Korea's Stock Market Is in Free Fall, and Hot U.S. Inflation Just Made It Worse
Seoul's circuit breakers fired before most U.S. investors finished their morning coffee, and a surprise inflation print from Washington is making a bad situation worse for anyone holding Korean chipmakers.
KOSPI keeps sliding while Nikkei holds 70,000: why Korea is taking the bigger hit
Asian stocks diverged on Wednesday as South Korea's KOSPI extended its retreat while Japan's Nikkei 225 held close to 70,700, showing how differently the region's two chip-heavy markets are absorbing high US yields, firm oil and stretched AI valuations. The KOSPI fell 1.16% to 6,860.73 by 11:20 am in Seoul as foreign investors sold a net 1.16 trillion won of shares and institutions also turned sellers.
EWT: High AI Potential, Tremendous Geopolitical Risks As China Preps For A Blockade
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF remains a buy due to Taiwan's central role in AI and semiconductors, despite elevated geopolitical risks. TSMC dominates EWT's portfolio, underlining the ETF's heavy exposure to advanced chip manufacturing and AI supply chains. Valuations are reasonable for tech: EWT's PE is 21.55 and PS is 2.16, with TSMC's metrics higher but justified by its industry position.
Taiwan says its companies plan to invest another $20 billion in US
Taiwanese companies are planning another $20 billion of investments in the U.S. driven by demand for AI applications, the island's economy minister said on Wednesday without giving details, though drawing a warm response from a visiting U.S. official.
EWT: Taiwan Has Passed Many AI Tests This Summer
I reiterate a buy rating on the iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, citing strong growth-adjusted valuation and resilient AI-driven fundamentals. EWT remains highly concentrated in information technology, with a 22.5% weighting in TSM and a 71% sector allocation. Despite recent volatility and seasonal headwinds, EWT's PEG ratio under 0.7x and rising 200-dma support a bullish long-term stance.
MediaTek plans $5 billion financing for AI data-center chips
MediaTek , Taiwan's largest chip designer, said on Friday its board had approved a discretionary financing budget of $5 billion to support long-term growth, including its expansion into AI chips for data centers.
If You Missed The Korean AI ETF Boom There Are The 2 Taiwanese Options With Direct Exposure To The Supply Chain
Taiwan is the world's most critical semiconductor manufacturing hub.
Taiwan-listed Ennoconn offers to buy Austria's Kontron in $1.7 billion deal
Taiwan-listed technology firm Ennoconn Corp said on Wednesday it has launched a takeover bid for Austria-based Kontron , offering 23.50 euros per share to all its shareholders.
How a few AI chip giants warped Asia's stock picking game
Sam Konrad's stocks are having a fantastic year, thanks to AI-fueled rallies in Taiwan and South Korea, but his fund is so top heavy with winners, he now needs to ditch his best performers.
$10,000 in Taiwan's ETF Became $16,178 in Five Months While the S&P 500 Limped to $11,093
A $10,000 stake in the iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWT) on the last trading day of 2025 was worth about $16,178 five months later, after the fund rose from about $64 to $103 between December 31, 2025 and May 29, 2026.
At Computex, Nvidia and Taiwan's expanding role in AI infrastructure set to take centre stage
At Taiwan's annual Computex trade show next week, the spotlight is likely to be dominated, as usual, by Nvidia and its products, but also by the island's central and growing role in AI infrastructure.
EWT: AI Revolution Meets The Geopolitical Shadow And Stretched Valuation
The iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF offers concentrated exposure to Taiwan's booming technology sector, with TSMC as its dominant holding. EWT is strategically positioned at the center of the global AI infrastructure surge, benefiting from hyperscaler capex and robust semiconductor demand. Despite stellar recent performance and strong macro tailwinds, EWT now trades at a significant valuation premium (25.25x P/E vs. 10-year average of 15x).
