Analysis

Artificial intelligence has advanced rapidly in recent years, with deep learning and generative AI models experiencing particularly exponential growth. Historically, every major technological revolution has restructured employment patterns and the labor market. During the First Industrial Revolution (1760–1840), humanity transitioned from reliance on human labor, animal power, and hydropower to coal and steam power, as new technologies significantly enhanced productivity. During the Second Industrial Revolution (1870–1914), the world moved from the Steam Age into the Electric Age; rapid scientific and technological breakthroughs were swiftly integrated into industrial production, driving mass production and the transformation of corporate organizational structures.

In early Asian trading on April 27, driven by positive earnings expectations for U.S. tech companies, demand for AI-related stocks such as chips and semiconductors surged, propelling Japanese and South Korean equity markets to record highs. The Nikkei 225 Index touched an intraday high of 60,348.83 points; as of press time, it was up 0.7% at 60,135.21 points. South Korea's KOSPI Index reached a session high of 6,603.01 points and remained up 1.66% at 6,583.07 points as of press time.

TradingKey - On April 24, while the three major US indices were under pressure overnight, the strong performance of semiconductor stocks improved sentiment for related technology shares in the Asia-Pacific region. Japanese and South Korean indices showed mixed developments. The Nikkei 225 index opened higher and trended upward in the morning, with gains gradually widening in the afternoon to close up 0.97% at 59,716.11 points. The index reached an intraday high of 59,763.68 and a low of 59,225.37. In terms of sectors, semiconductors, data centers, and electrical equipment were among the notable performers.

TradingKey - The policy easing fund ownership limits by Taiwan's financial regulators served as a catalyst for a broad-based rally in Taiwan equities, with TSMC's share price reaching a record high.

TradingKey - On Thursday morning, South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix reported its strongest quarterly performance since its founding. Both revenue and profit hit record highs, with quarterly revenue surpassing the 50 trillion won mark for the first time, as its profitability stood out within the global semiconductor industry.

TradingKey - Hyundai Motor released its Q1 2026 financial results. During the period, net profit reached KRW 2.59 trillion, a year-on-year decrease of 23.6% and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 118.3%. Operating profit was KRW 2.51 trillion, down 30.8% year-on-year, missing market expectations of KRW 2.81 trillion. Hyundai Motor attributed the profit decline to U.S. auto tariffs, rising raw material costs, and increased investment. According to the company, tariff-related costs for the quarter amounted to KRW 860 billion.

TradingKey - The Nikkei index has continued to strengthen recently, erasing all losses since the US-Iran conflict. During today's session, the index briefly surpassed the 60,000 mark, hitting a new recent high. Since reaching a recent low on March 31, the index has gained 13.62%. Over the past 20 trading days, the sectors driving the index higher have been Information & Communication, Electrical Equipment, and Non-ferrous Metals; the sectors weighing on the index include Oil & Coal Products, Air Transportation, and Wholesale Trade.

TradingKey - Memory giant SK Hynix is set to disclose its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Thursday, with the market holding high expectations for its performance.

TradingKey - Driven by robust AI demand, memory chip giants are witnessing an unprecedented surge in earnings. However, their capital market valuations stand in stark contrast to those of AI chip leaders, a discrepancy that is fueling intense market debate over whether the memory industry has entered a "supercycle," fundamentally breaking away from its historical trajectory of boom-and-bust cycles.

TradingKey - On April 21, the South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced that an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Capital Markets Act has been approved by the Cabinet, meaning single-stock leveraged ETFs could be listed as early as May 22. The first underlying stocks will be semiconductor companies Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, offering investors ±2x leverage tools.

TradingKey - Optimistic expectations regarding the resumption of U.S.-Iran negotiations served as the primary driver for Asia-Pacific markets on Tuesday. A collective surge in technology stocks, particularly within the semiconductor sector, lifted several major indices.

TradingKey - On April 20, according to South Korean media reports, after securing majority representative status, the Samsung Electronics labor union warned the company that it could suffer losses of up to 30 trillion won (approximately $20.3 billion) if an 18-day general strike is held starting May 21.

Asian equities rise on Tuesday amid hopes for a resolution to the Middle East conflict.

TradingKey - April 20: Major Asia-Pacific stock markets rose across the board on Monday, buoyed by widespread gains in global equity markets over the weekend and growing investor expectations for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

TradingKey - On April 17, major Asia-Pacific stock indices slumped across the board, ending a three-day winning streak. Market analysis suggests that with the approaching weekend and an uncertain outlook for U.S.-Iran relations, investor sentiment for profit-taking and moving to the sidelines has intensified significantly.

TradingKey - Amid rising expectations for a de-escalation of US-Iran tensions, Asia-Pacific equity markets closed broadly higher on Wednesday, though performance across China, Japan, and South Korea diverged significantly.

Asian stock markets add significant gains on Tuesday as comments from United States (US) President Donald Trump and Vice President (VP) JD Vance, hinting that talks with Iran were not a complete failure, have prompted demand for risk-sensitive assets.

TradingKey - Impacted by renewed tensions in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific equity markets closed generally lower today. Markets in China, Japan, and South Korea showed divergent performance but remained broadly under pressure.

TradingKey - Boosted by the continued progress of a US-Iran ceasefire agreement and signals from Israel regarding negotiations with Lebanon, risk appetite in the Asia-Pacific market continued to recover, with Asia-Pacific stock markets closing higher.

TradingKey - During the April 8 Asia-Pacific trading session, most regional stock markets continued to rise, driven by the ceasefire in the US-Iran conflict. The Nikkei 225 Index closed up 5.39% at 56,308.42 points. The KOSPI Index triggered circuit breakers within minutes of the opening and finished the session up 6.87% at 5,872.34 points.