Retail investors have been rapidly entering semiconductor stocks. Since the start of the year they have bought $22.5 billion of listed US semiconductor exchange‑traded funds, a rise of more than 1,000 % since early April. In the past month alone, purchases reached $12 billion, the highest monthly total on record. By comparison, monthly retail buying of semiconductor ETFs never exceeded $2 billion in any month of 2024 or 2025. In June, retail investors also spent an average of $1.9 billion per day on semiconductor‑related options, 16 % above the previous record of $1.6 billion set in May, reflecting strong interest in chip‑maker stocks.