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The Seoul Stock Exchange beats all stock lists in 2025, with the Kospi index jumping by 76% driven by stocks linked to the artificial intelligence boom and those in defense. In second place Madrid, the best stock market in the Old Continent (+49.3%), ahead of Milan (+31.5%), displaced from the podium of the main world stock exchanges by Sao Paulo, whose reference index Ibovespa rose by 34%.
Spectacular performances were achieved in Seoul by the chip giants Samsung Electronics (+125%) and Sk Hynix (+270%)as well as by stocks linked to the energy needs of data centers, such as the supplier of components for generation, including nuclear, Doosan Enerbilityor power transformer maker Hyosung Heavy Industries, capable of quadrupling its value.
Geopolitical tensions and the review of American policy instead fueled the rally in defense companies, with the shares of Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwa Ocean rising by around 200%. In Europe, it was mainly banking stocks, to which both Madrid and Milan are highly exposed, and defense stocks that boosted the prices, as did mining companies, especially those linked to precious metals and copper, a fundamental mineral for the electrification of data centers.
In Europa Madrid and Milan have fallen into line Frankfurt (+23%), London (+21.5%) and Paris (+10.2%) penalized by political uncertainty, in Asia Tokyo (+26.2%) and Hong Kong (+27.8%), as well as Wall Street, with the Nasdaq up 21.3% and S&P 500 up 17.2% overcoming fears of a bursting of the alleged artificial intelligence bubble and resisting President Donald Trump’s unpredictable and disruptive moves.
Overall the index MSCI World, the main benchmark for global stock market trends, rose by 20%the MSCI Asia-Pacific index by 25% while the pan-European Stoxx 600 index gained almost 17%, its best result since 2021.