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Projected Central Bank Rate Hikes (2026)
Estimated basis point increases for South Korea and Taiwan in 2026.
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AI boom powers Taiwan, South Korea to record market caps ... - Firstpost
Chip-led rally adds $4.6 trillion in value, with Taiwan poised to challenge India’s market positionA powerful surge in artificial intelligence-linked stocks is rapidly transforming equity markets in Asia, with Taiwan and South Korea emerging as dominant forces in global market rankings.Taiwan’s stock market capitalisation has climbed to a record $4.5 trillion, overtaking Canada and recently surpassing the UK, marking a historic shift in global equity positioning. The rally has been driven largely by semiconductor giants such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which continues to benefit from soaring global demand for AI hardware.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThe benchmark TAIEX index also crossed the 40,000 mark for the first time, reflecting strong investor optimism and sustained foreign inflows. Over the past 12 months, Taiwan’s market value has surged by nearly $2.7 trillion, a staggering 150 per cent increase, positioning it as a potential contender to overtake India as the world’s fifth-largest equity market in the near term.More from BusinessMeanwhile, South Korea’s equity market has followed a similar trajectory, reaching a record $4.1 trillion in market capitalisation. The country’s benchmark Kospi index has rallied sharply, supported by gains in tech heavyweights like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, both of which are deeply embedded in the global AI supply chain.Collectively, the two markets have added approximately $4.6 trillion in value over the past year, underscoring the scale of the AI-driven transformation underway in Asia.Despite Taiwan’s relatively smaller economy compared to major global peers, its outsized role in semiconductor manufacturing has made it a key proxy for AI demand. As global investment in artificial intelligence accelerates, analysts expect continued capital inflows into these markets, further strengthening their position in the global financial ecosystem.Follow Firstpost on Google. Get insight on business news, indian stock and global market updates and in-depth latest news on everything from geopolitics and diplomacy to World News. Stay informed with the latest perspectives only on Firstpost.First Published: May 05, 2026, 14:39 ISTEnd of Article
Goldman Sachs Says Hot South Korea Stock Market Still Has Room to Run ...
South Korea's benchmark Kospi index crossed the 7,000 mark earlier this week to trade at all-time highs, but there may still be further gains ahead, according to Goldman Sachs. Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images 2026-05-08T04:56:34.174Z Goldman Sachs calls South Korea its top market in Asia and raised its Kospi target to 9,000. AI-driven demand for memory chips has supercharged South Korea's hot market. Goldman says South Korean stocks still look attractive despite one of the world's hottest rallies. South Korea's stock market has already staged one of the world's most stunning rallies this year, but it's not done yet, according to Goldman Sachs. In a note published Wednesday, the bank called South Korea its "highest conviction view" in Asia, with an overweight call. Analysts raised their 12-month target for the country's benchmark Kospi index from 8,000 to 9,000.The Kospi is trading around 7,400 after powering past the key 7,000 level earlier this week, capping a bull run that has pushed the index up around 77% this year so far.The rally that made the Kospi one of the world's best-performing markets has been driven largely by AI-fueled demand for memory semiconductors, a sector dominated globally by Samsung Electronics — a newly trillion-dollar company — and SK Hynix."The prospect of sustained high profits for the semiconductor memory sector suggests the market is mispricing the durability of earnings," wrote Goldman's analysts in a note on Thursday. That setup remains attractive because South Korean stocks still trade at relatively modest valuations even after the recent surge, they added.Goldman now expects hardware and semiconductor stocks to drive South Korean corporate earnings growth of 300% in 2026."Record supply shortfall in both DRAM and NAND relative to strong demand growth driven by hyperscaler investment is resulting in sharply increasing memory prices," Goldman wrote, referring to the two dominant types of chips used in AI servers and data centers.The firm said the rise of compute-intensive AI agents and long-term supply agreements could support "higher-for-longer profitability" for memory producers.Goldman's bullish call comes as investors increasingly debate whether the AI trade is becoming overcrowded after a massive run in US tech stocks.Kospi's explosive gains — the index has more than tripled since the start of 2025 — mark a dramatic reversal for a market long weighed down by the so-called "Korea discount," which Seoul has spent years ...
India Risks Losing Its 5th Spot As AI Rally Lifts Taiwan And Korea ...
India Risks Losing Its Spot As World's 5th-Largest Stock Market As AI Boom Powers Taiwan, South Korea India's position as the world's fifth-largest stock market is under pressure as Taiwan and South Korea gain rapidly on the back of the AI boom.
AI chip boom upends Asian economies: Taiwan flies, Korea rises, Japan ...
Asia's economic order is being reshaped in the age of AI, with Korea emerging as a key pivot point in a shifting regional hierarchy. While Korea faces rising pressure from Taiwan, where GDP per capita is projected to increasingly outpace Korea in the years ahead, it is simultaneously closing in on ...
