The Economic Times·2026-02-13 02:20Core Insights - The shift in global funds' preference is moving from AI pioneers with high spending to hardware producers with strong pricing power, particularly in Asia [1][13] - Asian chipmakers are benefiting from surging memory chip prices, with companies like Samsung Electronics and TSMC playing crucial roles in the AI infrastructure [5][13] Company Performance - Samsung Electronics experienced a significant increase in foreign demand, leading to a 6.4% rise in its shares, with continued gains the following day [5][13] - Kioxia Holdings Corp. saw its shares surge by 15% due to strong AI demand, which contributed to a better-than-expected results outlook [6][13] - TSMC is approaching a 45% weighting in Taiwan's benchmark Taiex index, highlighting its dominance in the market [9][13] Market Trends - The MSCI Asia Pacific Index has risen over 12% in 2026, contrasting with declines in US benchmarks like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 [12][13] - The correlation between Asian and US equities has decreased to 0.43, indicating a divergence in market performance [10][13] - The Topix insurance sub-index has increased by 6.2% since February 3, while the real estate counterpart has surged by 15% [9][13] Investment Focus - Investment strategies are increasingly targeting AI enablers such as chip manufacturers, with TSMC being a favored position among investors [12][13] - The resilience of Asian stocks is attributed to their roles in the AI ecosystem, cheaper valuations, and stronger earnings growth compared to US counterparts [12][13]