South Korea’s Kospi index jumps more than 15% on a surge of chipmaking stocks


BANGKOK (AP) — South Korea’s Kospi index jumped more than 15% on Friday, tracking Wall Street gains, as artificial intelligence-related stocks bounced back after losses this week.

U.S. futures edged higher and oil prices rose.

In early Asian trading, the Kospi rose 15.3% to 6,447.10. Shares of South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics surged 21.5%, while memory chipmaker SK Hynix soared 25.6%.

The Kospi index had plummeted more than 16% on Tuesday and Wednesday on a sell-off of technology stocks in part over worries about an AI bubble and rising intensive competition from chipmaking rivals in China.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 also climbed 5% in early Friday trading. Multinational investment holding company and OpenAI-investor SoftBank Group jumped 14.7%, while chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron rose 9.3%.

Oil prices traded higher on tensions between the U.S. and Iran, and as the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil transport, remained largely closed. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 0.3% to $87.14 per barrel. It was around $72 a barrel before the start of the Iran war in late February.

On Thursday, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 was up 1.7% to 7,437.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.2% to 52,208.06. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 2.8% to 25,122.18.

The Associated Press

A currency trader talks on the phone at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) – The Associated Press
The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) – The Associated Press
FILE – A Microsoft logo is seen on a screen as people listen at an event at Microsoft headquarters, May 20, 2024, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) – The Associated Press



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Aschenbrenner Tried to Sell Private Stakes Before Citadel Deal

    (Bloomberg) — Situational Awareness tried selling some of its stakes in privately held companies as it rushed to raise cash to meet a barrage of margin calls from its lenders…

    China’s factory activity unexpectedly slips into contraction in July

    HONG KONG (AP) — China’s factory activity unexpectedly slowed in July, the first such contraction in five months, weighing on the pace of broader growth for the world’s second-largest economy.…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    China’s factory activity unexpectedly slips into contraction in July

    China’s factory activity unexpectedly slips into contraction in July

    Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, July 31

    Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, July 31

    Elden Ring Movie Officially Wraps Filming

    Elden Ring Movie Officially Wraps Filming

    The Best Under-$385 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Shoe Deals

    The Best Under-$385 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Shoe Deals

    10 Climbers, Including Nims Purja, Missing After Avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan

    Democratic candidates grapple with past stances on defunding the police ahead of key midterm races

    Democratic candidates grapple with past stances on defunding the police ahead of key midterm races