Japan's Nikkei tops 52,000 for first time as Asian markets trade mixed SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - Asian stock markets were mixed on Friday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 surging past the 52,000 mark for the first time in its 75-year history, while Chinese and Hong Kong shares slipped and South Korea’s benchmark index traded little changed. As of late morning, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 1.5 percent at 52,089.30, building on a week of record-breaking gains. The index crossed 50,000 on Monday and 51,000 on Wednesday before reaching another milestone Friday. The rally has been supported by a weaker yen, steady policy from the Bank of Japan and upbeat earnings from major U.S. technology firms such as Apple. In Seoul, the Kospi edged up 0.2 percent to 4,096.66 as of 10:17 a.m., holding near flat as foreign investors continued to sell local equities, limiting further gains. Foreigners sold a net 122 billion won ($87 million) worth of Korean shares, reflecting lingering caution in the market. Analysts said several factors were weighing on sentiment. Although Seoul and Washington reached a tariff agreement at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, Thursday, unresolved details have kept trade-related risks in play. Profit-taking has also emerged after recent sharp gains, while Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s unexpectedly hawkish remarks on rate cuts have tempered expectations for additional monetary easing this year. Powell told reporters Thursday that a December rate cut was “not a foregone conclusion,” surprising investors who had priced in further accommodation. A weaker close on Wall Street overnight — with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite all ending lower — has added to the cautious mood across Asia. Still, optimism around artificial intelligence provided some support for Korean technology shares. Market sentiment brightened after Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang met informally over “chimaek” — Korean fried chicken and beer — with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun. Media reports said Nvidia may soon announce major AI chip supply deals with leading Korean firms, potentially deepening partnerships in the global tech race. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.5 percent to 3,969.13, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.4 percent to 26,186.24. The South China Morning Post reported that investors remained cautious following the Xi-Trump meeting at APEC, noting that markets had already priced in expectations of a limited trade thaw. Persistent skepticism over the durability of any trade relief continued to weigh on sentiment. 2025-10-31 11:35:12

Asian stocks end flat Thursday as U.S.–China talks yield little beyond gestures SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - Asian stock markets ended mostly flat on Thursday, as the highly anticipated summit between the United States and China produced little beyond diplomatic optics, offering no meaningful signals on trade or geopolitical issues. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.2 percent to 4,087, after a volatile session in which the index tested the 4,100 level and touched a fresh intraday high of 4,146.72. Among large caps, Hyundai Motor, Hanwha Ocean, Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix climbed 3.6 percent, 1.8 percent, 2.7 percent, and 6.9 percent, respectively. Their gains were attributed to renewed semiconductor momentum and relief after Seoul and Washington concluded negotiations on their tariff and investment deal. Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.04 percent to 51,325.61, with investors largely maintaining a wait-and-see stance ahead of the Bank of Japan’s next policy direction. China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.7 percent to 3,986.90, as investors locked in recent profits and stayed cautious ahead of the U.S.–China meeting, which offered little clarity on economic or trade cooperation. Taiwan’s TAIEX slipped 0.03 percent to 28,287.53. The market stayed directionless as weakness in U.S. tech stocks, combined with mixed performance from major electronics names including TSMC, capped further gains. Investors also remained cautious, watching for any signs of easing tensions between Washington and Beijing. 2025-10-30 17:19:50

Why HBM defines the AI race and seats SK hynix in the lead SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - DRAM has long been the dependable workhorse of computing — a flat, two-dimensional structure built to read and write data one cycle at a time. It remains essential for general-purpose CPUs, but its architecture is now running into hard physical limits as artificial intelligence demands exponentially higher data throughput. High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) upends that classical design. Instead of laying chips out side-by-side, HBM stacks multiple DRAM layers vertically and connects them with microscopic conduits called Through-Silicon Vias (TSVs). This 3D structure forms an ultra-dense memory tower that delivers dramatically higher bandwidth and capacity within the same or smaller footprint. The difference is not cosmetic — it is foundational. AI training and inference shuffle enormous datasets between processors and memory in real time. Conventional DRAM becomes a bottleneck: a single-lane road trying to handle multi-lane traffic. HBM, by contrast, functions like a multilayer expressway, giving GPUs the bandwidth needed to process massive models without choking the system. Nvidia’s A100 GPU illustrates this shift. Equipped with HBM, it delivers nearly double the bandwidth and memory capacity of its GDDR-based counterpart, the A6000, while maintaining the same physical size. More memory per card means frontier AI models no longer need to be fragmented across multiple GPUs, reducing overhead and accelerating performance. HBM is expensive — far pricier than DDR memory — but in the AI era, cost per gigabyte no longer determines value. What matters is speed, stability, and total usable capacity. For companies training frontier models, HBM is no longer optional but essential infrastructure. This is also why SK hynix has surged to the front of the global memory race. Though traditionally quiet and engineering-driven, the company was first to mass-produce every major generation of HBM — from HBM2E to HBM3E — and consistently delivered memory that met Nvidia’s exacting standards for heat management, power efficiency, uniformity, and defect tolerance. Its lead in TSV processing and 3D stacking has translated into higher yields and greater reliability than rivals. For Nvidia, which cannot risk memory-induced bottlenecks in its flagship AI accelerators, that reliability has proven decisive. SK hynix has become its primary supplier for the H100, H200, and next-generation B-series GPUs. The combination of early technical leadership, rigorous quality control, and quiet operational execution has allowed SK hynix — long overshadowed by Samsung Electronics in traditional DRAM — to seize the decisive high ground in the AI memory era, powering the company’s record-breaking performance as the world enters a new AI super-cycle. 2025-10-29 17:55:30

