KOSPI closes near 8,500 as AI rally drives fresh high - The Korea Times

An AI-driven rally and easing geopolitical concerns helped the KOSPI close near 8,500. The index finished at 8,476.15, up 290.86 points, or 3.55%, after opening at 8,384.31, a gain of 199.02 points (2.43%). Investor sentiment was buoyed by renewed optimism around artificial intelligence stocks and stronger momentum on Wall Street, where Snowflake jumped 36% after raising its annual sales forecast and securing a long-term AWS partnership. Nvidia and AMD also rose, supporting the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which climbed about 1%. Oil markets cooled as U.S. WTI futures hovered near $80 a barrel, relieving some pressure on markets.