South Korea’s Kospi index jumped as much as 2.7% Monday, led by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix ahead of their earnings reports.
The index briefly hit 8,300 points before settling near 8,150. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also broke above 70,000, up 0.73%, as chip stocks rallied across Asia.
Samsung climbed as much as 4%. SK Hynix rose 1.8%. Kioxia gained nearly 1% in Japan. SoftBank was the lone notable decliner, dropping over 2%.
These moves follow weeks of wild swings in Korean chip stocks. Samsung and SK Hynix have been bouncing on memory pricing disputes and trillion-won investment pledges. The Kospi has triggered multiple trading halts in 2026 thanks to AI-driven volatility.
Traders are also positioning for SpaceX’s Nasdaq 100 inclusion on Tuesday. The bet is that the listing lifts sentiment across AI-linked Asian tech names.
Samsung’s preliminary Q2 results drop Tuesday. They’ll decide whether Monday’s rally sticks. The question everyone’s asking: is AI infrastructure spending actually turning into profit, or is it still a promise?
