Asian Stocks Diverge in April as AI Chip Frenzy Drives South Korea to Record High

Asian markets in April were shaped by demand for AI semiconductors and energy risks stemming from tensions in the Middle East. Demand from NVIDIA’s supply chain and for high-bandwidth memory boosted Taiwanese and South Korean technology stocks. Rising crude prices, however, intensified inflation concerns, while hawkish signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve prompted investors to reassess the timing of interest-rate cuts and equity valuations.

On the final trading day of April, major Asian markets diverged. Taiwan’s stock market and Japan’s Nikkei retreated under pressure from oil prices and interest rates, while South Korea’s KOSPI opened 3.67% higher at a record high, led by a 9.61% surge in AI memory-chip maker SK hynix. Over April as a whole, both Taiwanese and South Korean stocks posted strong monthly gains, fueled by the semiconductor boom.