Asian equity markets staged a broad-based recovery on Thursday, driven by a sharp rally in regional semiconductor stocks.
South Korea's Kospi index jumped approximately 3% at the open, rebounding from recent lows, while Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced more than 1.1% and the broader TOPIX index gained nearly 1%.
The surge was spearheaded by major chipmakers, with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics leading the charge.
Investors appear to be pricing in optimism that these firms will continue to benefit from robust artificial intelligence spending, reversing some of the recent caution that had weighed on the sector.
This marks the first significant gain for Asian equities in three sessions, following a period of volatility.
The rally suggests that investor confidence in AI hardware infrastructure is stabilizing, even as broader market sentiment remains sensitive to macroeconomic signals.