopolitical concerns surrounding Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, particularly amid rising tensions between the United States and China. Washington increasingly views Taiwan’s semiconductor infrastructure as a critical national security asset, while Beijing continues efforts to build domestic alternatives and reduce dependence on foreign chip technologies.

Advanced packaging has become especially sensitive because it represents an area where Taiwan retains a substantial technological lead that competitors have struggled to replicate quickly.

MediaTek’s closer alignment with TSMC’s packaging roadmap could therefore strengthen both its technological positioning and its importance within the broader AI ecosystem. The move also signals how semiconductor competition is evolving beyond individual chips toward system-level optimization. Increasingly, AI performance depends not only on processor design, but on how chips, memory, networking, and power systems are integrated together.

Companies capable of mastering that integration are expected to hold a major advantage in the next phase of AI infrastructure development.

For MediaTek, which built its reputation in smartphone processors and connectivity chips, the transition into AI infrastructure represents an attempt to move into higher-margin, faster-growing markets as global smartphone demand matures. The company has already been expanding into automotive chips, edge computing, and custom silicon. Bringing in a veteran deeply tied to TSMC’s most critical packaging technologies suggests MediaTek sees advanced integration capabilities as essential to competing in the next era of AI computing.

Industry analysts say the appointment may also provide MediaTek with earlier insight into future packaging developments, including next-generation heterogeneous integration technologies expected to become increasingly important as AI chips grow larger, hotter, and more power-intensive.

In the AI era, semiconductor leadership is no longer determined solely by who can build the fastest chip. Increasingly, it is determined by who can assemble the most efficient computing system around it.

MediaTek’s latest move shows the company intends to be part of that race.

GameStop Makes Bold $55.5bn Unsolicited Bid for eBay, Betting on Ryan Cohen’s Turnaround Vision

By

Samuel Nwite

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May 5, 2026

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GameStop launched a daring unsolicited offer to acquire eBay on Sunday, proposing a cash-and-stock deal valued at roughly $55.5 billion that would combine the meme-stock darling with one of the original giants of online commerce.

The gaming retailer offered $125 per share for eBay, split evenly between cash and GameStop stock, representing a 20% premium to eBay’s Friday closing price of $104.07 and a 46% premium to its share price on Feb. 4, when GameStop began building its stake.

eBay shares surged as much as 13.4% in after-hours trading to around $118, while GameStop rose about 4% to $27.60.GameStop said it has accumulated a roughly 5% stake in eBay and secured a commitment letter from TD Bank for up to $20 billion in debt financing.

The remainder of the deal would be funded from GameStop’s substantial $9.4 billion cash reserves.

In a statement, GameStop positioned the deal as a transformative opportunity to create a much stronger competitor to Amazon. Ryan Cohen, GameStop’s chairman and CEO, told The Wall Street Journal he sees significant untapped potential in eBay.

“EBay should be worth — and will be worth — a lot more money,” Cohen said. “I’m thinking about turning eBay into something worth hundreds of billions of dollars.”

If the deal goes through, Cohen is expected to become CEO of the combined company. He has made clear he is willing to take the offer directly to eBay shareholders through a proxy fight if the board rejects the proposal.

GameStop argued that eBay suffers from bloated operations and stagnant growth. The company highlighted eBay’s $2.4 billion sales and marketing budget in fiscal 2025, which failed to drive meaningful user growth — net active buyers increased less than 0.75%.

“More spend is not producing more users on a marketplace with near-universal brand recognition,” GameStop said in its offer.

The bidder pledged to cut $2 billion in annual costs within the first year, which it projects would boost eBay’s earnings per share (under U.S. GAAP) from $4.26 to $7.79 in the first full year post-deal.

GameStop also pitched its network of approximately 1,600 U.S. retail stores as valuable physical infrastructure that could support eBay’s marketplace through authentication, intake, fulfillment, and live commerce opportunities.

Questions of Credibility and Feasibility

The bid faces significant hurdles. GameStop’s market capitalization stood at around $12 billion before the announcement, compared with eBay’s roughly $46 billion. Many observers question whether eBay’s board will view the much smaller company, despite its large cash pile, as a credible buyer for an e-commerce platform four times its size.

