Asian Shares Rally as Tech Stocks Rebound Amid AI Optimism

Asian equities surged on February 3, 2026, with South Korea’s Kospi jumping 5% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rising 3.2%, driven by strong gains in semiconductor and tech-related stocks. Samsung Electronics climbed 6.9% and SK Hynix soared 7.5% in Seoul, while Tokyo-listed Disco Corp. and Advantest rose 6% and 5.6%, respectively. Investors are awaiting key earnings reports to assess the impact of U.S. trade policies, including potential Chinese rare earth export curbs and tariffs linked to former President Donald Trump. Markets also digested volatile moves in precious metals: gold rose 3.4% and silver rebounded 7.5% after Friday’s sharp selloff. U.S. indices ended Monday higher, led by SanDisk’s 15.4% surge on strong AI-driven earnings, though Nvidia fell 2.9%. The Fed’s future direction remains a focal point amid concerns over its independence and global macro uncertainty.