The Kospi of South Korea reached a new record high on Thursday, following positive gains on Wall Street and the resumption of trading by several bourses in Asia after the Lunar New Year holiday.
The Kospi index surged 2.84 percent to a new record high, with index heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix increasing 4.14 percent and 1.48 percent, respectively.
Goldman Sachs wrote in a recent note, “After nearly doubling in 2025, Korea is again the leading market in Asia Pacific. While many investors are asking if they should reduce positions after such strong performance, we think it is still too early.”
The investment bank predicts that Korean equity markets will grow by 120 percent in 2026, following a 36 percent increase in 2025. The small-cap Kosdaq improved by 4.68 percent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.93 percent.
However, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.72 percent, while the Topix gained 1.12 percent. Hong Kong and mainland China markets remain closed for the Lunar New Year break.
The S&P 500 rose in the U.S. overnight on the strength of advances in major technology stocks, with traders weighing the issuance of the minutes of the last policy meeting of the Federal Reserve.
The broad-based index rose by 0.56 percent to close at 6,881.31, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.78 percent to close at 22,753.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.26 percent to close at 49,662.66.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 reversed earlier gains and dropped 0.13 percent to 8,929.9, snapping a three-day winning streak. Australia saw headline inflation come in at 3.6 percent in the last quarter of 2025, its highest level in six quarters.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index had surged 2.58 percent in its final hour, led by energy stocks, while the CSI 300 index on mainland China rose 0.26 percent and closed at 4,717.99.
