Asian equity markets pushed higher on Thursday as investors rotated into technology names and risk-on sentiment outweighed persistent uncertainty over Federal Reserve policy. Major regional bourses advanced, with gains concentrated in semiconductor stocks in South Korea and heavyweight mining and banking shares in Australia.
South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI was the top performer in the region, climbing nearly 3% to finish at a record 5,673.11. Chipmakers were the primary driver of the rally, with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KS:005930) jumping more than 4% to a fresh high after domestic media reported the company planned to raise prices on its advanced memory chips amid strong demand from the artificial intelligence sector.
Samsung’s upward move extended gains the company has recorded since it said earlier this month that it had started mass production of HBM4 chips, a component used in AI processors. Alongside Samsung, SK Hynix Inc (KS:000660) was cited as another clear beneficiary of the AI-driven surge in demand for memory products. Both firms have seen their valuations push higher as rising need for AI infrastructure has translated into substantial sales and allowed companies to lift selling prices amid supply tightness.
Despite trade data for January coming in mildly below expectations, South Korea’s export numbers still posted a near 34% increase, driven in large part by overseas demand for chips. The stronger technology sector performance helped Korean markets look through the softer trade print.
In Australia, the ASX 200 climbed more than 1% to a record 9,118.30, supported by gains in major mining and banking shares. Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) rose in excess of 2% after the miner said it had boosted its investment in a Canadian lithium venture. Australia’s largest banks - ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:ANZ), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC), Commonwealth Bank Of Australia (ASX:CBA), and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) - each advanced between about 1.3% and 3% and contributed materially to the index’s record close.
Labor-market datapoints in Australia were mixed and had a tangible effect on expectations for monetary policy. A softer-than-expected increase in employment in January prompted some market participants to pull back on near-term rate-hike bets for the Reserve Bank of Australia, though the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%, indicating the job market is still relatively tight.
Across the rest of the region, markets were broadly supportive of risk assets. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.9%, helped by technology stocks and a weaker yen that aided exporters, while the TOPIX index added 1%. Singapore’s Straits Times also gained about 1%. Futures for India’s Nifty 50 were up roughly 0.3%, with market participants expecting some bargain hunting in local technology names after recent declines.
Chinese and Hong Kong markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, limiting participation in mainland Asian trading activity on the day. Regional markets largely tracked gains from Wall Street overnight as investors appeared willing to look past hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve and hunt for value, particularly in the technology sector. S&P 500 futures were reported flat at 21:56 ET (02:56 GMT), reflecting a pause in U.S. futures activity late in the session.
Market context and positioning
The session highlighted two strong thematic moves: sustained investor appetite for semiconductor-related equities, which has propelled South Korean benchmarks to record levels, and renewed buying interest in resource and financial stocks that helped the ASX 200 climb to a new high. Both moves occurred against the backdrop of mixed domestic economic data and ongoing debates over the path of interest rates in developed markets.
While the immediate market reaction favored risk assets, traders remained attentive to incoming economic data and central bank communications that could alter rate expectations and investor positioning.