Semiconductor Rally Continues: KOSPI Climbs 3.56% to Close Above 6,800

Foreign Investors Make Net Purchases of Over 2 Trillion Won on KOSPI
KOSDAQ Ends Slightly Higher

On August 13, the KOSPI index closed higher, supported by strong performances from large semiconductor stocks, such as those in the electrical and electronics sectors, as well as net buying by both foreign and institutional investors.

On this day, the KOSPI ended trading at 6,813.34, up 234.30 points (3.56%) from the previous session. The index started at 6,773.92, up 194.88 points (2.96%) from the previous trading day, and maintained an upward trend throughout the session. By investor type, foreign investors and institutions recorded net purchases of 2.1094 trillion won and 679.8 billion won, respectively, driving the index higher. Individual investors, on the other hand, had a net sale of 2.722 trillion won.

Jeongeun Lim, a researcher at KB Securities, commented, "The KOSPI closed up over 3%, as the semiconductor rally continued. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix saw gains for consecutive days, spurred by positive momentum in U.S. markets for AI and semiconductor stocks."

By industry, electrical and electronics (5.72%), manufacturing (4.54%), telecommunications (2.83%), finance (1.87%), and IT services (1.84%) sectors all saw gains. Conversely, electric & gas (-5.33%), insurance (-1.84%), non-metallic minerals (-1.62%), leisure & culture (-1.50%), and paper & wood (-1.10%) sectors declined.

On the 13th, the KOSPI index opened at 6,773.92, up 194.88 points from the previous trading day. The status of the domestic stock market was displayed on the electronic board in the dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Among major stocks by market capitalization, semiconductor and large-cap stocks showed strength. Notably, Samsung Electro-Mechanics surged by 12.58%, driven by heightened concerns over supply pressure in MLCC (multi-layer ceramic capacitors). SK Square (9.08%), SK hynix (5.92%), Samsung Electronics (4.89%), Shinhan Financial Group (2.70%), Hanwha Aerospace (2.51%), and Hyundai Mobis (2.51%) all posted significant gains. In contrast, Samsung Life Insurance fell 3.64% by the close.

The KOSDAQ index ended with a slight increase. On this day, the KOSDAQ closed at 861.37, up 2.46 points (0.29%) from the previous session. The index began trading at 863.15, up 4.24 points (0.49%) from the previous day, but fluctuated throughout the session before ending with a moderate gain. Foreign and institutional investors net sold 137.9 billion won and 117.1 billion won, respectively, while individual investors provided support by net buying 258.5 billion won worth of shares.

Researcher Lim explained, "The ongoing gains reflected optimism about beneficiary prospects for the semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment sector. Robotics and secondary battery stocks also posted modest increases, supporting the lower end of the KOSDAQ."

Among top market capitalization stocks on the KOSDAQ, semiconductor equipment, robotics, and selected pharmaceutical stocks stood out. Stocks including Wonik IPS (7.62%), ISC (7.10%), HPSP (6.60%), Peptron (5.53%), Robotis (5.45%), PharmaResearch (4.29%), Jusung Engineering (3.05%), and HLB (2.76%) rose. By contrast, EO Technics (-1.82%), Caregen (-0.62%), and Ligachem Bio (-0.61%) closed lower.

Researcher Lim added, "Tonight, the U.S. July Producer Price Index (PPI) will be released. Yesterday's July Consumer Price Index (CPI) announcement drove the probability of a rate freeze in September up to around 60%. It will be important to see whether the market's favorable interpretation of inflation persists."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.