SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics emerged as Asia's standout winner Thursday, joining the exclusive
$1-trillion market-cap club as overnight Nvidia earnings sent the tech giant soaring 7 percent.
The breakthrough came as AI enthusiasm — reignited by blockbuster earnings from Nvidia — swept across regional markets, propelling South Korea and Japan to fresh highs while China-related bourses lagged.
The benchmark KOSPI jumped 3.7 percent, or 223.4 points, to close at 6,307.3 after touching a record intraday high of 6,313.3. Turnover ballooned to 38.3 trillion won ($26.8 billion), underscoring the intensity of the move.
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained 2 percent to 1,188.2.
Beyond Samsung, the rally spread across the semiconductor ecosystem:
SK hynix climbed 8 percent , Hanmi Semiconductor soared 28.4 percent, LG Electronics advanced 10.1 percent, and Hyundai Motor rose 6.5 percent
The gains were driven by expectations that high-bandwidth memory (HBM), advanced packaging equipment and industrial AI applications will remain core beneficiaries of sustained infrastructure spending.
Foreign investors were net sellers of 2.11 trillion won on the KOSPI, while institutions bought 1.24 trillion won and individuals added 661 billion won — suggesting domestic liquidity powered the breakout.
The regional tone followed Nvidia’s fiscal fourth-quarter results, which showed revenue of $68.13 billion, up 73 percent year-on-year. Data center sales accounted for more than 90 percent of total revenue — a figure that reaffirmed the durability of AI infrastructure demand across the semiconductor supply chain.
CEO Jensen Huang also sought to calm fears that AI agents would cannibalize the broader software industry, arguing instead that they would act as users of software tools rather than replacements. The remarks helped stabilize sentiment across AI-linked equities globally.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.3 percent to 58,753.4, marking its second straight record close. The index briefly surpassed 59,000 for the first time, hitting 59,332.4 before trimming gains on profit-taking.
A weaker yen and overnight strength on Wall Street supported sentiment. Investors also weighed the nomination of two dovish academics to the Bank of Japan’s policy board, reinforcing expectations that monetary tightening will proceed gradually.
Market participants noted that a sustained push toward 60,000 would require continued earnings momentum and credible government-backed growth initiatives.
Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong markets ended lower.
The Shanghai Composite slipped 0.01 percent to 4,146.6, while the Hang Seng Index fell 1.13 percent to 26,462.5 as investors locked in gains ahead of upcoming policy meetings.
The Korean won weakened slightly to 1,429.2 per dollar. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields stood at 4.043 percent, while the VIX eased to 17.9, signaling reduced near-term risk anxiety.
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