SK Hynix saw its shares climb over 25%, nearing a record-breaking day if the gains persist. Samsung also saw a rise of over 20%. Other notable increases included LG Innotek at 11.2% and Seoul Semiconductor at 7.8%.
Japanese chip stocks followed suit with Advantest soaring nearly 18%, Tokyo Electron climbing almost 9%, Disco increasing by over 13%, Lasertec advancing more than 12%, and Renesas Electronics adding over 10%. SoftBank Group, recognised for its ties to artificial intelligence through ownership of Arm, rose by more than 9%.
This surge marked a stark turnaround from earlier sell-offs in the week when semiconductor stocks were under pressure due to high AI valuations and growing competition from Chinese memory chipmakers.
Overnight, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) jumped by more than 8% as investors renewed their interest in AI-focused chipmakers after Amazon and Microsoft reported unexpectedly strong cloud earnings.
Amazon’s share price increased by over 9% in after-hours trading following better-than-expected second-quarter revenue, bolstered by its cloud- computing division’s ongoing strength.
Microsoft experienced a 16% jump during Thursday’s session after it announced Azure cloud growth that surpassed expectations, affirming robust AI infrastructure investment.Also Read: US expands sanctions on Iran’s Mahan Air network; India-based Skiez Travels among firms sanctioned
(Edited by : Juviraj Anchil)