Both companies have struggled in recent years to adapt to changing consumer habits and intense competition. eBay has long battled to regain momentum against Amazon’s dominance, while GameStop has relied heavily on its passionate retail investor base after the 2021 meme-stock frenzy.

Cohen first signaled his ambitions in January, telling CNBC that he was eyeing a “transformational” acquisition of a larger publicly traded consumer company — something that “never been done before within the history of the capital markets.”

Wall Street’s initial reaction was mixed but leaned positive for eBay shareholders, who stand to receive a substantial premium if the deal is consummated. GameStop investors appeared cautiously optimistic that Cohen, the activist investor who previously engineered a major shift at GameStop, could successfully execute another bold move.

The proposal remains non-binding and is subject to approval by eBay’s board, regulatory authorities, and shareholders of both companies. eBay has not yet publicly responded to the offer.

The move represents one of the most audacious takeover attempts in recent memory, pitting a meme-stock-fueled retailer against a seasoned but struggling e-commerce veteran. Cohen’s ability to convince eBay’s board, and ultimately its shareholders, that he can unlock “hundreds of billions” in value will be one of the most interesting events of the year.

Beyond the Razor: A Complete Guide to Laser Hair Removal and What to Expect

By

TI Partners

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May 5, 2026

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In a world where convenience and long-term solutions are increasingly valued, laser hair removal has emerged as one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. For those tired of shaving, waxing, or plucking, this technology offers a more lasting approach to managing unwanted hair. But despite its growing popularity, many people still have questions about how it works, whether it’s safe, and what results they can realistically expect. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about laser hair removal in a clear, practical way.

What Is Laser Hair Removal?

Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that uses concentrated beams of light (laser) to target and destroy hair follicles. The pigment (melanin) in the hair absorbs the light, which then converts to heat and damages the follicle. This damage inhibits or delays future hair growth.

It’s important to understand that laser hair removal doesn’t always result in permanent hair removal in the strictest sense. Instead, it significantly reduces hair growth over time, making regrowth finer, lighter, and much less noticeable. Also you can check this filler lips

How the Process Works

Hair grows in cycles, and lasers are most effective during the active growth phase (anagen phase). Because not all hairs are in the same phase at the same time, multiple sessions are required to effectively target all follicles.

A typical treatment plan includes:

6 to 8 sessions spaced several weeks apart
Maintenance sessions once or twice a year (depending on individual factors)

The procedure itself is relatively quick. Small areas like the upper lip can take just a few minutes, while larger areas like the back or legs may take up to an hour.You check this treatment as well hydrafacial treatment in dubai

Areas That Can Be Treated

Laser hair removal is versatile and can be used on most parts of the body, including:

Face (upper lip, chin, sideburns)
Underarms
Arms and legs
Bikini area
Chest and back

However, the effectiveness can vary depending on the thickness and color of the hair, as well as the skin tone.

Who Is the Best Candidate?

Laser hair removal tends to work best on individuals with light skin and dark hair. This contrast allows the laser to easily distinguish between the pigment in the hair and the surrounding skin.

That said, advancements in technology have made it possible for people with a wider range of skin tones to benefit from the procedure. Modern lasers can be adjusted to suit different skin types, although results may still vary.

People with very light blonde, gray, or red hair may not see optimal results because these hair types contain less melanin.

Is It Safe?

When performed by a trained and qualified professional, laser hair removal is generally safe. Most people experience only mild side effects, such as:

Temporary redness
Slight swelling
Mild discomfort similar to a rubber band snap

Serious side effects are rare but can include burns, blisters, or changes in skin pigmentation—especially if the procedure is done incorrectly or after sun exposure.

To minimize risks:

Choose a certified and experienced practitioner
Avoid sun exposure before and after treatment
Follow all pre- and post-care instructions carefully

Does It Hurt?

Pain tolerance varies from person to person, but most people describe the sensation as mildly uncomfortable rather than painful. Many modern devices include cooling mechanisms to reduce discomfort during the procedure.

Certain areas of the body, such as the bikini line or upper lip, may be more sensitive than others.

