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SK Hynix: Plans to provide HBM4E samples to customers in the second half of this year, with the goal of achieving mass production of HBM4E in 2027.

On April 23, according to foreign media reports, Microsoft announced its largest investment ever in Australia, pledging A$25 billion (approximately US$17.9 billion) by the end of 2029 to further expand its artificial intelligence market in the Asia-Pacific region. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated at a Microsoft event in Sydney on Thursday that the company will significantly expand its Azure AI supercomputing and cloud infrastructure in Australia, while also focusing on initiatives related to AI security, training, and cybersecurity. Nadella stated in a press release, "Australia has a tremendous opportunity to translate artificial intelligence into real economic growth and social benefits."

Market news: Microsoft has pledged to invest $18 billion to enhance Australia's artificial intelligence capabilities.

SK Hynix: Customer demand for HBM will far exceed the company's production capacity over the next three years.

New Zealand Finance Minister: (Regarding the war with Iran) The Treasury predicts that in the worst-case scenario where oil prices reach US$180 per barrel, the unemployment rate will reach 5.7% in 2025/26.

Japan's preliminary services PMI for April was 51.2, down from 53.4 in the previous month.

Japan's preliminary manufacturing PMI for April was 54.9, down from 51.6 in the previous month.

Japan's preliminary composite PMI for April was 52.4, compared to 53 in the previous month.

SK Hynix's stock price rose 0.7% in South Korea.

Samsung Electronics' shares rose more than 3% in South Korea.

According to Iranian sources on the 23rd, Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Illavani, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Guterres and the Security Council, arguing that the United States and Israel should bear full responsibility for their illegal attacks on Iranian civilian space and communications infrastructure.

On April 23, the Bank of Korea stated on Thursday that global demand for artificial intelligence technology drove export growth, resulting in a strong rebound in the South Korean economy at the beginning of the year. The country's GDP grew by 1.7% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of this year, reversing the contraction expected in the fourth quarter of 2025 and marking the fastest growth since the third quarter of 2020. This figure exceeded the consensus forecast of 0.9% in institutional surveys and even surpassed the most optimistic predictions. Data showed that chip exports increased by 139.1% year-on-year in the first quarter, more than double the growth rate of the previous quarter, with overall export growth reaching its highest monthly rate since 2021. Construction investment and equipment investment grew by 2.8% and 4.8%, respectively. However, risks remain for the South Korean economy, whose growth momentum has been volatile in recent quarters. Consumer confidence fell to a 10-month low in March as the war with Iran cast a shadow over growth and price prospects.

On April 23, White House National Economic Council Director Hassett expressed support for Federal Reserve Chairman Powell's plan—to remain as Fed chairman temporarily if his successor is not confirmed by the Senate by the end of his term in May. Hassett stated on Wednesday, "I think this is the proper legal understanding." Trump has nominated Warsh to succeed Powell, but Republicans currently do not have enough votes to move the nomination from the Senate Banking Committee to the Senate for confirmation. Republican Senator Thom Tillis indicated he would postpone the vote until the Justice Department ceases its alleged "sham" investigation into cost overruns in the Fed building renovation project. Speaking about Warsh, Hassett said, "We are very confident that he will become chairman in the appropriate time. I believe there will be discussions about how to proceed."

SK Hynix: Storage efficiency technology is expected to expand the overall market; for server chips, the demand base for both DRAM and NAND is expanding; demand for PC/smartphone chips is showing some signs of weakness.

1. WeChat Pay integrates QR codes from five countries. 2. TSMC showcases next-generation chip technology to bypass ASML's expensive new equipment. 3. Li Auto denies involvement in smuggling: has never participated and will assist police investigation. 4. Tencent and Alibaba reportedly in talks to invest in DeepSeek, potentially valuing the company at over $20 billion. 5. Google Cloud AI usage reaches 16 billion tokens per minute. 6. Strong demand for memory chips drives SK Hynix's quarterly profit up 406%. 7. Nvidia participates in Vast Data's latest funding round, raising its valuation to $30 billion. 8. Tesla's Q1 revenue slightly missed expectations, but free cash flow and gross margin exceeded expectations. 9. SK Hynix will invest 19 trillion won to build a new chip factory. The advanced packaging plant will begin construction in April.

1. All three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.69% to 49,490.03 points, the S&P 500 rose 1.05% to 7,137.9 points, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.64% to 24,657.57 points, a record high. Boeing rose more than 5%, and Apple rose more than 2%, leading the Dow. The Wind U.S. Tech Big Seven Index rose 1.81%, with Amazon and Google rising more than 2%. 2. All three major European stock indexes closed lower. The German DAX fell 0.31% to 24,194.9 points, the French CAC40 fell 0.96% to 8,156.43 points, and the UK FTSE 100 fell 0.21% to 10,476.46 points. 3. International precious metals futures generally closed higher. COMEX gold futures rose 0.82% to $4,758.30 per ounce, and COMEX silver futures rose 1.56% to $77.69 per ounce. 4. The WTI crude oil futures contract closed up 3.57% at $92.87 per barrel; the Brent crude oil futures contract rose 3.12% to $101.55 per barrel.