MiniMax Stock Falls 5.8% Amid Sector-Wide Sell-Off Sparked by Rival's Data Scandal

Shares of MiniMax Group Inc. fell sharply on Monday, dragged down by a sector-wide sell-off in Chinese artificial intelligence stocks after a data privacy controversy engulfed a key competitor.

The stock closed down 5.8% at HK$285.4 in Hong Kong trading, underperforming the broader market as investors reassessed risks across the AI industry.

Rival's Data Scandal Sparks Contagion

The sell-off was triggered by steep losses in ZAI Co Ltd, one of MiniMax's closest rivals. ZAI was hit by accusations that its coding assistant tool transmitted user workspace data to external servers without securing explicit consent from users.

This incident has sparked concerns among investors about a potential loss of user trust and the prospect of heightened regulatory scrutiny for the entire Chinese AI sector. The reputational damage to ZAI has spilled over to peers, leading to sympathy selling in related stocks.

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Market Impact for MiniMax

As a direct competitor in enterprise and consumer AI, MiniMax was particularly vulnerable to the negative sentiment. The company's suite of products, which includes multimodal models and video generation tools, operates in the same segments now under a microscope due to the controversy at ZAI.

The decline adds to a difficult period for the stock, which remains significantly below its post-IPO high of HK$1,330. High-growth, high-valuation technology stocks like MiniMax have been sensitive to broader market headwinds, including expectations of further U.S. interest rate hikes and sluggish economic data from China.

Notably, MiniMax's drop on Monday contrasted with a modest recovery in the wider Hong Kong market, with the Hang Seng Index gaining approximately 0.7%. This divergence highlights the sector-specific nature of the pressure on Chinese AI companies.