Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and other Asian stocks rallied on Friday, defying a sell-off in Nvidia shares after the US chipmaker’s founder, Jensen Huang, resigned as chief executive.
Samsung gained 3.25% and SK Hynix climbed 4.55% early. By 11:20 a.m. Korean time, their advances had narrowed to 1.92% and 1.66%. KOSPI eased to 5,421.99, up 1.48%, after briefly reaching 5,504.44.
Nvidia closed Thursday down 4.34% at $166.19 as investors assessed its first leadership transition in 33 years.
Samsung and SK Hynix pare early gains
Friday’s recovery followed a turbulent session for semiconductor stocks.
Nvidia fell more than 14% at one point on Thursday before recovering some of the loss, while rivals AMD and Broadcom rose 5.86% and 5.54%.
In South Korea, bargain hunters returned to companies that had suffered swings amid fears of slower AI infrastructure spending.
The KOSPI briefly crossed 5,500 before buying lost momentum. Samsung and SK Hynix remained higher, but their retreat from the surge showed that caution had not disappeared.
Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, told The Korea Herald that “some of the negative developments have already been priced in”. She pointed to bargain hunting despite higher oil prices, interest rates and other pressures.
The gains were not confined to chipmakers. Shipbuilding and pharmaceutical stocks also advanced, suggesting investors were looking beyond a single company or sector.
Nvidia named finance chief Colette Kress interim CEO after confirming Huang’s resignation. Its board said customer commitments and the product roadmap should continue without interruption.
Why AI memory demand could survive Huang’s exit
Samsung and SK Hynix supply high-bandwidth memory, a critical component in AI processors.
Their fortunes depend on growing computing requirements at cloud companies, not solely on the person leading Nvidia.
Advanced memory takes time to design, qualify and manufacture. Existing orders and development programmes cannot simply be switched off after a change in chief executive, even if future purchasing decisions come under review.
“Demand is not getting any smaller,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Robert Schiffman said on Bloomberg Television on Thursday. His assessment was that the need for computing power would persist, although financing conditions and the timing of projects could change.
Taiwan’s Foxconn offered a similar signal, as Chairman Young Liu said AI server demand was stronger than expected and projected high double-digit growth in rack shipments in 2027, while warning of tight component supplies.
Still, resilience in overall AI spending does not guarantee that every manufacturer will retain the same customers, volumes or margins. Nvidia’s successors may rethink product priorities, and cloud operators may diversify their suppliers.
Could Huang’s exit reshape Asian supply chains?
Huang spent three decades building relationships with chipmakers, system assemblers and customers.
A new management team could bring different negotiating priorities, potentially affecting memory contracts, manufacturing schedules and investment decisions.
Citi specialist sales head Jon Zauderer told Reuters that “investors are going to look for alternatives”. He named AMD, Broadcom and Arista as potential beneficiaries of uncertainty surrounding Nvidia.
That shift could help Asian suppliers serving multiple chip platforms, including manufacturers whose products are used in competing AI systems. It could also squeeze those most closely tied to Nvidia’s designs.
Renée Friedman, a market analyst at Exante, warned MarketWatch that supply-chain businesses “may see negative reactions” as the consequences become clearer, including when companies update their forecasts.
Nvidia’s 17 November earnings will be an important test, as investors will scrutinise demand, capital spending and any guidance Kress gives on partnerships and the company’s technology plans.
AI disclosure: AI tools assisted with research and drafting of this piece. An Invezz editor reviewed the facts, sources and wording before publication. Any opinions or analysis are Invezz’s, not those of an automated system.
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