Seoul stocks rebounded Monday: KOSPI +0.97% to 6,755, KOSDAQ +2.22%. Falling oil and AI-summit optimism lifted sentiment, with NAVER up 8.4% on an Nvidia investment, even as foreign investors dumped roughly $2.0B of KOSPI shares.
One company accounts for roughly a fifth of Korea’s benchmark index. Here is how KOSPI’s cap-weighted methodology turns Samsung Electronics and the memory-chip cycle into the index itself – and what that means for anyone tracking or buying Korean equities.
The KOSPI fell 5.72% and the KOSDAQ 5.32% as new US tariffs, oil above $100 and an overnight Wall Street slide hit at once, triggering sell sidecars. Foreigners dumped roughly $2.2B of KOSPI shares while Samsung Biologics jumped 10% on record earnings.
Korea’s KOSPI jumped 4.4% to close back above 7,000 as Alphabet’s earnings and raised AI capex guidance reignited chip sentiment. Foreign investors bought a net ~$1.5B of KOSPI shares, and the KOSDAQ’s 5.2% surge briefly tripped a buy-side sidecar.
The KOSPI opened up 4.51% on a US chip rally, triggered the year’s 20th buy-side sidecar, then gave back most of the gain to close at 6,797.70 (+0.74%) as oil and earnings caution weighed. Foreigners bought a net KRW 2.63T.
Korea’s KOSPI jumped 3.56% to 6,747.95 as Samsung Electronics surged 6.15% and chip stocks led a rebound, tripping the year’s 19th buy-side sidecar. Foreign and institutional buying drove the bounce after a brutal three-week slide.
Korea runs two very different stock markets under one exchange operator. This guide explains how KOSPI and KOSDAQ differ in listing rules, sector mix, investor base, and tradable products – and walks through how to read the foreign-flow data that drives both.
Korea’s KOSPI fell 4.46% to 6,516.27 and the KOSDAQ lost 5.33% as semiconductor demand worries and US-Iran tensions triggered sell-side sidecars on both exchanges. Institutions led the selling while individuals and foreign investors bought the dip.
The KOSPI fell 6.37% to 6,820.60 as SK hynix dropped 11.5% and Samsung Electronics 8.8%, extending a July that has already seen six sessions with moves larger than 5% — on a day that also brought a Bank of Korea rate decision.
Korea’s KOSPI jumped 7.01% to 7,284.41 after a softer US CPI print eased Fed tightening fears, tripping buy sidecars on both exchanges. Foreign investors bought roughly $1.6 billion of KOSPI shares, but the index remains about 14% below its June 30 level.