Stock Index

Indian equities surged, with the Sensex up nearly 800 points and the Nifty 50 gaining more than 230 points, extending gains for a second straight session. The rally was led by IT stocks after Tata Consultancy Services reported Q1 FY27 results showing revenue up around 14% year on year and consolidated net profit up 5%. Global markets also advanced, while Brent and WTI edged up to around $76 per barrel and near $72 per barrel, respectively. Geopolitical tensions did not rattle risk sentiment, with India VIX falling to 12.71.

South Korea’s Kospi surged nearly 5% on Friday to 7,643 points, taking its two-day gain to about 5.5% and lifting the index out of a technical bear market after a drop of more than 20% from its June 22 high of 9,114.55. Samsung Electronics rose more than 5% and SK Hynix gained 2%, while heavyweights such as Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution also advanced. Foreign investors were net sellers of South Korean equities worth 529.1 billion won ($350 million), even as Kospi remains the world’s best-performing stock market of 2026 with a gain of around 76% so far this year.

Asian equities advanced, led by a 2.6% jump in South Korea’s Kospi as semiconductor shares rose on optimism about AI-driven demand. SK Hynix ADRs (SKHY) are set to begin trading on Nasdaq on Friday, after the company raised $26.5 billion in its American depositary share offering. Micron said it plans to increase spending on new plants in the US to $250 billion. Brent crude fell 0.3% to $76 a barrel, while Nasdaq 100 futures edged down 0.4%, pointing to a more cautious tone for tech shares.

U.S. stocks finished higher on Thursday, with the Nasdaq 100 up 1.62%, the S&P 500 rising 0.81% and the Dow adding 0.27%. Chipmakers led gains after SK Hynix’s U.S.-listed ADR issuance drew subscriptions of more than seven times and is expected to raise about $24.5 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations. WTI crude fell more than 1%, lifting airline and cruise shares. Weekly initial jobless claims dropped to a six-week low of 215,000, underscoring labor-market resilience.

Nigeria’s stock market rallied on Wednesday, pushing the All-Share Index to a record close of 242,459.98 points and lifting total market capitalisation to N155.59tn. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s decision to keep the Monetary Policy Rate unchanged at 26.50% supported investor sentiment and drove gains across banking, industrial and oil and gas stocks. FBN Holdings and Wema Bank were among 54 stocks that hit their daily upside limit, while NAHCO and Vitafoam were among a small group of decliners that fell to their daily downside limit.

South Korea’s Kospi fell for a third straight session, sliding another 4% and taking its three-day drop to 9%, its lowest level since late May. The decline was triggered after Samsung Electronics sank nearly 10% in the prior session despite forecasting a 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating profit, as investors questioned the durability of AI-led memory-chip demand. Foreign investors were net sellers of 471.7 billion won ($311.68 million) of Korean shares. Chip stocks also sold off globally, with Intel, Micron and others down more than 9%.

India’s benchmark Sensex and Nifty50 slipped 0.13% on Tuesday, ending a four-session winning streak as profit-taking spread after Trent’s weaker-than-expected June-quarter business update sent the stock down 12.42%. Information technology shares outperformed, with the IT index up 2.43% and HCLTech, Tech Mahindra and Infosys each rising more than 2.8%, limiting the downside. Investors stayed cautious ahead of the release of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes and the start of the Q1 earnings season.

South Korea’s KOSPI slid 6.2% to 7,546.10 in a single session, triggering a “sidecar” curb that temporarily halted programme trading. Samsung Electronics fell 7.47% and SK Hynix dropped 6.70%, and together they account for more than half of the index’s weight. Other heavyweights including LG Energy Solution, Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai Motor also posted steep losses. Foreign investors were net sellers of South Korean stocks, offloading $851 million worth on the day.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.35% on Tuesday to 68,798.93 as a Samsung Electronics-led selloff pressured semiconductor shares across the region. Samsung forecast a 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating profit from a year earlier, but the outlook fell short of market expectations, sending South Korea’s KOSPI down more than 5% in early trade. Japan’s memory maker Kioxia slid 10.86%, while Advantest and Tokyo Electron fell 0.64% and 1.85%. Funds rotated into value stocks such as financials, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group rising 3%.

Nifty 50 futures point to a higher open, extending a four-session advance that has lifted the index to a 10-week high. Sentiment has been supported by four straight sessions of net foreign buying, including 2.43 billion rupees on Monday, as well as strong first-quarter loan growth at banks. Titan said its consumer business grew 41% year-on-year in the first quarter, adding to upbeat pre-earnings updates. Brent crude held near $72 a barrel, while faster progress in monsoon rains also aided risk appetite.