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Asian Chip Stocks Jump as Anthropic Files for IPO; Samsung, SK Hynix Gain Over 5%
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Asian semiconductor stocks surged after Anthropic PBC filed for an initial public offering, rekindling investor appetite for AI-related trades. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each rose more than 5% in early trading, lifting South Korea's Kospi by as much as 4.5%. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 2.4%, with chip-related Advantest and Sumco up over 5%, while Taiwan's Taiex rose more than 1% before paring gains. Vantage Global Prime analyst Hebe Chen said the IPO milestone, combined with Meta Platforms' aggressive capital spending, revived broader risk appetite and restored chip stocks to a leading position. The rally precedes earnings reports this week from Samsung, SK Hynix, Amazon and Alphabet, which investors will scrutinize for signs of durable AI demand. The Kospi remains more than 35% below its June peak amid AI doubts, and foreign investors have net sold over $150 billion in Korean equities this year. SK Hynix reportedly plans to announce additional shareholder returns worth up to 60 trillion won.
Source report
Asian semiconductor shares surged after Anthropic PBC's initial public offering filing revived investor enthusiasm for AI-related trades.
Market Performance
- Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both rose more than 5% in early trading, driving South Korea's Kospi index up as much as 4.5%.
- Japan's Nikkei 225 gained as much as 2.4%, with chip-related stocks Advantest and Sumco each climbing over 5%.
- Taiwan's Taiex rose more than 1% before paring some gains.
Anthropic IPO Filing
The overnight headlines were dominated by news that Anthropic — developer of Claude — moved a step closer to going public, easing recent market concerns about AI financing. Other highlights included SpaceX's $40 billion equipment financing lease and Meta Platforms' planned $95 billion stock sale.
"Anthropic's milestone IPO filing, combined with Meta's aggressive capex push, has reignited broader risk appetite, pulling capital out of defensive postures and firmly placing chip stocks back in the driver's seat," said Hebe Chen, market analyst at Vantage Global Prime.
Earnings Ahead
The rally comes ahead of earnings reports this week from Samsung, SK Hynix, and major tech spenders Amazon and Alphabet. Those results will offer further clues about the health of the AI rally, which has struggled to recover since a summer selloff.
The Kospi is down more than 35% from its June peak, weighed by AI doubts that dragged down Samsung and SK Hynix shares. Foreign investors have net sold more than $150 billion in Korean equities this year.
"The key question is whether this week's results can restore confidence in the durability of AI-related demand. For a sustained recovery, we need reassuring earnings guidance and continued foreign buying," said Jung In Yun, CEO of Fibonacci Asset Management Global.
Shareholder Returns in Focus
Investors in Korean memory chip stocks are also anticipating generous dividend and buyback plans to help sustain the rebound. According to the Seoul Economic Daily, citing unnamed industry sources, SK Hynix is preparing to announce additional shareholder returns worth up to 60 trillion won ($45 billion) in its Wednesday earnings report.
Source: Bloomberg
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