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South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
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Asian stock markets mostly advanced on Tuesday, extending a strong regional rally driven by gains in technology and semiconductor stocks, with Japanese equities leading the surge. Japan’s TOPIX index climbed 1.5% to a fresh all-time high of 3,534.46 points, supported by broad-based buying in technology, industrial, and export-oriented shares. The Nikkei 225 also traded near record levels, rising 0.7% as heavyweight chipmakers and electronics companies continued to attract investor interest.
Japanese semiconductor stocks were among the top performers, with Renesas Electronics gaining around 3% and Rohm rising more than 2%. The rally reflects growing optimism around artificial intelligence-driven demand, particularly for data centres and advanced computing, as well as tighter supply conditions in key chip segments that are improving pricing power and earnings outlooks across the sector.
Positive momentum spread across the region, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index advancing 1.2%, while the Hang Seng TECH index jumped nearly 2% on strength in major technology names. Mainland Chinese markets also posted gains, as the CSI 300 rose 0.5% and the Shanghai Composite added 0.6%, supported by improved risk sentiment and technology sector strength.
In contrast, South Korean equities edged lower, with the KOSPI slipping 0.4% after reaching record highs in the previous session. Investors appeared cautious ahead of Samsung Electronics’ earnings report due later this week, which is expected to provide key insights into memory chip pricing and AI-related demand trends. Despite the pullback, South Korean stocks remained near elevated levels, reflecting continued confidence in the semiconductor cycle.
Broader Asian sentiment was underpinned by a positive lead from Wall Street, where major U.S. indexes ended higher on Monday. U.S. stock index futures were largely flat during Asian trading hours. Elsewhere, Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.8%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.4%. Futures linked to India’s Nifty 50 traded slightly lower ahead of the market open, as investors weighed global cues and upcoming earnings.
