# Asian markets sell off after AI-driven rallies prompt profit-taking > Source: > Published: 2026-06-26 04:35:48+00:00 Asian shares plunged Friday as traders sold to lock in gains from recent AI-driven rallies, the Associated Press reports. Tokyo's **Nikkei 225** shed **5%** and Seoul's **Kospi** plunged **8.4%**, per the AP. Hong Kong's **Hang Seng** lost **1.9%**, the **Shanghai Composite** slipped **2.1%**, and Taiwan's **Taiex** gave up **3.3%**. Earlier in the week, South Korea's market had plunged about **10%** and triggered a circuit breaker, per CNN and The New York Times. Major semiconductor names including **Samsung Electronics** and **SK Hynix** posted double-digit losses in volatile sessions, per CNBC and CNN. Both the Nikkei and Kospi had hit record highs earlier in the week. Micron Technology jumped **15.7%** in U.S. trading on strong quarterly results, per the AP, a signal that AI hardware demand remains intact even as valuations are being reset. Multiple outlets frame the sell-off as profit-taking concentrated in crowded AI and memory-chip positions.