Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Xi warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead the two countries into “conflict.” There was a harsh opening salvo as a superpower summit got underway in Beijing on May 14 to address a host of thorny issues. (Photo: Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images
South Korea’s benchmark Kospi fell 1.35% on Friday, giving up previous gains and retreating from a new record high above 8,000 as broader Asia-Pacific markets fell. Investors were watching the second day of high-stakes talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Small-cap Kosdaq lost 2%. of japan Nikkei 225 It fell 0.9% and the Topix was flat. in Australia, S&P/ASX 200 It lost 0.25%.
of hong kong Hang Seng index CSI 300 opened flat and fell 0.39%.
The Kospi surpassed 7,000 for the first time on May 5, after index heavyweight Samsung Electronics reached a record high of over $1 trillion in market capitalization.
The record-breaking streak comes at a time when there are concerns about concentration risk, particularly in artificial intelligence stocks. According to Manulife Investment Management, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix accounted for a record 42.2% of the Kospi in May.
Earlier gains in the South Korean market reflected investor optimism that Trump-Xi talks could ease tensions around trade and technology exports, especially chip makers and artificial intelligence-related stocks.
Shares of Samsung Electronics fell 1 percent after its labor union said the company had offered to continue wage talks without preconditions. The union stated that it was willing to return to negotiations after June 7, while its leader added that workers would continue to exercise the rights guaranteed under the South Korean constitution.
Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for the closely watched summit, including a delegation of American business leaders. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia Chief Jensen Huang.
Xi warned Trump on Thursday that Washington and Beijing could face “conflicts and even clashes” if a sensitive issue like Taiwan’s independence is mishandled.
Not handling the issue “properly” could jeopardize the “entire relationship” in great danger“Xi was quoted as saying:
U.S. stock futures were little changed Thursday night. Dow futures It fell 10 points, or 0.02%. S&P 500 futures fell 0.02% and Nasdaq 100 futures increased by 0.06%.
overnight in the USA, Dow Jones Industrial Average then took back 50,000 Cisco Systems reported strong earnings. The 30-share index ended up 370.26 points, or 0.75%, at 50,063.46.
S&P 500 It closed at 7,501.24 with an increase of 0.77%. Nasdaq Composite It increased by 0.88% to 26,635.22. These two indices broke all-time high intraday records and achieved record closings.
— CNBC’s Justina Lee, Sean Conlon and Lisa Kailai Han contributed to this report
