Asian shares and U.S. futures advanced Monday after artificial intelligence stocks recovered some ground lost in last week’s sell-offs.
asserted
stocks → advance → offs
Taiwan’s Taiex led gains with a 5.6% jump, thanks to a rebound in computer chipmaker TSMC, which also surged 5.6%.
asserted
which → lead → TSMC
Regional tech stocks benefited from gains Friday in the U.S., where AI stocks got some relief from their sell-off earlier in the week on worries that Democratic victories in the midterm elections could slow construction of AI data centers, particularly in Texas.
uncertain
victories → benefit → Texas
Voters across political parties say they are wary about AI and don’t like increases to power bills caused by data centers.
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they → say → centers
The rest of the U.S. stock market was mixed as investors mulled over what the sweeping victories by Democrats will mean for markets and the broader economy.
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victories → mull → markets
Monday trading started out strong in Tokyo, where the Nikkei 225 index gained 3.4% to 59,411.34.
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index → start → 59,411.34
Chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron gained 6.5%, while Advantest, which makes testing equipment, was up 5.1%.
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which → gain → equipment
SoftBank Group’s shares fell 2.9% as the company maneuvered to salvage a $5.4 billion robotics deal with Switzerland’s ABB, which Chinese regulators have rejected.
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regulators → fall → which
In South Korea, the Kospi advanced 1.5% to 5,137.22.
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Kospi → advance → 5,137.22
Samsung Electronics Corp. gained 2.7% and chipmaker SK Hynix jumped 3.9%.
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Hynix → gain → %
Those are relatively modest gains for companies whose share prices have yo-yoed as investors dumped and then snapped up AI-related shares over the past few weeks.
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investors → yoe → weeks
Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.2% to 24,525.58 and the Shanghai Composite index added 0.4% to 3,663.91.
asserted
index → edge → 3,663.91
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% lower to 9,011.50.
asserted
S&P → edge → 9,011.50
On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and trimmed its loss for the week to 2.7%, which was its worst since U.S. President Donald Trump shook markets in April 2025 with his “Liberation Day” tariffs.
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Trump → rise → tariffs
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.1%.
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composite → drop → ?
The relative steadiness halted what had been a worldwide tumble for stocks.
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what → halt → stocks
Indexes dropped 6% in Tokyo and in Seoul following Wall Street’s plunge on Thursday.
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Indexes → drop → Thursday
Friday’s biggest lift for the S&P 500 came from Nvidia, the chip company that has become the face of the boom and possible bust of the AI frenzy.
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that → come → frenzy
Its stock climbed 2.8%, coming off drops of 9.3% and 3.2%.
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stock → climb → %
Nvidia said Sunday it was opening an investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort.
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Huang → say → effort
That followed Huang’s acknowledgment that he had been intimate with a business executive whom, according to The New York Times, U.S. intelligence determined was gathering information for Beijing.
uncertain
intelligence → follow → Beijing
Nvidia is a central player in the race to develop artificial intelligence.
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Nvidia → develop → intelligence
Its chips power many of the data centers and computing systems used to train and run AI models.
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chips → power → models
Its advanced processors have also been a focus of U.S. export restrictions aimed at limiting China’s access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology.
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processors → aim → technology
“The scrutiny surrounding Jensen Huang reaches far beyond a personal scandal, touching the increasingly sensitive intersection of US technology leadership, China and national security,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.
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Innes → surround → commentary
Despite its recent gyrations, the S&P 500 is only 5.7% below its all-time high, which was set last month.
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which → set → high
A report released Friday showed U.S. employers hired many more workers last month than economists expected in the latest signal that the U.S. economy is chugging along despite high inflation.
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economy → release → inflation
The encouraging data could mean the U.S. economy may be able to absorb a slowdown in construction of AI data centers.
uncertain
economy → mean → centers
But the strong growth in jobs could push prices higher, raising the likelihood the Federal Reserve may hike its short-term interest rate at its next meeting in December.
uncertain
Reserve → push → December
Rate hikes by the Fed can rein in inflation, but they also make borrowing money more expensive for everyone, slowing the overall economy.
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borrowing → rein → economy
In other dealings early Monday, Brent crude oil, the international standard, slipped 0.2% to $98.10 per barrel.
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oil → slip → barrel
U.S. benchmark crude gained 0.2% to $91.04 per barrel.
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crude → gain → barrel
The U.S. dollar slipped to 158.31 Japanese yen from 158.36 yen late Friday.
asserted
dollar → slip → yen
The euro rose to $1.1155 from $1.1142.
asserted
euro → rise → 1.1142
The Aporia
