South Korea’s Kospi index jumps more than 13%, tracking Wall Street gains, on a surge of chipmaking stocks - ABC News

• Indian equity markets extended a winning streak for a third straight session on July 31, with the BSE Sensex rising 166 points to 78,095 and the Nifty 50 closing at 24,384. • The rally was driven by earnings optimism in financial and heavyweight stocks, supported by consistent buying from both Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) and Domestic Institutional Investors (DII).

• The KOSPI index rebounded sharply on October 31st, soaring more than 10% after a period of significant decline. • The surge was primarily driven by a rally in semiconductor stocks, which pushed the market upward.

• Moneylife’s market breadth indicators remained in the "emerging strength" territory throughout the current week's trading. • Financial reports show improved asset quality, with gross NPAs declining to 1.81% and net NPAs falling to 0.51%, while provisions decreased to ₹963.6 crore year-on-year.

• The KOSPI experienced a record-breaking surge on the 31st, marking its largest daily gain in history as the index climbed from the 5,500 level to reclaim 6,500. • The rally was primarily driven by a sharp increase in large-cap semiconductor stocks, fueled by robust earnings reports from the United States.

• Nearly 200 representatives from government, business, and finance sectors attended the 2026 Land-Sea Economic Forum to discuss regional trade and integration. • The International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) has significantly reduced transit times between Western China and Southeast Asian ports from several weeks to just a few days.

• South Korea's KOSPI index achieved a record-breaking single-day rally, surging 17.91% as tech giants Samsung and SK Hynix rebounded. • The surge was primarily driven by strong U.S. tech earnings, specifically a "blockbuster" earnings beat from Microsoft and multibillion-dollar deals from Nvidia.

• Japan's Bank of Japan and South Korea's Bank of Korea have reportedly engaged in a rare joint market intervention to stabilize the yen and the won. • Analysts suggest that because the two currencies are tightly coupled, a coordinated effort could double the impact on the forex market compared to unilateral actions.

• Asia is currently bearing the heaviest impact of the U.S. Federal Reserve's hawkish monetary policy shift, leading to intensified financial fallout across the region. • The current volatility mirrors previous crises, such as the late 1990s currency collapses in Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand, and the 2013 "taper tantrum" that destabilized several emerging markets.

• South Korea's benchmark Kospi index experienced its sharpest reversal on record on Friday, following a volatile month of market swings. • The recovery was triggered by a strong overnight rally in U.S. tech stocks, driven by positive earnings reports from Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta.

• Markets are facing extreme volatility and fragile depth, leaving investors exposed to risks from yen intervention, rising global yields, and weak demand in China. • The S&P 500 has recorded its strongest earnings season in years, primarily fueled by significant AI-driven profits.

• Investors are shifting focus to US economic data during the first full week of August to determine if the US Dollar can recover from its late-July sell-off. • Key market drivers include the ISM surveys, ADP employment figures, and Friday's Nonfarm Payrolls, which will heavily influence the GBP/USD currency pair.