Kai Research

📌 Next Week Outlook Summary After a week of record-breaking volatility, the first week of August (Aug 3–7) is shaping up to be a "direction-searching" period, with the US July jobs report, ISM Manufacturing/Services PMI, and semiconductor & big-tech earnings expected to set the tone. All eyes will be on whether the KOSPI's +17.91% rebound on July 31 can be sustained. 📊 Last Week Market Summary Last week's Korean market was a genuine roller-coaster. The KOSPI plunged -10.84% on July 28 in a "Black Monday"-style crash, extended losses through July 29–30, and then surged +17.91% on July 31 to recover much of the damage. Even so, the benchmark closed the week down -3.10% , while the KOSDAQ ended -5.36% , leaving clear scars from the volatility. Index Week Open Week Close Week High Week Low Weekly Return Weekly Volume KOSPI 6,806.27 6,595.45 6,806.27 5,262.77 -3.10% 187,766.8만 KOSDAQ 760.54 719.76 780.39 630.99 -5.36% 246,219.6만 Daily Performance D...

📊 This Week at a Glance The final week of July (7/27–07/31) delivered one of the most extreme bouts of volatility the Korean stock market has ever seen — a single week that packed in both a circuit breaker crash and a record-scale surge. A US-China semiconductor shock sent the KOSPI tumbling for three straight sessions to the 5,500 level, but on the final trading day foreign investors poured in roughly 7 trillion won of net buying, driving a one-day +17.91% explosion that recovered most of the losses. On a weekly basis, however, both indices still closed lower — KOSPI -3.10% and KOSDAQ -5.36% . Index Weekly Open Weekly Close Weekly High Weekly Low Weekly Change Weekly Volume KOSPI 6,806.27 6,595.45 6,806.27 5,262.77 -3.10% 187,766.8만 KOSDAQ 760.54 719.76 780.39 630.99 -5.36% 246,219.6만 The USD/KRW exchange rate spiked to as high as 1,472 won intraday during the sell-off, but as risk appetite recovered it stabilized back toward a weekly close of around 1,442.07 won . 📅 Daily Perform...

📊 Today's Market at a Glance On Friday, July 31, 2026, Korean equities staged a historic explosive rally , recovering most of a three-day plunge in a single session. The KOSPI surged +16.97% , gaining nearly 950 points, as semiconductor heavyweights raced to their limit-up (daily +30% ceiling) and led the market higher. Index Open High Low Close Change Volume KOSPI 5,657.79 6,548.64 5,629.76 6,542.82 +16.97% 33,797.5만 KOSDAQ 666.47 716.46 663.25 716.37 +11.10% 36,864.8만 Item Close USD/KRW Exchange Rate 1,442.28 📈 KOSPI Analysis The KOSPI closed at 6,542.82 , up +16.97% and roughly 949 points higher than the prior session. It opened at 5,657.79, climbed to an intraday high of 6,548.64, and finished near that high, reflecting overwhelming buying pressure into the close. A technical rebound after three consecutive days of steep losses combined with an overnight rally in U.S. chip stocks (NASDAQ +2.78% ) to act as the trigger. Buying was so explosive that buy-side sidecars were ac...

📌 One-Line Summary Wall Street rallied sharply overnight (Nasdaq +2.78%) as the FOMC held rates steady, setting the stage for a technical rebound attempt in the KOSPI and KOSDAQ after last week's semiconductor-driven sell-off pushed them into oversold territory. The Bank of Japan decision at 11:30 KST and lingering chip-sector volatility remain the key swing factors for today. 🌙 Overnight Markets U.S. equities closed sharply higher across all three major indices overnight, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq leading the charge, up +2.78% . The immediate catalyst was the FOMC's decision to hold the benchmark rate at 3.75% (in line with forecasts), which eased tightening concerns. This provides a rebound rationale for Korean equities, which had fallen into oversold territory last week amid a semiconductor-led plunge, a sidecar trigger, and the KOSPI breaking below the 6,000 level. Index Close Change S&P 500 7,437.63 +1.66% Nasdaq 25,122.18 +2.78% Dow Jones 52,208.06 +1.19% That said...

📊 Today's Market at a Glance Despite Samsung Electronics reporting record second-quarter earnings, a fresh wave of AI-bubble fears and a global semiconductor correction dragged both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ lower for a fourth straight session. The KOSPI briefly climbed to 5,976 in an attempt to reclaim the 6,000 mark before reversing to close -1.23% , while the KOSDAQ deepened its losses to -2.70% . Index Open High Low Close Change Volume KOSPI 5,681.77 5,976.82 5,547.41 5,593.56 -1.23% 37,517.1만 KOSDAQ 654.72 677.19 642.95 644.78 -2.70% 45,260.2만 The USD/KRW exchange rate held at an elevated 1,453.16 , keeping pressure on foreign inflows. In point terms, the KOSPI fell 69.68 points while the KOSDAQ dropped 17.90 points. 📈 KOSPI Analysis The KOSPI closed at 5,593.56 , down 1.23% (69.68p) . The index opened firm at 5,681.77 and rallied intraday to as high as 5,976.82, testing a recovery of the 6,000 level. However, a 150,000-won plunge in Samsung Electro-Mechanics (closing at 879,000 ...