Preparing for Your Appointment

Preparation plays a key role in both safety and effectiveness. Before your session, you should:

Shave the treatment area 24 hours in advance
Avoid waxing or plucking for several weeks (the follicle must be intact)
Stay out of the sun and avoid tanning
Skip lotions, perfumes, or deodorants on the day of treatment

Your provider may also perform a patch test to determine how your skin reacts to the laser.

Aftercare and Recovery

Post-treatment care is just as important as preparation. After your session:

Avoid direct sun exposure for at least a week
Use sunscreen regularly
Avoid hot showers, saunas, and intense workouts for 24–48 hours
Apply soothing creams if recommended

You may notice hair shedding in the treated area over the following days or weeks. This is a normal part of the process and indicates that the follicles have been effectively treated.

Cost Considerations

Laser hair removal is an investment, and costs can vary widely depending on:

The size of the treatment area
The number of sessions required
Geographic location
The expertise of the provider

On average, a single session can range from $100 to $500 or more. While the upfront cost may seem high, many people find it cost-effective in the long run compared to the ongoing expense of waxing or shaving products.

Benefits of Laser Hair Removal

There’s a reason laser hair removal continues to grow in popularity. Some of its key advantages include:

Long-Term Results
After completing the recommended sessions, many people experience a significant reduction in hair growth that lasts for months or even years.

Precision
Lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs without damaging the surrounding skin.

Speed
Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat multiple hairs simultaneously.

Reduced Ingrown Hairs
Unlike shaving or waxing, laser treatment reduces the risk of ingrown hairs.

Limitations to Consider

Despite its benefits, laser hair removal isn’t a perfect solution for everyone. Some limitations include:

Multiple Sessions Required
Results are not immediate, and commitment to a full treatment plan is necessary.

Not Effective for All Hair Types
Very light or fine hair may not respond well to treatment.

Maintenance Needed
Periodic touch-ups may be required to maintain results.

Cost
The initial expense can be a barrier for some individuals.

At-Home vs. Professional Treatments

At-home laser devices have become more widely available, offering a convenient alternative to professional treatments. However, they typically use lower energy levels, which means:

Results may take longer to achieve
Effectiveness may be reduced
Safety depends heavily on correct usage

Professional treatments, on the other hand, are more powerful and are administered by trained technicians, making them more reliable and efficient.

Common Myths Debunked

“Laser hair removal is permanent after one session.”
False. Multiple sessions are required due to the hair growth cycle.

“It causes more hair to grow.”
False. In rare cases, hormonal factors may influence growth, but the procedure itself reduces hair.

“It’s unsafe for darker skin tones.”
Outdated. Newer technologies have improved safety for a broader range of skin tones.

Final Thoughts

Laser hair removal offers a practical and increasingly accessible solution for those looking to reduce unwanted hair with longer-lasting results. While it requires an upfront investment of time and money, many find the convenience and effectiveness well worth it.

Like any cosmetic procedure, the key to success lies in realistic expectations and choosing a qualified provider. If approached thoughtfully, laser hair removal can simplify your grooming routine and provide a noticeable boost in confidence over time.

Cerebras Targets $26.6bn IPO in High-Stakes Challenge to Nvidia as AI Chip Frenzy Intensifies

By

Samuel Nwite

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May 5, 2026

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Cerebras is seeking a valuation of up to $26.62 billion in its revived U.S. initial public offering, positioning the chipmaker at the center of Wall Street’s accelerating bet that the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom is still in its early stages.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company plans to sell 28 million shares priced between $115 and $125 each, aiming to raise as much as $3.5 billion in what could become one of the year’s most closely watched technology listings.

The offering marks Cerebras’ second attempt to go public after it withdrew an earlier IPO filing last October amid market volatility and investor caution surrounding high-growth technology stocks.

This time, however, the backdrop is dramatically different. Global spending on AI infrastructure has exploded as hyperscalers, governments, and enterprises race to secure the computing power required to train and deploy increasingly sophisticated AI models. That frenzy has transformed advanced semiconductors into one of the world’s most strategically important technologies, pushing investors back toward AI-linked offerings even as concerns persist over valuations and sustainability.

Cerebras is attempting to position itself as one of the few credible challengers to Nvidia, whose dominance in AI chips has made it one of the most valuable companies in history.

