Analysis

TradingKey - South Korean stocks have led global market gains this year, surging nearly 80% year-to-date. However, according to Bloomberg, foreign capital is accelerating its exit from the market. BlackRock’s (BLK) iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY), which manages nearly $23 billion in assets, saw a

Tradingkey - The imminent meeting between the U.S. and Chinese heads of state and the upcoming release of U.S. CPI data have fueled a strong "wait-and-see" sentiment in the market. Asia-Pacific stock markets showed mixed performance; Japanese and Taiwanese stocks edged higher, while the rally in South Korean equities paused, closing down 2.29%. The Nikkei 225 Index closed up 0.52% at 62,742.57 points. During the session, it reached a high of 63,218.51 and a low of 52,158.43, continuing to hover at elevated levels.

Tradingkey - During the early trading session on May 12, the KOSPI Index briefly touched the 8,000-point mark at the open before plunging more than 5% to a low of 7,421.71 points. As of press time, the index remains down 1.24% at 7,725.33 points. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which together account for nearly half of the KOSPI's total market capitalization, were the primary drivers of this flash crash. Currently, SK Hynix is down 3.62% at 1.144 million KRW, while Samsung Electronics has fallen 2.28% to 279,000 KRW.

Japan's Nikkei share average gave up most of its early gains on Tuesday, as investors sold chip-related stocks to book profits after recent gains.

TradingKey - On May 12, driven by the AI wave, the rally in Asia-Pacific technology stocks continued as Japanese and South Korean markets extended their gains with a broad-based higher open. The Seoul Composite Index briefly touched 7,999 points, just shy of the 8,000-point milestone.

TradingKey - On May 12, 2026, Uni-President Asset Management’s “Uni-President Active Upgrade 50” (00403A) will be officially listed. With a fundraising size reaching NT$80 billion, it has set a new historical record for Taiwan stock ETF fundraising.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on May 11, SK Hynix shares rose by more than 15% at one point, hitting an all-time intraday high of 1.949 million KRW, with its market capitalization surpassing $900 billion. The year-to-date cumulative gain is approximately 197.03%, with the share price nearly tripling.

Tradingkey - Strong US employment data combined with an AI chip trading frenzy propelled US stocks to new record highs on Friday, marking the S&P 500’s sixth consecutive weekly gain, while chip stocks boosted the Nasdaq by 1.71%. Fueled by bullish sentiment in semiconductor investments, Asian equity markets broadly opened higher today. Both the KOSPI and the Nikkei 225 hit new record highs, though intraday performance diverged. South Korea's KOSPI index climbed after a high opening to reach an all-time intraday peak of 7,899.32 points. It closed up 4.32% at 7,822.19 points. Over the five trading days in May, the index has recorded a cumulative gain of 18.54%. Among heavyweight stocks, SK Hynix surged 12.87%, Samsung Electronics rose 6.42%, and Hyundai Motor gained 4.89%.

TradingKey — On Monday, May 11, Asia-Pacific equity markets extended their AI-driven rally. South Korea’s KOSPI index opened 3.7% higher, with intraday gains expanding to as much as 4.2%, surpassing the 7,800-point psychological level for the first time.

TradingKey - On May 8, the assets under management (AUM) of the CSOP SK Hynix Daily (2x) Leveraged ETF surpassed the HK$40 billion mark, overtaking the long-dominant Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X ETF (TSLL) to become the world’s largest single-stock leveraged ETF.

TradingKey - According to a Reuters report on May 8, major tech giants are racing to procure memory chips. Some tech companies have reportedly proposed funding the construction of new production lines for SK Hynix or even purchasing expensive lithography equipment for the firm. This development sugg

TradingKey - On May 8, TSMC (TSM) disclosed its revenue data for April 2026. Although the monthly growth rate slowed, cumulative data suggests that the strong momentum for full-year growth remains intact.

TradingKey - Asia-Pacific stock markets were mostly under pressure today as the escalation of the US-Iran conflict triggered a pullback in some technology stocks, though Japanese and South Korean equities continued to hover at elevated levels. The Nikkei 225 Index opened lower and trended downward in the morning session before rebounding amid volatility in the afternoon, closing the day down 0.19% at 62,713.65 points. It reached an intraday high of 62,724.36 points, remaining near its recent highs. Among heavyweight stocks, Keyence rose 6.07% and Kioxia gained 2.49%; conversely, SoftBank Group fell 4.56% and Toyota Motor declined 2.18%.

TradingKey - May 8: Asia-Pacific stock markets pulled back as Japanese and South Korean markets opened lower across the board after hitting record highs the previous day.

TradingKey - On May 6, the South Korean stock market surpassed Canada to become the world's seventh-largest equity market. The total market capitalization of South Korean listed companies has surged 71% this year to $4.59 trillion. During the same period, Canada's stock market rose by approximately 7%, with a market capitalization of $4.5 trillion.

The Nikkei 225 index rose as much as 6% intraday to 63,091.14, hitting a record high; it closed up 5.58% at 62,833.84, a record closing high. The single-day gain also marked the highest record since April 2025. KOSPI index briefly broke the 7,500-point mark during the day, rising nearly 2% to touch

TradingKey - On May 7, both the Japanese and South Korean markets achieved significant breakthroughs. The Nikkei 225 Index surged following the market open, breaking the 62,000 psychological level for the first time during intraday trading. As of press time, the intraday gain reached 4.2%.

TradingKey - Driven by the explosive demand for AI chips, global memory chip leader Samsung Electronics reached a significant milestone. On May 6, the company’s share price surged by more than 16% intraday to a high of 270,000 KRW, ultimately closing up 14.41%. Its market capitalization surpassed 1,700 trillion KRW (approximately $1.15 trillion), officially joining the "trillion-dollar club." Samsung is now the second Asian technology company to achieve this feat, following TSMC.

Stocks leapt, oil prices sank and the dollar dropped in the Asian morning on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump touted "great progress" towards a "final agreement" with Tehran, while momentum in AI-driven trades accelerated.

TradingKey — April 29: As the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting approaches, a strong wait-and-see sentiment prevails in the market, with Asia-Pacific equity markets showing mixed performance. The Fed is convening in Washington this week and will announce its interest rate decision at 2:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, followed by a press conference with Chair Jerome Powell 30 minutes later. Given that this session will feature Powell's last press conference, the market is closely monitoring the policy signals released to gauge the future trajectory of the Fed's decision-making.