[Edaily Reporter Park Soon-yeop] The “Jensen Huang effect” has driven the domestic stock market to new record highs. Following NVIDIA’s annual artificial intelligence (AI) conference, “GTC 2026,” held in Taipei, Taiwan, stocks with potential for collaboration with NVIDIA garnered widespread attention in the domestic market. Samsung Electronics surpassed 360,000 won on expectations for next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and buying momentum spread to stocks related to robotics, AI platforms, and telecommunications infrastructure.
According to MP Doctor on the 2nd, the KOSPI closed at 8,801.49, up 13.11 points (0.15%) from the previous trading day. This marked the first time in history that the index closed above the 8,800 level, setting a new record high for the third consecutive trading day. The index surged to 8,933.62 early in the session but turned bearish during the day due to massive selling by foreign investors. However, bargain-hunting toward the end of the session pushed the market to close slightly higher.

◇Samsung Electronics Breaks 360,000 Won… Buying Momentum Spreads to AI and Robotics Stocks

Samsung Electronics was at the center of the market on this day. The stock closed at 360,500 won, up 11,500 won (3.30%) from the previous trading day, marking its entry into the “360,000 won club.” News that Samsung Electronics unveiled a physical model of its next-generation AI memory, the 8th-generation HBM5, for the first time at GTC 2026 and began supplying samples of the 7th-generation HBM4E stimulated investor sentiment. Amid intensifying competition in the AI semiconductor sector, Samsung Electronics’ presence as a memory supplier within the NVIDIA ecosystem has been highlighted.
Samsung Electronics also moved up one spot in the global market capitalization rankings. According to CompaniesMarketCap.com, a website that tracks global corporate market capitalizations, Samsung Electronics’ market cap was recorded at $1.56 trillion on that day, surpassing Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, with a market cap of $1.524 trillion) to rank 10th. This follows the company’s market cap exceeding 2,000 trillion won based on common stock the previous day, marking its entry into the top 10 globally.
Robotics stocks contributed to the bullish market. #Doosan Robotics closed at 166,700 won, up 28,300 won (20.45%) from the previous trading day. This marks the third consecutive trading day of gains, following the previous day’s limit-up move. This is interpreted as a result of growing expectations for physical AI, fueled by news that CEO Hwang highlighted the importance of Korea’s robotics industry and expressed hope that NVIDIA could contribute to its development.
Stocks linked to potential collaborations with NVIDIA also rose in tandem. #NC surged 14.38% from the previous trading day, while #SK Telecom (11.59%), #NAVER (3.31%), and #LG Electronics (3.15%) also saw gains. This surge in optimism spread to stocks related to AI platforms, cloud computing, telecommunications, and gaming following reports that CEO Huang might meet with NC CEO Kim Taek-jin, in addition to speculation that he could hold a “second Kanbu meeting” in Korea with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and NAVER Chairman Lee Hae-jin.

◇ Limits to ‘Meeting Expectations’ Alone… Volatility in Thematic Stocks Widens
However, not all related stocks continued their upward trend. Some stocks that had surged the previous day on expectations of CEO Huang’s visit to Korea and meetings fell sharply on this day. #Doosan rose 11.71% the previous day but plummeted 12.94% on this day, and #Samsung SDS also fell 16.99% after surging 21.07% the previous day. #LG also fell 15.56% on this day after rising 13.10% the previous day. #LG Innotek also plunged 18.17% on this day after rising 4.94% the previous day. This is interpreted as profit-taking selling emerging, particularly in stocks whose prices had risen rapidly based solely on expectations of a meeting.
Consequently, market analysts suggest that investors should focus on the potential for actual contracts and earnings growth rather than mere expectations of a meeting. Kim Doo-eon, an analyst at Hana Securities, pointed out, “What matters is not who meets with Jensen Huang, but who can generate recurring revenue within the NVIDIA ecosystem.” He explained that while photos of the meeting or mere expectations may be short-lived catalysts, MOUs, joint development, GPU purchases, data center construction, and the adoption of robot platforms could lead to medium- to long-term trends.
Lim Jeong-eun, an analyst at KB Securities, also noted, “While the domestic stock market showed strength yesterday, led by stocks related to the NVIDIA partnership, it traded mixed today as profit-taking emerged in that sector.” She added, “As the ‘Jensen Huang effect’ continues and AI-related events such as GTC and Computex are concentrated, short-term volatility in related stocks is likely to persist.”