[Edaily Reporter Park Sun-Yeop ] The KOSPI extended its gains to the 8% range in the afternoon, regaining the 7,400 level. This was driven by a resurgence in risk appetite after the U.S. June Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in below market expectations, coupled with large-scale simultaneous buying by foreign and institutional investors. As major semiconductor stocks such as SamsungElectronics and SK hynix surged, buy-side circuit breakers were triggered one after another in both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets early in the session.
According to MP Doctor on the 15th, as of 1:03 p.m. that day, the KOSPI stood at 7,415.90, up 559.07 points (8.15%) from the previous trading day.
In terms of market participants, foreign investors and institutions are leading the index higher with net purchases of 2.0911 trillion won and 550.3 billion won, respectively. In contrast, retail investors are net sellers of 2.592 trillion won. Program trading, combining arbitrage and non-arbitrage trades, shows a net selling position of 2.3858 trillion won.

As the index surged rapidly shortly after the market opened, market safety mechanisms were triggered. At 9:06:41 a.m. that day, the Korea Exchange activated a “buy-side sidecar” on the Stock Market, suspending the effectiveness of program buy orders for five minutes. At the time of activation, the KOSPI 200 futures price stood at 1,170.60, up 71.50 points (6.50%) from the benchmark price.
Overnight, the U.S. June CPI inflation rate came in below market expectations, easing concerns about a resurgence of inflation and further interest rate hikes. The strong performance of artificial intelligence (AI)-related semiconductor stocks in the U.S. market also boosted investor sentiment toward domestic semiconductor stocks.
Kang Jin-hyuk, a senior analyst at Shinhan Investment Securities, said, “Amid a recovery in risk appetite following the release of the U.S. June CPI, foreign and institutional investors have been driving the index higher with net buying for two consecutive days.” He added, “The buy-side sidecar was triggered early in the session, and the warmth of the rebound spread across the entire market, with more than 90% of all listed stocks rising at one point.”
He explained, “Although SK hynix American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) surged by over 27% in the U.S. market, the extent of the increase reflected in the domestic shares may be limited when considering local leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the start of options trading, and price premiums.” He added, “Market attention is gradually shifting toward earnings, as evidenced by HANMISemiconductorCO.,Ltd.’s sharp rise following the announcement of its record-high quarterly earnings.”
He continued, “Foreign investors have been net buyers of over 1 trillion won in both the spot and futures markets for the second consecutive day, and institutions have also been net buyers for two days in a row,” adding, “We need to confirm the sustainability of the semiconductor stock rebound through the earnings reports from ASML and TSMC to be released this week.”
By market capitalization, large-cap stocks are leading the index higher with a sharp 8.52% surge. Mid-cap and small-cap stocks are also rising by 2.90% and 1.91%, respectively.
By sector, the electrical and electronics sector is up 9.79%, while machinery and equipment and manufacturing are rising 8.92% and 8.70%, respectively. In contrast, the entertainment and culture sector is down 0.76%.
Stocks with the highest market capitalization are generally performing strongly. SamsungElectronics(005930)is trading at 284,000 won, up 21,000 won (7.98%) from the previous trading day. SK hynix(000660)is surging 255,000 won (13.33%) to 2,168,000 won.
SKSQUARE(402340) SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)(20.00%) and (12.78%) are also posting double-digit gains. (7.89%), (3.88%), and (3.18%) are also showing strength. Samsung Life Insurance(032830) LG Energy Solution(373220) HyundaiMotor(005380)
The KOSDAQ Index is also continuing its upward trend, led by stocks with the highest market capitalization. As of this writing, the KOSDAQ Index is trading at 826.46, up 42.48 points (5.42%) from the previous trading day.
In the KOSDAQ market, foreign and institutional investors are net buyers of 36.8 billion won and 30.1 billion won worth of stocks, respectively. In contrast, retail investors are net sellers of 74.7 billion won worth of stocks. Program trading, combining arbitrage and non-arbitrage trades, is showing a net buying position of 52.1 billion won.
A buy-side circuit breaker was also triggered in the KOSDAQ market at 9:17:14 a.m. At that time, the KOSDAQ 150 futures price stood at 1,439.50, up 83.00 points (6.11%) from the previous trading day’s closing price, while the KOSDAQ 150 spot index rose 79.44 points (5.86%) to 1,433.80.