South Korean chip makers such as Samsung Electronics gained on Friday amid expectations for a turnaround in flash-memory chip prices, as makers of portable electronic gadgets are seen increasing orders in the second half.
Market rumours that Apple Computer Inc had placed in September higher-than-expected orders for NAND-flash memory chips to be used in its hot-selling iPod music players also spurred the gains, with analysts citing a report by semiconductor research firm DRAMeXchange.
Expectations for stable memory DRAM prices have also lifted the outlook for chip makers such as world's No 1 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and No 2 Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
"Apple is making orders in September for new models," said Chung Chang-won, an analyst at Daewoo Securities.
"Yesterday, spot flash memory prices showed an increase, and we expect flash memory could turn positive as we enter the seasonal peak. If DRAM prices keep increasing and flash turns around, that would be positive for chip makers," he added.
Shares in Hynix Semiconductor rose 3.33 percent to 35,650 won by 0208 GMT, after earlier rising as much as 4.2 percent, compared with a 1.1 percent gain in the main index.