Boosts

• Goldman Sachs has identified the South Korean won as the top foreign exchange bet in Asia for the next three months, driven by an AI-fueled boom in exports. • The bullish outlook for the won, Taiwan dollar, Chinese yuan, and Malaysian ringgit contrasts with a bearish stance on the Thai baht and Indonesian rupiah. • Regional pressures include falling gold prices and low interest rates in Thailand, as well as policy uncertainty in Indonesia and oil price sensitivity in the Philippines.

• Researchers have discovered a proton-assisted mechanism that significantly enhances the transfer of triplet energy between quantum dots and adjacent molecules. • The process functions as a quantum-driven shuttle where a proton briefly shifts position to coordinate electron movement before returning to its original state. • This discovery is significant because it provides a new method for precisely tuning energy transfer in critical technologies.

• Japanese and South Korean stock markets experienced a significant rebound during the Asian trading session on July 23, driven by an investment boom in artificial intelligence. • The South Korean KOSPI Index closed up 4.40% at 7,096.82 points, marking its third consecutive day of gains. • Major tech companies saw substantial growth, with SK Hynix rising nearly 5%, while Samsung and SoftBank both increased by nearly 4%.

• Asian stocks surged, led by chipmakers, as renewed optimism regarding AI investments drove a broad tech rally. • Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. saw its ADRs climb 5.5% following reports that the company may increase prices by up to 10%. • The rally occurred despite economic headwinds, including rising oil prices and the Japanese yen sliding past 163 per dollar, its lowest level since 1986.

• The FTSE 100 index rose as a rally in oil prices provided a significant boost to energy sector shares. • Food manufacturer Greencore reported third-quarter profits that exceeded expectations, leading the company to raise its full-year earnings guidance. • Greencore attributed its financial growth to strong trading momentum entering the fourth quarter and the successful delivery of synergies.

• Asian markets rebounded as chipmakers recovered from a recent selloff and lower oil prices boosted investor sentiment. • Key gains included Indonesia’s Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index, which rose 2.2%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, which climbed 1.4%. • The recovery follows a volatile week dominated by global technology trends, shifting focus back to regional economic indicators.

• Sales for the state-operated Chinese Football Lottery, known as Jingcai, neared US$1 billion last week. • The surge in betting activity was driven by the high volume of matches and global interest surrounding the World Cup. • Participants bet on international and domestic football results for the chance to win cash prizes reaching up to RMB 5 million.