Asian markets rally, South Korea steals the show

July 10, 2026 (MLN): Asian markets traded mostly higher on Friday, led by a sharp rally in South Korean equities, as optimism over strong corporate earnings and gains in global technology shares lifted investor sentiment across the region.

South Korea's Kospi surged more than 4.6%, while the small-cap Kosdaq climbed 5.7%, marking the strongest performance among major regional markets, according to CNBC.

Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced 2.4%, with the broader Topix index gaining 0.9%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.44%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.45%. Mainland China's CSI 300 also edged higher by 0.33%.

Technology stocks remained in focus after a rally in U.S. chipmakers boosted confidence that robust corporate earnings could support further gains in global equity markets beyond the artificial intelligence-driven rally.

Japanese technology shares posted solid advances, with SoftBank Group jumping more than 11%. Chip-related companies also moved higher, as Advantest gained 3.9%, Renesas Electronics rose 3%, and Tokyo Electron added 4%.

In South Korea, Samsung Electronics climbed 4.3%, Samsung SDI surged 8.3%, LG Display advanced 4.4%, and Seoul Semiconductor gained 5.9%. Memory chipmaker SK Hynix also rose 1.3% ahead of its U.S. market debut later on Friday.

Market participants are closely watching SK Hynix's U.S. listing, with Bloomberg reporting that the company priced its American depositary receipts at $149 each.

Investors are also awaiting Delta Air Lines' second-quarter earnings, scheduled for release later on Friday.

On Wall Street, major indexes ended Thursday mixed. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.5% for the week through Thursday, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.8%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, remained down 0.8% over the same period.

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