2026 H1 Asset Scorecard: Top Winners and Biggest Losers Across Global Markets

VG Markets · 2026-07-01T07:37:46Z
2026 H1 Asset Scorecard: Top Winners and Biggest Losers Across Global Markets

Global assets printed an extreme performance divide across the first half of 2026. Tech-heavy equity benchmarks, industrial commodities and a handful of major currencies notched eye-catching gains on AI chip demand, firm energy prices and hawkish monetary signals, whereas precious metals and the Japanese yen suffered steep drawdowns amid elevated rate expectations and distinct regional headwinds.


Top-Performing Assets


- South Korea’s KOSPI: Surged 100% over six months, powered by AI trading fever and historic rallies from memory chip leaders Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.


- Taiwan Weighted Index: Jumped nearly 60% on semiconductor strength, with TSMC climbing more than 55% in H1.


- Nikkei 225: Rose almost 40%, lifted by tech momentum and a collapsing yen that made Japanese export stocks cheaper for global buyers.

- Crude oil: WTI and Brent both gained over 20% year-to-date despite a pullback from recent highs.


- US major equities: Nasdaq advanced nearly 13% and the S&P 500 added 9.5%, delivering steady robust returns.


- US Dollar Index: Rebounded from an early-year low of 95.5 to above 101, logging a nearly 3% H1 rise.


- AUD/USD: Edged up 3.7% on RBA tightening and elevated energy costs, one of the few advancing major currencies.


- LME 3-month copper: Rallied 7% on booming AI infrastructure demand, hitting a record high of $14,527 per tonne.



Lagging Assets


- Precious metals: The worst performing asset category in H1. Spot gold lost over 7%, shedding more than $1,500 from its all-time peak. Spot silver tumbled roughly 18%, more than halving from its yearly high. Platinum dropped over 24% and palladium nearly 25%.


- Japanese yen: USD/JPY climbed 3.8% across H1, pushing the yen to a 40-year trough. The pair has risen roughly 10% since Sanae Takachi took office as Japan’s prime minister last October.


- Indonesian markets: A “sell Indonesia” trend prevailed amid unprecedented domestic political turmoil. The Jakarta Composite Index fell about 34% in H1, while the rupiah ranked as Asia’s weakest currency year-to-date.