<div id="readability-page-1"><div><p>Markets are focusing on talks between Chinese and US leaders. Major Asia-Pacific stock markets were mixed this morning (14th). China A-shares were under pressure, with the Shanghai Composite Index and Shenzhen Component Index closing the half-day down 1% and 1.6% at 4,199 and 15,831, respectively. Hong Kong stocks once rose 456 points to a peak of 26,844 before trimming gains, closing the half-day at 26,478, up 90 points or 0.3%. Taiwan stocks once climbed 831 points to a high of 42,205 before narrowing gains, now up 313 points or 0.76% at 41,688. TSMC rose 1.4% after raising its forecast for the global semiconductor market size in 2030 to above USD1.5 trillion.</p><p>Japan's Nikkei index hit an intraday record high of 63,799 in the morning session. Gains narrowed in the afternoon, with the index now at 63,333, up 61 points or less than 0.1%. Japan's second-largest bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, reported a 350% surge in net profit for the previous quarter and expects net profit for the current fiscal year ending March next year to rise 7.4% to another record high, but its shares fell 2%. SoftBank Group fell 3.5% after results. CLSA said SoftBank's net profit for the previous quarter far exceeded expectations. The company is fully investing in AI chips and software and will be well positioned when AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) arrives. CLSA raised its TP from JPY4,688 to JPY6,626 and rated the stock Outperform.</p><p>South Korea's Kospi once rose to 7,991 intraday, nearing the 8,000 mark, and was last at 7,915, up 0.9%. Heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose 3.3% and fell 0.6%, respectively. SK Hynix's share price has more than tripled year to date, with market capitalization approaching USD1 trillion, close to Walmart and Berkshire Hathaway. IG market analyst Fabien Yip in Sydney said the market is gripped by FOMO sentiment, particularly in AI-related stocks in Japan and South Korea. South Korea's benchmark index has surged 86% year to date, exceeding last year's full-year gain of 75%. Since 2025, South Korea's stock market has outperformed globally.</p><p>Among other major markets, Thailand's SET 50 rose nearly 1%, the Philippines' PSEI gained 0.5%, and Malaysia's KLCI edged up 0.1%. India's Nifty 50 rose 0.3% and the BSE Sensex gained 0.2%. Vietnam's Hanoi Index and Ho Chi Minh Index rose 0.7% and 1.1%, respectively. New Zealand's NZX 50 and Singapore's Straits Times Index both fell 0.4%, while Australia's ASX 200 slipped 0.2%. Indonesia's stock market was closed today for a holiday. (da/u)</p></div></div>

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<p>Major Asia-Pacific stock markets showed mixed results, with Japan's Nikkei index reaching a record high of 63,799 before closing at 63,333. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.9%, with a year-to-date gain of 86%. SoftBank Group shares fell 3.5% despite exceeding profit expectations. SK Hynix's market cap nears USD 1 trillion, reflecting a significant rise in its stock price. Analysts noted a strong FOMO sentiment in AI-related stocks across Japan and South Korea. Other regional markets also experienced slight gains or losses, with Indonesia's market closed for a holiday.</p>

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Nikkei Hits Record High; SoftBank Falls Over 3% After Results; S Korea Stocks YTD Up 86%; SK Hynix Mkt Cap Near USD1T