📌 One-Line Summary After a brutal selloff (KOSPI -5.98% , KOSDAQ -6.12% ) in the previous session, Korean equities open FOMC day facing an overnight Wall Street plunge (Dow -2.19% ) and a stubbornly high USD/KRW near 1,443. Expect a highly volatile session where technical rebound attempts clash with further capitulation selling. 📉 Previous Session Recap The prior Korean trading session was nothing short of a 'Black Tuesday,' with both benchmarks triggering sidecar circuit breakers. The KOSPI collapsed -5.98% to close at 5,663.24, while the KOSDAQ tumbled -6.12% to 662.68. A sharp drop in US semiconductor names, SK Hynix's ADR falling below its offering price, and heavy foreign selling amid an elevated won-dollar rate combined to unleash a wave of panic selling. An early rebound attempt that briefly pushed the index above 6,200 faded as foreign outflows accelerated. Following such an exceptional decline, today's session is set to become a fierce tug-of-war between...

📌 One-Line Summary: Korean stocks suffered a second consecutive day of panic selling as an SK Hynix earnings shock and semiconductor peak-out fears crushed the market — KOSPI plunged -9.76% and KOSDAQ dropped -8.61% , triggering circuit breakers on both boards for the first time ever on back-to-back sessions. 📊 Today's Market at a Glance On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the Korean stock market experienced one of its most extreme trading days on record. Both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ opened higher on a technical rebound but reversed sharply in the afternoon, closing deep in the red. Sell-side sidecars and Level 1 circuit breakers were triggered on both markets — the first time in history that circuit breakers have halted trading on consecutive days. Index Open High Low Close Change Volume (만) KOSPI 6,089.11 6,228.52 5,262.77 5,435.76 -9.76% 34,167.8만 KOSDAQ 713.71 719.39 630.99 645.08 -8.61% 51,306.8만 USD/KRW 1,464.44 — 📈 KOSPI Analysis The KOSPI opened up at 6,089.11 as ba...

📌 One-Line Summary Following the semiconductor-driven 'Black Tuesday' crash (KOSPI -10.84% ), overnight U.S. markets stabilized on Dow strength ( +1.03% ). Today, Korean equities are expected to swing between an oversold technical rebound and renewed chip-sector jitters — a high-volatility session. 🌙 Overnight Markets U.S. equities closed mixed overnight. The Dow Jones advanced as bargain hunters stepped in, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped, showing limited recovery in the semiconductor space. The shock from the prior day's chip plunge — which triggered a sidecar on Korean exchanges (Nvidia's decline and a 7%-plus drop in SK Hynix's U.S. ADR) — has eased somewhat over the past 24 hours, but the resilience of the semiconductor sector remains fragile. Index Close Change Dow Jones 52,747.32 +1.03% S&P 500 7,428.78 +0.21% Nasdaq 24,876.91 -0.22% The broad-market panic has cooled, but sentiment toward the large-cap chipmakers (Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix) ...

📌 One-Line Summary A "Black Tuesday" for Korean equities: a US-China semiconductor shock sent the KOSPI plunging -10.84% and the KOSDAQ -7.72% , triggering sidecars in both markets and a full circuit breaker on the KOSPI. The KOSPI broke below the 6,000 level intraday as semiconductor panic selling dominated ahead of SK Hynix's earnings release. 📊 Today's Market at a Glance On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, the Korean stock market extended a second consecutive session of steep losses, delivering an extreme panic-driven trading day. Both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ triggered program-driven sell-side sidecars from the opening bell, and the KOSPI's losses widened enough to activate a market-wide circuit breaker. Index Open High Low Close Change Volume KOSPI 6,400.27 6,413.57 5,992.91 6,023.66 -10.84% 32,420.7만 KOSDAQ 742.13 742.13 697.45 705.85 -7.72% 50,251.6만 The USD/KRW exchange rate held at an elevated 1,458.01 won , adding to pressure from foreign capital outflows...

📌 One-Line Summary US markets closed mixed overnight, with the Dow firm but the Nasdaq slipping. The key question today is whether the KOSPI (6,755.75) and KOSDAQ (764.86) — which rebounded sharply on the back of semiconductor supply-chain names in the previous session — can absorb the Nasdaq's weakness and carry their upward momentum forward. Surging oil prices and a stubborn USD/KRW rate above the 1,460 level remain key swing factors. 🌙 Overnight Markets The three major US indices diverged overnight. The Dow, led by cyclical and value stocks, held firm, while concerns over AI investment costs and surging oil prices weighed on tech names, dragging the Nasdaq into negative territory. The S&P 500 finished only marginally higher. Index Close Change Dow Jones 52,210.08 +0.51% S&P 500 7,413.18 +0.02% Nasdaq 24,932.08 -0.18% Skepticism over the profitability of large-scale AI spending, combined with concerns that a spike in oil prices could push interest rates higher, brou...