[Featured Stock] Samsung Electronics stabilizes at 220k won... Semiconductors strongly drive KOSPI to break through 6,600 points

Samsung Electronics delivered strong performance, driving the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) to break through the 6,600-point mark for the first time in history. Under favorable expectations for the semiconductor industry and the combined effect of buying by foreign investors and institutions, the index refreshed record highs in both the closing price and the intraday benchmark.

According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI index rose by 139.40 points (2.15%) from the previous trading day to close at 6,615.03 points. It briefly touched 6,603.01 points during the session, surpassing the 6,600-point threshold for the first time, and then climbed to as high as 6,657.22 points, again setting a new intraday high.

The total market capitalization of China’s domestic stock market also reached 61,009.94 trillion won, breaking through the 60,000 trillion won mark for the first time in history. With total market cap of about 39,800 trillion won at the end of last year, it broke 40,000 trillion won on the first trading day of this year, and after exceeding 50,000 trillion won on February 3, it reached 60,000 trillion won after a little more than three months.

The core driver of the market rise is semiconductor stocks. Samsung Electronics closed up 2.28%, at 223,500 won; SK Hynix rose 5.73%, breaking through the 1.3 million won threshold. The current market price of Samsung Electronics—223,500 won—mentioned in the report is also consistent with the underlying figure cited in the article.

The situation for the supply and demand of funds has also been relatively favorable. Although individual investors net sold 1,867 billion won, foreign investors and institutions net bought 734.3 billion won and 1,138.7 billion won, respectively, driving the index higher. After four trading days, foreign investors in the Korean securities market returned to net buying.

The backdrop for the rise is clear. In the U.S. stock market, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices hit record highs, along with strengthening expectations that the performance of Korean companies will improve and some easing of geopolitical risks in the Middle East. Before U.S. tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet announce earnings this week, expectations for upside earnings surprises have been spreading positively across the entire semiconductor sector.

Earlier, brokerages expected that in the short term, the market’s reaction to earnings momentum would be more sensitive than geopolitical variables. Analysts believe that value-chain sectors related to expectations for expanded AI data center investments and orders may show relatively strong performance.