Higher-for-longer rates set to hit Asia's tech sectors as Fed stays the course: analysts - The Business Times

• US borrowing costs reached a 19-year high as the Federal Reserve maintained its stance despite inflation concerns, while the Bank of England kept UK interest rates steady at 3.75%. • Samsung Electronics reported a massive 250-fold increase in chip operating income, though a broader sell-off in AI suppliers pressured several Asian markets.

• Asian stock markets surged on Friday, driven by a global rally in semiconductor stocks and renewed optimism surrounding artificial intelligence. • South Korea's KOSPI Composite jumped over 14.5%, fueled by massive gains in Samsung Electronics (over 20%) and SK Hynix (over 25%).

• Indian benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty 50, opened marginally higher on Friday following positive global cues. • The markets experienced significant volatility shortly after opening, with indices oscillating between gains and losses as investor uncertainty grew.

• Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. shares surged nearly 30% on Friday, rebounding from significant losses experienced earlier in the week. • This recovery follows a period of extreme volatility, including a sharp 10.84% drop in the Kospi index to 6,023.66 on July 28, 2026.

• Asian stock markets showed mixed results on Thursday, driven by a decline in semiconductor shares and volatility following the Federal Reserve's latest policy decision. • U.S. Treasury yields climbed to multi-decade highs, while corporate stocks diverged as Microsoft rose on cloud growth and Meta fell due to its financial forecasts.

• Asian stock markets climbed, led by South Korea's KOSPI which surged 18% following a Wall Street rally and rebounds in Samsung and SK Hynix. • Other regional movements included slight gains for Australia's S&P/ASX 200 (0.1%) and India's Nifty 50 (0.2%), while Singapore's Straits Times index fell 0.8%.

• On July 31, the Indian stock market showed strong gains, with the Sensex rising over 300 points and the Nifty 50 crossing the 24,400 mark. • The rally was driven by positive global cues, specifically a surge in chipmakers and AI optimism following aggressive infrastructure investment plans from US tech giants Amazon and Microsoft.

• South Korea's Kospi index experienced a severe downturn in July, ending the month 22% lower. • This represents the steepest monthly decline for the market since October 2008, signaling extreme volatility.

• Asian stocks rallied significantly, led by South Korea's Kospi, which saw a 17% jump and record intraday gains as investors renewed bets on the AI trade. • Japan's Nikkei 225 rose over 4% and the Topix climbed 1.5%, contributing to a 3.6% increase in the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index.

• European stock markets closed broadly higher on Thursday, driven primarily by positive corporate earnings updates, although the UK market underperformed compared to its peers. • Gains occurred despite escalating tensions between Iran and the US in the Middle East, which have sparked investor anxiety regarding global economic stability.

• Euronext reported Q2 earnings that exceeded analyst forecasts, driven by a strategic shift to diversify its business operations. • The company is actively reducing its reliance on market volatility and adapting to the evolving landscape of European capital markets following Brexit.