[Good Morning Stock Market] U.S. Closes Lower on Renewed Military Clashes with Iran... Korean Market Also Expected to Open Weak

Rising Global Interest Rates Add to the Pressure

With the resumption of military conflict between the United States and Iran, the U.S. stock market ended lower. On September 2, the domestic stock market is also expected to open lower due to upward pressure on oil prices and interest rates.

On the 1st (local time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 52,766.88, down 0.79% from the previous session. The S&P 500 fell 0.71% to 7,631.47, while the Nasdaq Composite Index finished down 1.03% at 26,099.77.

The renewed military conflict between the United States and Iran pushed West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices above 90 dollars, returning to the 90-dollar range for the first time since July 23. The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury also exceeded 4.8%. The uncertainty over energy inflation, coupled with fiscal instability in major economies, was the main reason. As a result, growth stocks such as Nvidia (-1.5%) and Micron (-2.6%) led the declines.

Han Ji-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said, "The stock market has become highly sensitive to negative macro variables such as oil prices and interest rates," adding, "For now, it is necessary to closely monitor whether tensions between the U.S. and Iran subside, as well as whether the long-term bond yields in major advanced economies like the U.S. and Japan stabilize, and respond accordingly."

On the 1st, the KOSPI index opened at 6784.29, down 35.73 points from the previous trading day. The current status of the domestic stock market is displayed on the electronic board in the dealing room of the Hana Bank Headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung, September 1, 2026.

The domestic stock market is also expected to start lower due to the burden of higher oil prices and interest rates, as well as the roughly 3% decline in KOSPI200 overnight futures. However, some analysts believe that intraday bargain hunting and positive developments—such as Dell’s after-hours stock price surging more than 6% on the back of an AI server sales-driven earnings surprise—may help pare the losses as the session progresses.

Meanwhile, there is a positive assessment of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix supporting the lower end of the index by absorbing net selling for two consecutive sessions through their share buybacks. Over the past two trading days, foreign investors (-1.1 trillion won), retail investors (-700 billion won), and institutional investors (-1.4 trillion won) all recorded net selling. Most of this net selling (3.3 trillion won) was absorbed by other corporations, and this surge in net buying by other corporations was triggered by the share buybacks of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

A research analyst commented, "There is a limit to how much these share buybacks can flexibly boost stock prices," but added, "While retail, institutional, and foreign investors are all selling for their own reasons, if the current pace of share buybacks is maintained, it could provide a cushion for market supply-demand for about a month until the third-quarter earnings season, which is a positive factor."

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