[Edaily Reporter Kim Kyung-eun ] The KOSPI index fell below the 7,000 mark after just one trading day. This is interpreted as a result of profit-taking in the domestic market following a widespread decline in U.S. semiconductor stocks.

According to MP Doctor on the 16th, as of 9:05 a.m. that day, the KOSPI was trading at 6,964.13, down 320.28 points (4.40%) from the previous trading day.

The index opened at 6,960.50, down 323.91 points (4.45%) from the previous close, dropping below the 7,000 mark immediately upon opening. It has continued its downward trend since then.

By investor type, retail investors and foreign investors recorded net purchases of 127.4 billion won and 7.5 billion won, respectively, while institutional investors recorded net sales of 126.1 billion won.

By sector, telecommunications, food & beverages/tobacco, chemicals, and textiles & apparel are on the rise. Electrical & electronics, manufacturing, medical & precision instruments, and finance are on the decline.

SamsungElectronics(005930), and SK hynix(000660)—the blue-chip stocks of the domestic market—are all trading lower. SamsungElectronics is trading at 263,000 won, down 16,500 won (5.90%) from the previous trading day. SK hynix is trading at 1,902,000 won, down 180,000 won (8.65%).

This is interpreted as the domestic stock market being affected by the downtrend in semiconductor stocks on the New York Stock Exchange overnight, driven by concerns over investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. On the 15th (local time), while the three major U.S. stock indices all rose, semiconductor stocks saw profit-taking. SK hynix’s American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) fell 9.00% today after surging 27.29% the previous day.

Kim Yu-mi, an analyst at KIWOOM Securities, explained, “Given the decline in semiconductor stocks on the New York Stock Exchange, the domestic market is expected to partially reverse the previous day’s gains, which were driven mainly by semiconductor stocks,” adding, “Concerns over delays in data center construction acted as a corrective factor for semiconductor stocks.” However, she added, “Considering the strong performance of major platform companies, expectations for AI investment demand remain valid.”

Among other top-market-cap stocks, SKSQUARE(402340)(-10.71%), SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)(-8.85%), HyundaiMotor(005380)(-3.11%), and Samsung Life Insurance(032830)(-2.67%) are trading lower. In contrast, LG Energy Solution(373220)(1.79%), KB Financial Group(105560)(1.86%), and HD HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES(329180)(0.53%) are trading higher.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ is trading at 812.85, down 16.58 points (2.00%) from the previous close. The index opened at 813.32, down 16.11 points (1.94%) from the previous close, and has continued to decline.

By investor type, retail investors were net buyers of 12.9 billion won, while foreign and institutional investors were net sellers of 11.4 billion won and 1.5 billion won, respectively.

The top two stocks by market capitalization are both down. Alteogen Inc.(196170)is trading at 280,500 won, down 8,000 won (2.77%) from the previous session. ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)is trading at 119,000 won, down 1,900 won (1.57%).

In addition, most of the top market-cap stocks—including ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520)(down 1.74%), JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)(down 5.92%), Rainbow Robotics(277810)(down 4.65%), Kolon TissueGene, Inc.(950160)(down 0.26%), and WONIK IPS Co.,Ltd.(240810)(down 7.08%)—are trading lower. HLB INC.(028300)(up 2.59%), Hugel, Inc.(145020)(up 0.86%), and Olix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(226950)(up 3.05%) are trading higher.