Unlike traditional chipmakers, Cerebras has built its identity around wafer-scale engine processors, enormous chips designed to deliver extreme computational performance for AI training and inference workloads. Rather than splitting computing tasks across many smaller processors, the company’s architecture concentrates massive compute and memory resources onto a single piece of silicon.

“By bringing massive compute and memory onto a single piece of silicon and integrating it into a purpose-built system and software stack, we deliver exceptional AI speed for customers on premises and via the cloud,” Cerebras said in its filing.

The company is betting that AI customers increasingly want alternatives to Nvidia’s ecosystem as demand for compute power intensifies and infrastructure costs soar. That strategy is gaining traction because the AI boom has exposed vulnerabilities in the global semiconductor supply chain. Access to advanced AI chips has become a critical bottleneck for technology firms, cloud providers, and governments seeking to compete in generative AI.

“Nvidia remains dominant as the market leader for AI inference as well as training infrastructure, however, Cerebras is pitching the idea that there is room for specialist chip companies if they can offer clear speed or cost advantages,” said IPOX Research Associate Lukas Muehlbauer.

Cerebras’ public debut also reflects a broader shift in investor psychology. Earlier in the AI cycle, much of the market’s enthusiasm centered on applications such as chatbots, copilots, and generative content. Increasingly, however, investors are moving deeper into the foundational layers of the AI economy, including chips, networking equipment, data centers, and energy infrastructure.

That transition has helped fuel enormous capital expenditure commitments across the technology sector. Major cloud providers, including Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, are collectively expected to spend more than $700 billion this year on AI infrastructure, according to analyst estimates.

Cerebras has sought to capitalize on that spending wave through aggressive partnerships and fundraising. Earlier this year, the company raised $1 billion in a late-stage funding round led by Tiger Global, valuing the business at $23 billion. Investors in the round included AMD, Benchmark, Fidelity Management, and Coatue.

The company also secured a major agreement with OpenAI valued at more than $20 billion, under which the ChatGPT maker agreed to deploy 750 megawatts of Cerebras’ AI compute infrastructure over multiple years. That deal is particularly significant because it signals growing demand for alternatives to Nvidia’s hardware stack among leading AI developers. OpenAI, Anthropic, and other frontier AI companies are increasingly searching for ways to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on a single chip vendor as global competition for compute intensifies.

The IPO also arrives during a notable rebound in the broader U.S. listings market. Investor sentiment has improved sharply in recent months as equity markets hover near record highs and fears surrounding the Iran war and energy disruptions have eased somewhat. Bankers say AI-focused listings are now viewed as some of the most attractive opportunities in the market because the sector remains tied to long-term structural demand rather than short-term consumer spending cycles.

“Cerebras is an important signal deal for the IPO market as a test of whether public investors are ready to fund high-growth AI infrastructure companies after a softer start to the year,” Muehlbauer said.

“There is also a race to get deals done before SpaceX. The SpaceX IPO will be so large and high-profile that there are concerns it could absorb a lot of investor attention and capital,” he added.

SpaceX reportedly filed to go public last month, setting up what could become one of the largest and most consequential IPO periods in years.

Cerebras is entering public markets at a time when investors are beginning to ask tougher questions about whether AI infrastructure spending can continue at its current pace indefinitely. While demand for compute remains enormous, some analysts warn that valuations across the AI ecosystem increasingly assume years of uninterrupted growth.

That scrutiny has intensified after reports that some AI firms are struggling to meet internal revenue expectations even as they commit tens of billions of dollars to data centers and long-term compute contracts.

Cerebras’ financials, however, are likely to strengthen its pitch to investors. The company reported revenue of $510 million for the year ended December 31, up from $290.3 million a year earlier. It also posted earnings of $1.38 per share, reversing a loss of $9.90 per share the previous year.

The turnaround is notable because many AI infrastructure startups remain deeply unprofitable despite surging valuations. Cerebras is attempting to distinguish itself not only as a technology innovator but also as a company capable of generating real commercial returns from the AI boom.

Still, the company faces formidable challenges. Nvidia’s dominance extends beyond chips into software, developer ecosystems, and customer relationships, areas that are notoriously difficult to disrupt. Large cloud providers are also increasingly developing their own in-house AI chips, intensifying competitive pressure across the industry.