Asian markets mixed as investors await Trump-Xi meeting SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Major Asian stock markets closed with mixed results on Wednesday, as investors weighed optimism over technology earnings against caution ahead of a high-stakes meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In South Korea, the benchmark KOSPI index rose 2 percent to close at 3,921.52, led by gains in semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Both extended their recent rally amid renewed hopes that Washington might ease export restrictions on advanced chips. Strong quarterly results from the two companies further fueled the surge, lifting the broader technology sector. Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.3 percent to 49,282.19, supported by expectations of additional fiscal stimulus from Tokyo. Industrial and tech stocks led the advance, echoing Wall Street’s recent momentum driven by developments in artificial intelligence. In Taiwan, the TAIEX index slipped 0.4 percent to 24,388.21 as investors took profits following recent strong gains in chipmakers. Despite the modest retreat, analysts noted that Taiwan’s semiconductor industry remains a vital pillar of the global supply chain. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 0.7 percent to 25,967.98, buoyed by property and industrial shares. Investors there also appeared cautiously optimistic, awaiting clarity from the ongoing U.S.-China trade discussions. By contrast, India’s benchmark BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 each fell 0.3 percent, to 84,301 and 25,817 respectively. Weaker banking and consumer goods stocks weighed on the market, as sentiment cooled amid concerns over a possible new U.S. trade probe into China and rising crude oil prices that could stoke inflation pressures. Across the region, traders are keeping a close watch on the Trump-Xi meeting, which could shape the next phase of global trade relations and influence monetary and fiscal strategies across Asia’s export-driven economies. 2025-10-29 16:29:16

KOSPI, Nikkei take breather, China-related markets gain ahead of Trump–Xi summit SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Seoul and Tokyo shares slipped Tuesday morning as investors locked in profits following a sharp rally, while China-related markets firmed on expectations of progress in upcoming U.S.–China summit talks. The benchmark KOSPI fell 1 percent, slipping back below the 4,000 threshold just a day after breaching it for the first time, as traders took profits from a near two-week rally. The stronger-than-expected third-quarter GDP report failed to lift sentiment. Samsung Electronics dropped below the hard-won 100,000-won mark, while SK hynix managed to hold above 500,000 won. The secondary KOSDAQ index eased 0.2 percent to stay above the key 900-point level. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 edged down to 50,304.53 from Monday’s close of 50,512.32, weighed by profit-taking in export and tech shares. Investors turned cautious after softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data stoked concerns about a slowdown in the world’s largest economy. China-linked markets extended gains. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.7 percent to 3,950 on the back of stronger industrial profit growth and optimism over renewed trade cooperation between Washington and Beijing. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 0.8 percent to 26,360, supported by tech and biotech shares, while Taiwan’s TAIEX jumped 1.7 percent to 27,993, driven by heavy buying in TSMC and other chip names amid hopes for easing trade tensions and another potential U.S. rate cut. Markets in Southeast Asia were mixed. Vietnam’s VN-Index slipped 0.2 percent to 1,683, while Malaysia’s FBM KLCI added 0.3 percent to 1,613 on steady economic prospects. 2025-10-28 13:12:24

