S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
- KOSPI surged over 14%, propelled by massive rebounds in tech giants SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.
- Strong tech earnings from Microsoft and Amazon renewed global investor confidence in sustained artificial intelligence demand.
- Japan’s Nikkei climbed 3.5% as the Bank of Japan kept benchmark interest rates steady at 1.0%.
Asian stock markets move higher on Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street as a global rally in semiconductor stocks and renewed AI optimism lifted sentiment. Strong earnings from Microsoft and Amazon reinforced expectations for continued hyperscaler investment and resilient AI demand.
South Korea’s KOSPI Composite surged over 14.5%, driven by major gains in SK Hynix, up by over 25%, and Samsung Electronics, up over 20%. Investor sentiment was further boosted by South Korea’s plan for a 20 trillion Won sovereign wealth fund targeting strategic industries, alongside June industrial production rising 2.3%, its fastest monthly pace in six years.
Korean authorities step up action to calm equity swings
Analysts at Commerzbank highlight that Korea’s policy response is intensifying, noting that “the Finance Ministry announced additional measures to curb equity market volatility.” They frame these steps as part of a broader official effort to stabilise markets and support the Korean Won at a time of heightened swings in the Kospi and related leveraged products.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbs 3.5% to around 64,050 following the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) decision to hold its policy rate unchanged at 1% in an 8-1 vote, as expected. Hajime Takata was the sole dissenter, favoring a rate hike due to upside inflation risks from Middle East conflicts.
Meanwhile, Chinese markets saw mixed results: the SSE Composite rose 0.70% to roughly 3,830, and the Shenzhen Component jumped over 3% to 13,700, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped nearly 0.10% to around 25,830.
Economic data from China showed ongoing weakness, with the NBS Manufacturing PMI falling into contraction at 49.2 in July, down from 50.3, and the Non-Manufacturing PMI dropping to 49.0, both missing 50.0 estimates. These weak readings underscored growth concerns following sub-target Q2 GDP performance. Adding to market caution, Zhongji Innolight fell during its Hong Kong debut despite raising HK$53.4 billion in a major IPO, reflecting selective hesitation around tech valuations amid broader market shifts.
