Stock

• South Korea’s Kospi index surged by more than 13%, driven primarily by a significant rally in chipmaking stocks. • The jump follows positive momentum from Wall Street, reflecting a broader global trend of investor confidence in the semiconductor sector. • This spike is critical as chipmaking is a cornerstone of South Korea's economy and a primary driver of its national industrial growth.

• Indian benchmark indices opened marginally higher on Friday, with the Nifty 50 starting at 24,361.45 and the BSE Sensex at 77,998.66. • Market performance was mixed, featuring a 6% surge in Bajaj Finance while the Nifty IT index plummeted over 3% due to a sharp sell-off in technology stocks. • The volatility stems from investors reacting to corporate earnings announcements and a rally on Wall Street following Microsoft's financial results.

• Indian stock markets ended slightly higher, with the Sensex gaining 166 points and the Nifty closing above 24,380. • Financial stocks drove the growth, highlighted by a significant surge in Bajaj Finance (+8.32%) and Bajaj Finserv (+6.37%) following June-quarter earnings. • Gains were tempered by selling pressure in the IT sector, where TCS fell 2.71%, followed by declines in Infosys and Eternal.

• European stocks reached record highs on Friday, continuing a period of outperformance compared to U.S. markets. • The rally was driven by strong corporate earnings and a surge in technology stocks, though gains were partially offset by a decline in Novo Nordisk A/S. • This trend highlights a shift in investor confidence toward European equities amid a broader global market rally.

• Asia-Pacific stocks rose for a second consecutive day, driven largely by a recovery in South Korean markets fueled by semiconductor giants SK Hynix and Samsung. • The Japanese yen surged abruptly while the US dollar declined following the Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates unchanged. • Long-term Treasury yields reached new multi-year highs as investors reacted to the Fed's steady rates amidst persistent inflation.

• The Indian stock market saw a positive close, with the Sensex rising 270 points and the Nifty ending above the 24,300 mark. • Major Asian markets experienced significant gains, including Taiwan's benchmark rising 1.66% to 40,705.65, South Korea's Kospi jumping 3.55%, and Japan's Nikkei climbing 1.43%. • Despite these daily gains, the Nikkei and Kospi are still facing overall weekly declines of 3% and 12%, respectively, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped slightly by 0.13%.

• Asian chipmakers and AI-related stocks experienced a significant surge following positive momentum from Wall Street tech shares and month-end buying activity. • Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, saw its shares rally by 10%. • Electronics giant Hon Hai Precision Industry also recorded a substantial gain, with its stock price surging 9.2%.