South Korean stocks collapse amid Asian tech rout

SEOUL – South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges on July 29, with the blood-letting that has battered chip firms over the past month deepening as nervous investors unwound their bets on the AI boom.

The tech sector came under assault as traders fret over the mesmerising sums being pumped into artificial intelligence, with investors questioning whether firms’ lofty expectations will be met.

After a two-year rally that has seen several markets and companies around hit record highs, the air is blowing out, with chip firms bearing the brunt of the selling.

The Kospi plunged more than 12 per cent at one point to extend July 28’s near-11 per cent collapse as chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung were hung out to dry.

SK Hynix shed almost 20 per cent, having dived more than 14 per cent on July 28 – it has now lost more than 50 per cent since hitting a record high a month ago – while Samsung plunged more than 12 per cent.

But by the day’s end, the Kospi was 6 per cent lower, while SK Hynix and Samsung had halved their losses.

The selling came after SK Hynix’s April-June operating profit and revenue came in below expectations, even as net profit soared a forecast-beating 1,242 per cent.

Tokyo dived around 3 per cent as chip firm Kioxia plunged 13.9 per cent, while Tokyo Electron was 11 per cent off.

Taipei dropped more than 3 per cent.

“The market is increasingly rewarding companies that expand revenue while maintaining spending discipline, and penalising those whose ambitions have outrun their balance sheets,” said Fabien Yip at IG.

“Investors have come to view that restraint as a strength rather than a weakness, particularly as capex commitments at Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon run into the hundreds of billions of dollars each.”

The rest of Asia enjoyed gains, with Hong Kong up 1.8 per cent as its tech sector – which suffered a painful first half of the year – led the way.

Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Manila and Mumbai were also up.

London, Paris and Frankfurt opened higher.

Samsung is due to report earnings on July 30, while Kioxia and US titans Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Amazon are also set to announce.

Oil traders were also suffering as volatility returned to the crude market after US and Saudi warplanes carried out strikes on July 28 against Iran-backed militants in Iraq who launched more than two dozen drone attacks in recent days, according to the US military.

The strikes targeted “Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure”, US Central Command said in a statement.

CENTCOM had said earlier that Tehran launched multiple ballistic missiles in an “attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East”, but they were all intercepted.

Iran on July 29 said it had halted three oil tankers in the strait, through which a fifth of global crude and gas usually pass.

The strikes ended three days of calm after the United States and Iran held off attacks, following almost two weeks of nightly US strikes on the Islamic republic, and repeated missile and drone salvos targeting Washington’s allies around the Gulf.

Both main oil contracts rose more than four per cent at one point on July 29. Brent has swung wildly in July – surging from around US$72 at the start of July to more than US$100 last week, before the three-day pause.

The latest developments highlight the fragility of any efforts to find a lasting peace, even though US President Donald Trump this week said there was a “good chance” of a deal.

July 29 also sees the Fed conclude its two-day meeting, and while most traders expect it to hold interest rates, there are concerns it could spring a surprise.

Uncertainty has been fuelled by new boss Kevin Warsh’s refusal to publicly share his views on the economic outlook, part of his proposed reforms to reduce the amount of forward guidance the central bank offers.

Investors remain on edge, even after recent data suggested inflation was easing, the jobs market was softening and oil prices have come down.

“Assuming the Fed leaves rates unchanged as expected, traders will be on the lookout for a potentially stronger description of inflation risks and/or possible wording to signal conditional tightening,” said Matt Weller at City Index.

“Crucially, at least a couple of FOMC members are likely to favour an immediate interest rate increase, dissenting against the majority if necessary,” he added.

“A third (or fourth) dissent in favour of hiking rates now would certainly represent a credible hawkish surprise and could boost the US dollar at the expense of risk assets.” AFP