Kospi Plunges, Nikkei Down Again on AI Doubts, Mideast Concerns
Asian equities tumbled on Friday as Broadcom’s Q3 revenue miss reignited fears of an AI‑valuation bubble, prompting a sharp sell‑off in tech‑heavy markets. South Korea’s Kospi slid 5.5% after an intraday 7% plunge, while Japan’s Nikkei fell more than 1%. The market dip coincided with heightened Middle‑East tension after Hezbollah rejected a conditional cease‑fire, and investors also eyed Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which plans a $75 billion IPO that could value the company at $1.8 trillion.
TMTB Morning Wrap
MongoDB (MDB) reported Q1 revenue of $687.6 million, up 25.2% year‑over‑year, beating analysts’ expectations. Atlas cloud revenue grew 29.4% YoY, prompting management to raise FY27 revenue guidance to $2.92‑$2.96 billion and Atlas growth to 23‑25%. The EA and Other segment showed a...
Rotation To China Chips?
Asian equities showed mixed performance, but Mainland China outpaced Hong Kong as investors poured $972 million into domestic chipmakers, led by SMIC and optical‑communications firm Zhongji Innolight. The surge signals a rotation toward Chinese semiconductor stocks while Hong Kong’s internet and...
KOSPI Hits All-Time High (+2.55%): Electrical Components and Transportation Equipment Lead
The KOSPI surged to an all‑time high of 8,047.51, up 2.55%, as domestic institutions absorbed foreign selling in semiconductor‑related stocks. Institutional short‑selling rose sharply to 38.57%, while net buying reached roughly 910 billion KRW (≈$680 million). UBS tripled Micron’s price target, triggering...
Semiconductor Stocks Sold in Profit Taking
Asian equities rose on Nvidia’s earnings, boosting AI‑hardware stocks in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, while mainland China indices fell 2‑3% after sharp intra‑day highs. Foreign investors rotated out of Chinese tech heavyweights, selling Tencent (-3.6%) and Alibaba (-4.5%). Domestic investors...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Thursday 21 May 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin used a high‑profile Beijing meeting to push for an immediate cease‑fire in the Iran‑Israel conflict, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their strategic partnership. Indonesia’s central bank surprised markets with a 50‑basis‑point rate...
Samsung, Union Resume Talks After Labor Action Scare; Goldman Says "Korea: Buy"
Samsung Electronics and its labor union resumed high‑stakes negotiations on Monday, averting an imminent 18‑day strike that could have begun Thursday. The talks, spurred by a court order blocking a facility occupation and Samsung’s replacement of its lead negotiator, lifted...
Asia Wrap: The Korean Tax Man Arrives as South Korea’s AI Dividend Dream Saps the Kospi Party
South Korean officials floated an "AI dividend" funded by taxes on the country’s artificial‑intelligence windfall, sparking a sharp sell‑off that saw the Kospi tumble more than 5% before stabilising. The episode highlighted a new political risk to the AI‑driven equity...
China’s Biggest Week Kicks Off
Asian equities showed mixed performance as Middle East tensions rose, while AI‑driven hardware demand boosted semiconductor and chip stocks across South Korea, Taiwan, Mainland China and Hong Kong. The renminbi firmed, ending the session below 6.80 per dollar, and China...
TMTB Morning Wrap
Intel announced a joint R&D effort with SK Hynix to develop 2.5D packaging using Intel’s EMIB technology, aiming to integrate high‑bandwidth memory with system‑on‑chip components. The initiative responds to TSMC’s supply bottleneck on its CoWoS 2.5D process, which is straining...
Japan Services PMI Hits 11-Month Low in April. War Costs Bite, Input Costs 42-Month High
Japan's services PMI slipped to 51.0 in April, the weakest expansion in 11 months but still above the 50‑point growth threshold. Input prices surged at the fastest pace in a year, driven largely by fuel costs linked to the Middle...
Be in the Know. 16 Key Reads for Thursday…
A curated roundup of 16 market‑moving stories highlights Alibaba’s chip‑driven share surge, a rebound in Chinese consumer spending, and a rally in emerging‑market equities that outpaces the S&P 500. The list also flags Disney’s push toward a “super app,” strong...
Asian Open : The Peace Dividend Trade Is Back on the Tape
Asian markets surged as oil prices slipped toward $108 a barrel following signs of diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran. The rally lifted MSCI Asia to record levels, with South Korea up over 5% and Samsung briefly breaching...
CATL & HSBC Dominate Trading and Headlines
Asian equities posted mixed results as regional holidays and Middle‑East tensions dampened activity. Hong Kong’s turnover plunged 30.9% to just 47% of its one‑year average, while the Hang Seng indexes stayed below intra‑day lows. HSBC fell 5.16% after a $400 million fraud‑related...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Tuesday 5 May 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
US and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting President Trump to launch “Project Freedom” to free stranded vessels and pushing Brent crude to a session high of $115 per barrel. China responded by directing its companies to...