AI Boom Boosts Asian Chip Stocks, Taiwan and South Korea Markets Hot
The AI boom is driving up Asian semiconductor stocks, making Taiwan and South Korea's markets particularly active. Companies like TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix are playing crucial roles in the AI supply chain, attracting significant investor interest.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 09:10
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 09:31 (21 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 8, 2026 at 11:01 (1h 29m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 8th, comprehensive foreign report) Just as global AI bulls seemed to be running out of steam, a new investment frenzy swept through major Asian tech companies, making the Seoul stock market one of the hottest markets globally.
The three highest-valued companies in Asia are all chip manufacturers: TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix. Their recent record-breaking profits highlight their critical position in the global AI supply chain.
Samsung Electronics' chip revenue surged nearly 50-fold last quarter, while South Korea's KOSPI index doubled in just over half a year.
Both large and small investors are pouring into the market. Data shows that to avoid being left behind, South Korean retail investors, jokingly called "ants," saw their leveraged buying hit a record high of 25 trillion Korean Won (NT$540 billion) at the end of April, highlighting a strong "Fear Of Missing Out" (FOMO).
Kwon Soon-kuk, a 34-year-old office worker, said: "After the surge in semiconductor stocks, other AI-related stocks are now bound to catch up." He is now rushing to get in after missing the rally that started after the 2020 pandemic.
Meanwhile, large investors believe that Asian chip manufacturers and their suppliers have already made huge profits from the AI boom. In contrast, Silicon Valley companies are seen as higher-risk investments due to their massive spending on chips and technology.
Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and TSMC all count the US "Magnificent 7" tech giants among their clients and supply hardware to Nvidia, which has become a core pillar of the AI industry.
Fubon Securities Investment Trust Chairman Huang Chao-tang stated: "For AI suppliers, it is currently a seller's market. Nvidia is more concerned about securing production capacity than price. Taiwan holds a very strong dominant position in product pricing and passing costs on to customers."
Asian chipmakers have signed multi-year long-term contracts with clients, indicating that the AI business cycle is likely to last much longer than many expected, according to Sam Konrad, an investment manager at Jupiter Asset Management. Nearly 50% of his fund is allocated to the Taiwan and South Korean markets.
The market momentum remains strong, and investor positioning is not yet too dense, with stock valuations still within a reasonable range. Global investors withdrew nearly US$50 billion from South Korean and Taiwanese stock markets in March, but since then, only about US$7 billion has flowed back. (Compiler: Chen Yu-ting) 1150508
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, 8th, comprehensive foreign report) Just as global AI bulls seemed to be running out of steam, a new investment frenzy swept through major Asian tech companies, making the Seoul stock market one of the hottest markets globally.
The three highest-valued companies in Asia are all chip manufacturers: TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix. Their recent record-breaking profits highlight their critical position in the global AI supply chain.
Samsung Electronics' chip revenue surged nearly 50-fold last quarter, while South Korea's KOSPI index doubled in just over half a year.
Both large and small investors are pouring into the market. Data shows that to avoid being left behind, South Korean retail investors, jokingly called "ants," saw their leveraged buying hit a record high of 25 trillion Korean Won (NT$540 billion) at the end of April, highlighting a strong "Fear Of Missing Out" (FOMO).
Kwon Soon-kuk, a 34-year-old office worker, said: "After the surge in semiconductor stocks, other AI-related stocks are now bound to catch up." He is now rushing to get in after missing the rally that started after the 2020 pandemic.
Meanwhile, large investors believe that Asian chip manufacturers and their suppliers have already made huge profits from the AI boom. In contrast, Silicon Valley companies are seen as higher-risk investments due to their massive spending on chips and technology.
Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and TSMC all count the US "Magnificent 7" tech giants among their clients and supply hardware to Nvidia, which has become a core pillar of the AI industry.
Fubon Securities Investment Trust Chairman Huang Chao-tang stated: "For AI suppliers, it is currently a seller's market. Nvidia is more concerned about securing production capacity than price. Taiwan holds a very strong dominant position in product pricing and passing costs on to customers."
Asian chipmakers have signed multi-year long-term contracts with clients, indicating that the AI business cycle is likely to last much longer than many expected, according to Sam Konrad, an investment manager at Jupiter Asset Management. Nearly 50% of his fund is allocated to the Taiwan and South Korean markets.
The market momentum remains strong, and investor positioning is not yet too dense, with stock valuations still within a reasonable range. Global investors withdrew nearly US$50 billion from South Korean and Taiwanese stock markets in March, but since then, only about US$7 billion has flowed back. (Compiler: Chen Yu-ting) 1150508
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
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The text, images, and audio-visual content of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.