Asia Equities Rebound on Strong Earnings, Elice Jumps

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks rebounded after two days of losses and US equity-index futures advanced as strong earnings from some of the biggest beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence boom revived confidence in the tech trade. Crude oil climbed. The Kospi in South Korea rose 4.2% and the Taiex in Taiwan added 1.9% as the bellwethers for the AI trade rallied after earnings of SpaceX and Super Micro Computer Inc. topped expectations. The gains helped lift the broader MSCI Asia Pacific Index 1.5%, with two shares advancing for every one that fell in the gauge. We speak to Lianting Tu, Bloomberg's Managing Editor for Asia Equities.

South Korean AI computing supplier Elice Inc. surged on Wednesday, recovering much of the ground lost after a 32% slump in its trading debut, as a string of upbeat US tech earnings lifted sentiment. The neocloud firm's stock jumped by the 30% daily limit on Seoul's small-cap Kosdaq index to reach 79,900 won, though it remained below its IPO price of 90,500 won. The Kospi index, the South Korean equity benchmark, gained as much as 4.8%, while the Kosdaq index advanced 2.8%. Largely unknown outside South Korea until this week, Elice sought to tap investor enthusiasm for AI through its IPO. Its record first-day decline indicated growing investor skepticism toward neoclouds, a fast-growing corner of the AI industry. Wednesday's sharp rebound also highlights how fickle market sentiment remains, as strong sector earnings continue to validate growth. Bloomberg's Shery Ahn spoke to Elice Chief Executive Officer Jae Won Kim.

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