HOT STOCK: Hyundai E&C uplifted by milestone nuclear energy deal in Texas SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - Hyundai Engineering & Construction rose sharply Monday, touching as high as 71,000 won ($50) before closing at 69,100 won, up nearly 4 percent, as the KOSPI finished at a record high. The rally followed news that the Korean builder will play a key role in front-end engineering design for four large nuclear reactors in Texas, marking a major step toward entering the U.S. nuclear energy market. The project in Amarillo is part of a vast private power grid and artificial intelligence campus being developed by U.S. energy firm Fermi America. Hyundai’s contract covers site layout planning, cooling system assessments, and budgeting forecasts — work that underscores its deepening expertise and ambition to expand into high-value nuclear infrastructure overseas. Analysts say the deal could serve as a gateway for Hyundai’s broader participation in the U.S. energy transition and open the door to future construction or supply contracts through 2026. “This engagement reflects Hyundai’s strategic shift toward stable, high-capital energy projects in an evolving global market,” said Lee Joon-hyuk, a Seoul-based energy market strategist. Jun Jang-moon, senior analyst at KB Securities, described the partnership with Fermi as “a milestone project in the U.S. nuclear energy market.” He noted that although the agreement remains at the basic design stage, “the plan to build four large-scale nuclear reactors in the American market holds considerable significance,” adding that it could pave the way for a series of new project launches and investment inflows in the coming year. 2025-10-27 16:46:15

KOSPI breaks 4,000 for first time in 45 yrs, Nikkei also at historic high SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - Korean and Japanese stock markets celebrated historic milestones Monday, with both the KOSPI and Nikkei breaking past symbolic thresholds for the first time in their histories. The KOSPI jumped 2.3 percent to 4,032.49 around midday, topping the 4,000 mark for the first time in its 45-year history. Bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led the charge, each hitting record levels — 100,000 won ($70) and 500,000 won, respectively. Advancers outnumbered decliners 595 to 282, with institutional investors net buying nearly 600 billion won, while retail investors offloaded about 485 billion won to take profits from recent rallies. The surge drew international attention after The Wall Street Journal cited Korea as one of this year’s best-performing markets, with the KOSPI’s 64-percent rise far outpacing other major indices — the MSCI All Country World ex-USA Index gained about 26 percent, the S&P 500 15 percent, Germany’s DAX 22 percent, Japan’s Nikkei 225 24 percent, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 18 percent. Petrochemical and battery shares extended their red-hot run, with Isu Chemical hitting the daily upper limit with a 30-percent surge, and EcoPro soaring 12 percent by midday. The KOSDAQ also advanced 1.8 percent to 899.05, nearing the 900 mark for only the second time since its first-ever breach 19 months ago. “Foreign investors are returning to the Korean market in full force, drawn by attractive valuations and strong earnings momentum,” said Lee Jae-hyun, analyst at Mirae Asset Securities. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 surged 2.1 percent to 50,230.45, marking the first time Japan’s premier stock index has crossed the 50,000 threshold. The rally followed a U.S.-China trade framework deal reached over the weekend in Kuala Lumpur and growing expectations of another U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut at the upcoming policy meeting. Sentiment was further boosted by anticipation of bilateral talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week in Seoul. Elsewhere in Asia, China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.5 percent to 3,890, Taiwan’s TAIEX rose 0.7 percent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 0.9 percent. 2025-10-27 11:55:35

East Asian markets upbeat before Trump's arrival next week SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Asian markets ended mostly higher Friday on optimism surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming Asian tour, which includes back-to-back summits with leaders of South Korea, China, and Japan. In Seoul, the KOSPI climbed 2.0 percent to close at 3,921.52, reclaiming the 3,900 threshold as chip bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix extended gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.3 percent to 49,282.19, supported by expectations of renewed fiscal stimulus from Tokyo. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.7 percent to 25,967.98, buoyed by strength in property and industrial shares. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.2 percent to 3,922.41, as investors looked past lingering concerns about U.S. export curbs on advanced chip technology. Elsewhere in Asia, sentiment was more mixed. In India, both benchmarks eased — the BSE Sensex slipped 0.3 percent to 84,301, and the NSE Nifty 50 fell 0.3 percent to 25,817 — weighed down by weakness in banking and FMCG stocks such as Hindustan Unilever and Kotak Bank. Traders cited anxiety over a possible new U.S. trade probe into China and rising crude prices that could stoke inflation. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index gained 0.5 percent to 8,312.57, driven by foreign buying in mining and consumer shares. Malaysia’s KLCI inched up 0.2 percent to 1,611.53, reversing early losses as bargain hunters supported industrial and utility counters. Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.5 percent to 4,416.27. Taiwan’s TAIEX eased 0.4 percent to 24,388.21 on mild profit-taking in chipmakers, while Vietnam’s VN-Index continued its ascent, adding 0.8 percent to 969.2, led by property developers. 2025-10-24 16:54:22

