Asian equity markets moved higher on Friday, tracking gains on Wall Street overnight as a global rally in semiconductor stocks and renewed optimism over the artificial intelligence trade lifted investor sentiment.
Confidence was boosted by strong earnings from Microsoft and Amazon, reinforcing expectations for continued hyperscaler investment and resilient AI-related demand.
South Korea’s KOSPI Composite Index surged more than 15%, with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics each soaring over 20%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index climbed 5%.
Meanwhile, investors also looked ahead to the Bank of Japan’s policy decision later today, with the central bank widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged.