Asian emerging-market stock indices posted their largest single-day gain in over 17 years, with MSCI EM Asia index up 7% and EM Tech index up 13%, driven by South Korean and Taiwan market rallies and eased concerns over AI spending following strong Microsoft and Amazon earnings.
The rally reflects a reversal in sentiment for emerging-market technology exposure. EM Tech, which had declined 14% month-to-date, rallied 13% on a single day as investor concerns about unsustainable AI capex intensity eased following positive earnings guidance from major cloud/AI leaders Microsoft and Amazon. This recovery directly affects regional tech-heavy indices in South Korea and Taiwan, which are major semiconductor and tech equipment exporters sensitive to global AI infrastructure demand cycles. MSCI EM Asia, which had fallen 5% month-to-date, rebounded 7% as regional equity valuations reset on improved sentiment toward the sector's earnings trajectory.