Aug 5 Reuters Shares of European tech and semiconductor stocks were down on Monday, as worries over a possible U.S. recession after soft data gripped financial markets and triggered a rush out of this year39;s topperforming stocks and into safehaven assets.

The STOXX tech index was last down 4.1, making it the worst performer among sectoral indices on regionwide STOXX 600, which shed some 3.

A report that Nvidia could delay its AI chip also weighed on sentiment.

The tech index already lost 6 on Friday after weakerthanexpected U.S. job growth and factory data, and disappointing earnings from U.S. heavyweight Intel.

Chip equipment makers ASM International  slumped 12, on top of a 13 fall on Friday. ASML, the largest maker of equipment used to manufacture computer chips, was down 4.

BE Semiconductor and STMicroelectronic were down around 5.

Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Amanda Cooper

Source Reuters