Asia Stock Rout Deepens: South Korea Triggers Circuit Breaker Again, Taiwan Drops Below 40,500; Memory and Chip Equipment Stocks Crater — BigGo Finance

• Financial markets recently rallied on hopes that a pause in military confrontation between the US and Iran signaled the start of behind-the-scenes negotiations. • Despite the optimistic market sentiment, there has been a lack of concrete news or official confirmation from the involved parties regarding a formal negotiating process.

• Investors are anticipating the Federal Reserve's upcoming interest rate decision, with the general expectation being that rates will remain steady. • Despite expectations of a hold, growing uncertainty under Chair Kevin Warsh has increased the possibility of a surprise rate hike.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed more than 500 points higher on Tuesday, as strong corporate earnings optimism offset continued weakness in technology shares. • Investors are closely monitoring the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, which began Tuesday, to gauge future monetary directions.

• Investors are preparing for Wednesday's Federal Reserve rate decision amid unusually high uncertainty regarding future interest rate hikes. • Market participants are focusing on core inflation and whether Chair Kevin Warsh will provide forward guidance or maintain a data-dependent approach for September.

• Indian equities closed lower on Tuesday, with the Sensex and Nifty 50 erasing early gains following a sharp rally. • Market analysts attribute the decline to cautious investor sentiment ahead of upcoming global central bank meetings and fluctuations in crude oil prices.

• South Korea’s KOSPI index extended its decline with a 12% drop on Wednesday, led by a 20% plunge in SK Hynix shares. • Despite posting record quarterly earnings, SK Hynix faced investor skepticism regarding high valuations and the long-term sustainability of AI-driven demand.

• Major Asian stock markets, including South Korea's KOSPI, Japan's Nikkei 225, and Taiwan's TAIEX, experienced a massive crash. • The selloff resulted in a combined loss of over $950 billion in market value across these three indices.

• Asian stock markets experienced a significant decline, highlighted by South Korea's KOSPI sinking 8% and Taiwan's benchmark index falling nearly 4%. • The sell-off was driven by a combination of AI-related jitters, geopolitical tensions following Iranian attacks, and fears that China's growing semiconductor ecosystem will pressure established chipmakers.

• The South Korean Won (KRW) has extended its gains against the US Dollar for two consecutive days, approaching four-month highs. • The currency is on track for a 6.5% monthly rally, driven by strong macroeconomic data and expectations that the Bank of Korea will implement monetary tightening.

• South Korea's Kospi share index plummeted approximately 7% due to prolonged selling of chipmaking stocks, while other Asian markets showed mixed results. • Other regional declines included Taiwan’s Taiex, which shed 3.8%, and the Shanghai Composite index, which fell 0.5% to 3,793.11.

• The Indian stock market rallied on July 29, 2026, with the Sensex jumping over 820 points and the Nifty 50 surpassing the 24,220 mark. • The surge was primarily driven by strong performance in the IT, consumer, and telecom sectors, supported by favorable global market cues.