Semiconductor equipment stocks rose on the 30th, tracking gains in related shares on U.S. markets overnight. Expectations for AI infrastructure investment and expanding chip demand drew buying, strengthening the presence of semiconductor-related shares among the largest companies on the KOSDAQ.
Jusung Engineering (036930.KQ) traded at 229,500 won as of 10:11 a.m., up 3.38% from the previous session, according to the Korea Exchange. Its market capitalization reached about 10.66 trillion won, overtaking EcoPro BM (247540.KQ) to become the third-largest company on the KOSDAQ market.
Other chip equipment and component makers also advanced. EO Technics (039030.KQ) rose 5.35%, HPSP (403870.KQ) gained 2.79%, Wonik IPS (240810.KQ) added 2.07% and LEENO Industrial (058470.KQ) climbed 1.36%. As these gains pushed semiconductor-related shares into the top ranks of the KOSDAQ by market value, pharmaceutical and biotech stocks that previously held those positions slipped down the list.
On Wall Street overnight, major indexes weakened under pressure from rising U.S. Treasury yields, but the semiconductor sector held up relatively well. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index closed 1.32% higher than the previous session.
Long-dated U.S. Treasury yields stayed elevated. The 30-year yield jumped to as high as 5.6206% during the session, its highest level since June 2002. The 10-year yield also rose to 5.293%, the highest since June 2007.
Chip stocks extended their gains late in the session despite the high yields, a move attributed to renewed expectations for the AI industry. OpenAI unveiled an always-on AI agent designed to carry out tasks on behalf of users, bringing fresh attention to advances in AI technology and the potential for stronger chip demand.
News that Anthropic is expanding its infrastructure investment also supported the gains. In U.S. trading, shares of chip equipment makers Lam Research, Applied Materials, KLA and ASML rose, as did those of chip designer Arm.
