Ticker

MediaTek , Taiwan's largest chip designer, said on Friday its board had approved a discretionary ‌financing budget of $5 billion to support long-term growth, including its expansion into AI chips for data centers.

Taiwan's ASE Technology Holding , the world's largest ​chip packaging and testing provider, said on Thursday ‌it would raise this year's capital expenditure by $2 billion to around $10.5 billion, driven by strong demand.

The Hang Seng Index has outperformed its major Asian peers this year, even as the Kospi and Nikkei 225 have come under pressure. The index has rebounded nearly 14% from its lowest level this year, while the Nikkei 225 and Kospi have fallen about 15% and 40%, respectively, from their year-highs.

Semiconductor stocks have made investors' fortunes over the past four years, and by extension, semiconductor ETFs turned into the best-performing names.

Asian stocks rallied on Wednesday as investors returned to semiconductor shares after a bruising sell-off, taking their cue from a Wall Street rebound even as Brent crude pushed further above $91 a barrel. MSCI's Asia-Pacific gauge outside Japan gained 1.2%, while South Korea's Kospi surged more than 6% and Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.9%.