Asia's AI darlings that are captivating investor attention

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 02, 2026 at 16:03  |  2:40  |  CNBC
Speakers
Seema Mody — Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC
Joe Kernen — Co-Anchor, Squawk Box

Summary

CNBC's Seema Mody reports on Asian AI stocks attracting investor attention, led by Baidu's plan to list its AI chip unit and a potential wave of Chinese IPOs in 2026. The segment highlights strong gains in SK hynix, Samsung Electronics, and a Japanese AI storage company, as well as a broader shift in the AI ecosystem away from Silicon Valley dominance. A host also discusses ByteDance's valuation and potential NVIDIA chip purchases.

  • Baidu announced plans to list its AI chip unit, lifting its shares and helping the Hang Seng to its best start since 2013.
  • Bankers expect a wave of Chinese IPOs in 2026, with about five AI-related Chinese names potentially listing in Hong Kong in January.
  • SK hynix surged over 240% after pivoting to full-stack memory and opening a new fab to meet strong demand.
  • Samsung Electronics is staging a comeback after winning NVIDIA as a customer for high-bandwidth memory chips.
  • A Japanese AI storage company went public, surged over 500%, and added Apple and Microsoft as customers.
  • The rise of Asian AI titans is seen as a fundamental shift in the AI ecosystem long dominated by Silicon Valley.
  • ByteDance is discussed as potentially worth more than its last $350 billion valuation, though an IPO is not expected in 2026.
  • Reports suggest ByteDance may buy $14 billion in NVIDIA chips.
Ideas
Seema Mody Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC 0:12
China AI self-reliance drives outperformance.
AI is a main driver of China's outperformance, with the market up over 25% in its best year since 2017. Beijing is pushing domestic companies to become more self-reliant and innovation-focused, and capital-intensive semiconductor, memory, and cloud investments require more capital, supporting a wave of Chinese IPOs.
FXI MED
Seema Mody Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC 0:16
Baidu AI chip listing drives upside.
Baidu announced plans to list its AI chip unit, part of a growing wave of Chinese IPOs expected in 2026 and rising investor intrigue around China's AI ecosystem and self-reliance. The stock jumped and helped the Hang Seng see its best start since 2013.
BAIDU MED
Seema Mody Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC 0:46
SK hynix full-stack pivot drives gains.
SK hynix gained over 240% in one year after a strategic pivot to become a full-stack memory provider and opening a new fab to accommodate strong demand.
000660.KS HIGH
Seema Mody Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC 1:02
Samsung wins NVIDIA HBM customer.
Samsung is staging a big comeback in 2025 after clinching NVIDIA as a customer for its high-bandwidth memory chips.
005930.KS MED
Seema Mody Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC 1:23
Asian AI titans challenge Silicon Valley dominance.
The rise of Asian AI titans like SK hynix, Samsung, and the Japanese AI storage player marks a fundamental shift in the AI ecosystem long dominated by Silicon Valley, and competition is becoming more fierce.
Asian AI equities MED
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This CNBC video, published January 02, 2026, features Seema Mody discussing FXI, BAIDU, 000660.KS, 005930.KS, Asian AI equities. 5 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Seema Mody  · Tickers: FXI, BAIDU, 000660.KS, 005930.KS, Asian AI equities