Global Stocks Rise on AI Demand as KOSPI Jumps 5.84%
Global stock markets rose as investors focused on artificial intelligence demand and major technology earnings. Nasdaq gained 1.18 percent on Tuesday, while…
Global stock markets rise as investors bet on artificial intelligence demand, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining 1.18 percent on Tuesday and Asian indexes advancing on Wednesday. South Korea’s KOSPI led the regional gains, rising 5.84 percent as of 03:00 GMT.
The moves put technology earnings at the center of the market’s next test. Investors are looking for evidence that companies’ large investments in AI infrastructure can translate into returns.
AI-linked stocks drive gains
All three major US stock indexes rose on Tuesday. The S&P 500 added 0.6 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.03 percent.
Five of the “Magnificent Seven” technology stocks advanced, led by Tesla, which gained 4.04 percent. Amazon rose 1.61 percent, while Apple and Alphabet added 0.93 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.
Nvidia gained almost 1 percent after announcing a $3bn investment in Meta’s equity offering. Meta shares fell 1.64 percent, and Microsoft slipped 0.24 percent. Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom and Intel also climbed, gaining 5.45 percent, 4 percent and 3.61 percent, respectively, according to Al Jazeera.
The gains extended across Asia Pacific on Wednesday. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia all recorded higher markets. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.26 percent, Taipei’s TAIEX gained 1.32 percent and Sydney’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.11 percent.
SK Hynix results add to AI momentum
South Korea’s rally came as SK Hynix reported third-quarter operating profit of 83.33 trillion won ($62.8bn), up about 630 percent year-on-year. The company is one of the world’s top three memory chip makers. Its shares listed in South Korea surged more than 8 percent following the results.
That performance gives investors a concrete measure of demand linked to the AI boom, while upcoming results from major technology companies will offer a broader test of whether spending is producing strong business returns. Microsoft and Alphabet are due to report on Wednesday, Amazon on Thursday and Apple on Monday.
The stakes extend beyond a handful of share prices. Technology firms have poured hundreds of billions of dollars each into AI infrastructure, while investors debate whether rapid enthusiasm could be forming a speculative bubble similar to the one before the 2000 dot-com crash.
Gartner, a technology insights company, forecasts global AI investment will reach $2.7 trillion in 2026 and $3.6 trillion in 2027. Those projections sit alongside the earnings reports investors are tracking as they assess the scale and payoff of the spending.
Investors weigh broader risks
Not every development has pointed to higher prices. On Monday, AI company Anthropic filed paperwork for a highly anticipated initial public offering, reporting a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026 on revenue of $16.3bn.
Oil also rose about 1 percent as Asian markets opened on Wednesday. Al Jazeera reported that prices have been elevated since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, with conflict in the Middle East continuing, including hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.
Brent crude futures stood at about $115 a barrel, up 59 percent from before the war began.
Source: aljazeera.com
