MONEY RADAR
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MARKET BRIEFING · KOREA

The indexes jumped 3%, yet only three stocks set new 52-week highs. This was a rebound lifted by semiconductors alone.

October 27, 2026 · Read the Korean original

Major indices

  • KOSPI 5,638.34 +3.09%
  • KOSDAQ 743.83 +2.29%

The indexes staged a sweeping comeback, yet only three stocks set new 52-week highs while thirty-six hit new lows. The KOSPI closed up 3.09% at 5,638.34 and the KOSDAQ up 2.29% at 743.83, with 599 KOSPI stocks advancing against 278 declining, an overwhelming tilt to the upside. That points to a bounce off the lows rather than a climb toward new peaks.

The lift came almost entirely from one industry: semiconductors. Of 43 semiconductor names, 42 rose for an average gain of 5.84%, and the strength did not stop at the large caps but spread into substrates and equipment, with Korea Circuit and Simmtech up by roughly double digits. Biotech and cosmetics, by contrast, fell on a day the index jumped 3%, with biotech weighed down by Samsung Biologics sliding despite earnings growth. Industry moves and individual names are laid out below in Sector Movers.

Bonds strengthened alongside the equity surge. The three-year government bond yield fell 3.1 basis points to 3.758% and the ten-year fell 4.2 basis points to 4.032%, while the won was essentially unchanged at 1,322.6 per dollar, a level that is nonetheless the lowest in six months. Gold and silver also eased, to 4,010.45 dollars and 53.58 dollars. Investor deposits as of October 23 stood at 89.8626 trillion won, up 1.1784 trillion won from the prior observation, while margin loan balances fell 211.1 billion won to 30.1522 trillion won, so cash is arriving while borrowed money to buy is shrinking. Non-arbitrage program net buying on the KOSPI reached 707.1 billion won, serving as the channel for institutional buying.

The trigger came from the United States. According to Money Today and BusinessKorea, news of Anthropic's initial public offering filing thawed frozen sentiment toward semiconductors, backed by falling crude oil prices and better-than-expected third-quarter growth. Yonhap News attributed the drop in yields despite the equity rebound to steady foreign buying of bonds, so foreign money appears to have moved into stocks and bonds on the same day. The money gathered in the semiconductor supply chain, where PLUS AI Semiconductor Materials Components Equipment Active rose 8.05%, the strongest among ETFs. Among leading stocks, Vina Tech gained 5.72%, with Ajou Economy pointing to AI data center power demand and a supercapacitor supply contract.

Index, industry and standout-stock moves, along with the macro and flow figures, are collected and calculated by this site, and the index closes and government bond yields were confirmed at identical values across multiple closing reports. Reading Anthropic's listing filing as the catalyst for the rebound, and the stated reasons for the moves in Vina Tech and HD Hyundai Energy Solutions, rest on press and brokerage commentary and remain estimates. Flow figures lag in disclosure and are as of October 23, crude oil is as of October 20, and US Treasury yields and MSCI weights are as of October 23. Whether foreign investors buying both stocks and bonds marks a shift in trend is still unclear.

Watchlist stocks by industry

Semiconductors +5.84% · 42 of 43 up

EV batteries +2.69% · 12 of 13 up

Automotive +2.47% · 14 of 16 up

Construction & infrastructure +1.65% · 14 of 17 up

Bio & healthcare -0.89% · 10 of 34 up

Cosmetics & beauty -0.93% · 1 of 12 up

Sources (Korean-language)

This market briefing was compiled by AI from this site's own price and filing data together with public news reports, and translated from the Korean original. Please check the sources below before relying on it.

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