Asian technology and semiconductor stocks rallied on Friday, following strong gains in U.S. chipmakers as lower Treasury yields and falling oil prices boosted investor appetite for growth-sensitive equities.
The regional advance came after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posted sharp gains on Wall Street overnight. Improving sentiment was supported by a retreat in U.S. government bond yields, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield easing to around 4.94% after briefly climbing above the closely watched 5% level earlier in the week.
Oil prices also moved lower, reducing concerns about energy-driven inflation and pressure on corporate costs. Brent crude fell about 1% to $103.77 per barrel, providing another tailwind for technology shares across Asian markets.
South Korean semiconductor giants were among Friday's strongest performers. Samsung Electronics gained 2.8%, while memory chipmaker SK Hynix jumped 4.5% as investors returned to major technology names.
Japanese semiconductor stocks also recorded substantial gains. Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest surged 5.2%, while Tokyo Electron advanced 3.3%. Memory chip producer Kioxia Holdings climbed more than 4%, extending the broad rebound across Japan's semiconductor sector.
In Taiwan, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, rose nearly 1%. Semiconductor and smartphone chip designer MediaTek performed even better, gaining about 3%.
Technology stocks in Hong Kong joined the regional rally, with the Hang Seng TECH Index rising 1.5%. Chinese semiconductor manufacturers were particularly strong, as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) gained more than 3% and Hua Hong Semiconductor jumped over 4%.
The widespread gains highlight the sensitivity of Asian technology and semiconductor stocks to movements in U.S. Treasury yields. Lower bond yields can make growth-oriented equities more attractive by reducing the discount rate applied to future earnings. Meanwhile, softer crude oil prices helped ease some inflation concerns, supporting broader risk sentiment across Asian markets.
