Asian Markets Rebound as Chip Stocks Surge

The Nikkei 225 jumped over 5%, while Taiwan’s market climbed 7%, mirroring a broader 4.7% gain for MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index. Despite the session's historic performance, the KOSPI remains on track for a 25% monthly decline—its steepest drop since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. This recovery was fueled by positive earnings reports from Amazon and Sony, which helped stabilize sentiment after a bruising week for the tech sector.

Currency markets remain sensitive following coordinated intervention by Japanese and Korean authorities on Thursday. The effort to bolster their respective currencies proved fleeting; the yen slid to 160.69 after the Bank of Japan opted to keep interest rates unchanged. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led the charge in Seoul, both soaring nearly 30% as traders looked past the recent volatility. Meanwhile, European markets opened with modest gains, with DAX and FTSE futures rising 0.4%, as the focus shifts to upcoming earnings from heavyweights like ExxonMobil, Chevron, and AbbVie.