South Korean stocks extended their winning streak for a fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, driven by strong performance in the semiconductor sector, pushing the KOSPI to a new high. Investors, however, remained cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting.
South Korean stocks rose for a fifth consecutive session, driven by semiconductors, nearing the 9,000-point mark. Investors remain cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate decision, while a new state-run investment firm is set to launch.
South Korean stocks rose for the fifth straight session, driven by semiconductors, as investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate decision. The KOSPI index neared 9,000 points, buoyed by retail and institutional buying amid a 'risk-on' sentiment following a U.S.-Iran peace agreement.
Japan's exports grew 17% year-on-year in May, exceeding expectations, with significant boosts from car and semiconductor shipments. This growth, driven by demand for AI technology and automotive sales, also saw strong increases in shipments to China and the U.S., though exports to the Middle East declined.
Italy and Japan are strengthening diplomatic ties, focusing on supply chains and technology cooperation. The leaders aim to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals and boost semiconductor manufacturing through joint ventures.
He, head of Huawei's secretive semiconductor business, reappeared after a 2019 hiatus. At a Shanghai symposium, she introduced the "Tau (τ) Scaling Law," which Huawei claims could reach 1.4nm transistor densities by 2031 without EUV lithography, challenging traditional scaling methods.
South Korea's Presidential Office Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom proposed 'Project Trinity' to make Korea a key AI hub by integrating semiconductors, data centers, and physical AI into a circular structure. He emphasized Korea's unique strengths in manufacturing and semiconductor supply chains to capitalize on global shifts.
President Lee requested favorable consideration from the EU regarding steel tariffs and TRQ acquisition, emphasizing the impact on Korean industries. Discussions also covered semiconductor and defense cooperation, and carbon border adjustment mechanisms.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's presence at GTC Taipei and COMPUTEX highlighted Taiwan's pivotal role in the AI supply chain, moving beyond chip manufacturing to AI infrastructure and physical AI ecosystems. The article urges Taiwan to become a co-designer rather than just a component supplier to seize future AI opportunities.
China develops gallium-based chips for 6G communications and commercial space programs
Japan's Sanae Takaichi plans to visit India to deepen collaboration in defense, economy, and technology, including semiconductors and AI. The high-speed railway project and Japan-China tensions over Taiwan are expected topics.
South Korea's stock market is surging, driven by AI chip demand and tech giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. However, the nation's currency, the won, is struggling, down 11% against the US dollar, due to reliance on oil imports and global energy shocks.
South Korean AI semiconductors have secured over $30 million in export contracts from countries including the UK, Taiwan, and Vietnam. They also passed the 'K-Perf' performance evaluation, boosting confidence for commercialization and expanding AI service applications.
The EU is proposing new rules to ensure no foreign government or company has a 'kill switch' over vital tech services, aiming to reduce dependencies on the US and China in cloud computing, AI, and semiconductors. The move could increase tensions with the US.
Despite a surge in KOSPI towards 9,000 fueled by semiconductor stocks, brokerage shares are underperforming. While trading volume increased significantly in Q2, rising interest rate volatility is impacting brokerage firms' asset management profits, leading to a lag in their stock performance.
European stock markets closed higher, with Milan leading gains. Semiconductors and luxury goods sectors saw significant buying interest. Oil and gas prices declined, while gold rose. Investors await key macroeconomic data releases.
South Korean unions are demanding fixed profit-sharing bonuses, expanding beyond semiconductors to sectors like IT, automotive, and telecommunications. This trend, spurred by Samsung Electronics' agreement, faces opposition from business federations and shareholder groups concerned about legality and financial implications.
A new study proposes China's first framework for identifying critical technologies for export restrictions, suggesting 63 sensitive or globally competitive technologies may warrant controls as China shifts from being a target of restrictions to potentially imposing them.
China's AI chipmakers are striving for self-reliance against US export controls, debating between versatile GPUs and specialized ASICs to challenge Nvidia's dominance. Key players like Huawei, Cambricon, and Moore Threads are central to this design debate.
Huawei presents Tau Scaling Law, a new framework for chip development, focusing on reducing delays across devices and systems as Moore's Law weakens and US sanctions restrict access to advanced chipmaking tools.
A report by the Korea Institute for Advanced Automotive Research urges Korean semiconductor firms like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to strengthen their competitiveness in the automotive semiconductor market, where they currently lag behind international rivals.
Huawei announced plans to manufacture industry-leading semiconductors using a new technology within five years, aiming to neutralize US sanctions. The company aims for 1.4nm transistor density by 2031, challenging global leaders like TSMC.
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New Delhi, emphasizing the 'Make in India' approach for defense cooperation and discussing energy security, trade, nuclear energy, critical minerals, AI, and global conflicts.
US intelligence agencies, facing a critical chip shortage, are using advanced AI models from Anthropic, a company previously blacklisted as a national security threat. A $9 billion emergency funding request aims to build secure data centers for high-end semiconductors needed for AI operations.
