Nvidia "hands in its paper" easing AI concerns, Japanese and Korean tech stocks strengthen, South Korean stock index hits a new high, and the dollar weakens

``` Nvidia’s strong earnings report boosted market confidence, sending Asian tech stocks broadly higher in early Thursday trading, with chip-related stocks in South Korea and Japan leading the gains. During Thursday’s Asia-Pacific session, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 1% to a record high; South Korea’s KOSPI gained 1.77%, continuing to hit new historic highs. (The KOSPI is up more than 1.7%) Nvidia’s earnings gave the most direct boost to the Asian AI supply chain. SK Hynix, a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory to Nvidia, rose more than 2% in early trading; Samsung Electronics jumped over 5%. Korean component maker LG Innotek surged nearly 14%, and Seoul Semiconductor soared 13%. (Both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea's major memory chip makers, continued to climb) Dan Ives, Senior Equity Research Analyst at Wedbush Securities, commented: Given the explosive growth in data center demand, this is a positive signal for many Asian supply chain companies including SK Hynix and Samsung. Dan Niles, portfolio manager at Niles Investment Management, pointed out that the current market landscape still favors semiconductor infrastructure stocks rather than software stocks, adding that Nvidia remains "the real king of all this infrastructure." Japan’s market also logged notable gains. The Nikkei 225 Index rallied and then pulled back, narrowing its gain to 0.55%. The TOPIX Information & Communication Index climbed over 2%, extending the previous session’s 0.58% advance. SoftBank Group rose 4% and Sony Group gained about 3%. (Nikkei 225 Index up 0.55%) Andrew Jackson, Head of Japanese Equities Strategy at ORTUS Advisors, said that capital will continue to flow into AI-related targets, and he is optimistic about Japanese companies in the gallium nitride and silicon carbide sectors, such as Fuji Electric, arguing that investors are positioning for an ongoing data center construction cycle. However, Bloomberg strategist Tatiana Darie noted that while Nvidia’s results are generally solid, some on Wall Street were disappointed that the company did not provide more details on its outlook and drivers. In her view, this earnings report may ease AI-related anxieties to some extent, but doubts about the competitive landscape and the sustainability of infrastructure investments will persist. Yugo Tsuboi, Chief Strategist at Daiwa Securities, also took a cautious stance: The difficulty of capital returning to this sector is gradually increasing, and it’s no longer as smooth as last year. Ultimately, concerns about over-investment and the sustainability of investments have not dissipated despite Nvidia’s performance. On the broader market, the US dollar continued to weaken during Thursday's Asia-Pacific session. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dropped 0.2%. The ICE US Dollar Index fell 0.12%. Gold rose 0.2% to $5,176 per ounce, as traders assessed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the impact of US tariffs on global trade. Bitcoin’s rebound momentum slowed, falling about 1% and dropping below $68,000. Risk warning and disclaimer The market carries risks, and investments require caution. This article does not constitute individual investment advice, nor does it take into account any particular user’s specific investment objectives, financial situation, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their particular circumstances. Investing based on this article is at your own risk. ```