HOT STOCK: Korea's battery stocks going up, up, up — but analysts warn against chasing golden moment SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s secondary battery shares are leading Seoul’s tech-driven rally, fueled by stronger electric vehicle (EV) sales and booming demand for energy storage systems (ESS). As of 3:15 p.m. Friday, Ecopro jumped 5.6 percent to 85,100 won ($59), extending its surge amid renewed optimism in the battery sector. LG Energy Solution rose 4.8 percent to 465,500 won, supported by sustained institutional buying across major battery makers. Isu Chemical soared by the KOSDAQ’s daily limit of 30 percent to 12,690 won, emerging as one of the index’s top performers on heavy speculative trading. The rally is powered by multiple tailwinds. Global EV sales hit a record 2.1 million units last month — up 26 percent year-on-year — beating market expectations and restoring confidence. Meanwhile, ESS demand tied to AI infrastructure has become a major growth driver. Analysts estimate U.S. installations could reach 120 GWh, growing 25 percent annually, as AI data centers require massive batteries to stabilize power use — with ESS margins often higher than those of EV batteries. Adding to the hype, China’s Chery unveiled a 600 Wh/kg solid-state battery prototype on Oct. 18 — nearly double the current lithium-ion density — targeting commercialization by 2027. That lifted sentiment toward Korean suppliers in the solid-state supply chain. Short covering has further amplified gains, with L&F’s short interest reaching 25 percent of float, triggering forced buying. But beneath the euphoria, structural weaknesses persist. Korean battery makers’ utilization rates remain at 40–50 percent, far below the 90 percent achieved by China’s CATL and BYD. Their heavy bet on high-end NCM batteries backfired as Chinese rivals dominated the mass market with cheaper LFP technology. As a result, Korea’s global market share slipped to 16.4 percent in the first half of 2025, down 5.4 points year-on-year, while Chinese firms seized 49.7 percent in Europe — overtaking Korea for the first time. The slowdown has shown in earnings. LG Energy Solution’s operating profit plunged 73.4 percent in 2024, ending with a $430 million Q4 net loss. Samsung SDI posted its first quarterly deficit in seven years, prompting a 2 trillion-won rights issue, while SK On initiated workforce restructuring. The elimination of U.S. EV tax credits adds another headwind, echoing Europe’s experience — where EV sales fell 27.4 percent in Germany and 15.9 percent in Sweden after subsidy cuts. Analysts now warn against chasing the golden moment. Shinhan Investment Securities described the surge as “rotation-driven rather than earnings-led.” Yuanta Securities’ Han Byung-hwa — famed for predicting the 2019 biotech crash — cautioned that battery-material valuations are “a bubble with no other way to describe it,” with price-to-sales ratios averaging 9.9× versus 1.1× for cell makers. The three Ecopro affiliates now account for 16 percent of total KOSDAQ market capitalization, up from 4 percent at the start of the year. LS Securities’ Jung Kyung-hee noted that “while investor interest in battery stocks is surging alongside the KOSPI rally, demand growth is slowing.” She added that Korean firms remain overvalued relative to global peers, with EV recovery still fragile and China-centric — leaving much of the upside likely to flow to Chinese suppliers expanding aggressively in Europe. 2025-10-24 16:53:47

Asian shares lose ground on tech selling SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Asian stock markets ended lower Thursday as investors reacted to disappointing technology earnings and persistent geopolitical uncertainties, while Vietnamese equities stood out with gains on expectations of stronger domestic demand. South Korea’s main KOSPI and secondary KOSDAQ retreated after a record-setting rally. The KOSPI fell 1.2 percent to 3,835.79, and the tech-heavy KOSDAQ lost 0.9 percent to 870.90 as institutional investors took profits. Chip bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix slipped 1.8 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.3 percent to 3,904.16 amid renewed trade concerns and fears of tighter U.S. export controls on software and chip technology. Leading tech shares such as Zhongji Innolight and Suzhou TFC fell between 3 and 7 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.3 percent to 25,695, weighed by semiconductor names including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., which sank 3.8 percent as U.S.–China tensions and regulatory scrutiny dampened sentiment. Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 0.9 percent to 48,866.58, extending losses after a brief rally earlier this week on expectations of fiscal stimulus. The pullback reflected broader risk-off sentiment toward global technology shares. Taiwan’s TAIEX gained 0.6 percent to 24,482.52, supported by renewed investor interest in select tech firms, though semiconductor names such as United Microelectronics posted modest losses. Vietnam’s VN-Index was the region’s bright spot, climbing 1.2 percent to 961.3, led by real estate and consumer discretionary stocks. Vingroup (VIC) advanced 3.9 percent, anchoring the rally. 2025-10-23 17:29:46