SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - Asian equities advanced broadly on Tuesday ahead of Nvidia’s earnings report due at February 26 at 6 a.m. (Korea time), with Japan and South Korea both closing at record levels as technology shares led gains.
Nikkei Closes Above 58,000 for First Time
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 2.20 percent, or 1,262.03 points, to close at 58,583.12, decisively surpassing its previous high of 57,650, recorded on Feb. 10 following the lower house election. It marked the first close above the 58,000 level.
The broader TOPIX index rose 0.71 percent to 3,843.16.
Semiconductor-related shares led gains ahead of Nvidia’s quarterly results. Tokyo Electron rose 4.2 percent to 46,230 yen ($296.73), while Advantest also advanced. Cable manufacturer Fujikura jumped 6.5 percent to 26,825 yen ($172.18) after announcing a stock split, extending recent momentum.
The rally gathered further strength around midday after reports that two dovish candidates were nominated to the Bank of Japan’s policy board. Both are viewed as supportive of accommodative monetary policy, dampening expectations for an early rate hike.
The Nikkei briefly gained more than 1,500 points throughout the day, approaching the 59,000 level before profit-taking trimmed gains.
KOSPI Breaks 6,000 for First Time
In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 1.9 percent, or 114.22 points, to finish at 6,083.86, marking its first-ever close above the 6,000 threshold.
The index touched high of 6,144.7 and a low of 5,984.3. The milestone comes less than a month after the KOSPI stood at 5,084.85 on Jan. 27, underscoring the strength of the recent rally.
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ edged up 0.02 percent to 1,165.3.
Institutions Offset Foreign Selling
Institutional investors were big buyers with 880.3 billion won ($616 million), on the KOSPI, as well as individuals adding 232.2 billion won. Foreign investors sold 1.29 trillion won.
On the KOSDAQ, individuals purchased 392.8 billion won, while foreigners and institutions sold 236.2 billion won and 130 billion won, respectively.
The divergence indicates that the rally is being sustained primarily by domestic liquidity rather than foreign inflows.
Chips and Autos Lead Korean Gains
Heavyweight chipmakers extended gains ahead of Nvidia’s earnings, widely viewed as a bellwether for global AI demand and semiconductor supply chains.
Samsung Electronics rose 1.8 percent to close at 203,500 won, while SK hynix gained 1.3 percent to 1,018,000 won.
Automakers also surged. Hyundai Motor jumped 9.2 percent to 572,000 won after announcing plans to invest 10 trillion won over the next five years in the Saemangeum region, focusing on data centers and robotics production facilities.
The investment signals a strategic expansion into AI-linked industrial infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, reinforcing optimism in export-oriented sectors.
LG Energy Solution climbed 3.3 percent, and Samsung Biologics added 0.3 percent.
Trade Uncertainty Remains in Focus
Market participants also weighed remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump. His state address offered limited immediate signals for Asian markets but underscored lingering uncertainty surrounding trade policy.
Separately, Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy set a 2026 export target of $740 billion at its first public-private export strategy meeting of the year.
Exports totaled $709.7 billion last year, placing the country among the six economies globally to surpass the $700 billion mark. The government aims to enter the top five global exporters by diversifying products and markets beyond semiconductors and heavy reliance on the United States and China.
Eight strategic sectors were designated, including semiconductors, defense, nuclear power, autos, shipbuilding, steel, power equipment and consumer goods. Expanded trade financing measures were also unveiled.
While the initiatives are intended to strengthen medium-term competitiveness, their immediate impact on equities appeared limited.
Regional Gains Follow Wall Street Advance
Elsewhere in Asia, China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.7 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.5 percent.
The regional rally followed overnight gains on Wall Street, where the Dow rose 0.8 percent, the Nasdaq climbed 1.1 percent and the S&P 500 advanced 0.8 percent.
The Korean won strengthened to 1,430.0 per dollar, gaining 12.5 won, or 0.9 percent, from the previous session.
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