According to Jin10, Asian equity markets led a mixed asset performance in the first half of 2026. South Korea's KOSPI index surged 100%, while Taiwan's weighted index gained nearly 60% and Japan's Nikkei 225 rose around 40%, driven primarily by AI-related semiconductor strength and favorable currency moves. WTI crude oil climbed over 20% and copper jumped 7%, supported by AI infrastructure demand.
Meanwhile, precious metals collapsed across the board. Spot gold fell 7%, silver dropped 18%, platinum declined over 24%, and palladium shed nearly 25%. The Indonesian stock market also tumbled 34% amid domestic political turmoil, while the yen weakened to 40-year lows against the dollar.