[Edaily PARK MIN Reporter] The KOSPI, which had posted intraday declines of more than 10% for two consecutive days, opened higher on the 30th despite the shock of last night’s decline in the New York stock market and is now trading mixed as it searches for direction.

According to MP Doctor, as of 9:15 a.m. today, the KOSPI is trading at 5,678.58, up 15.34 points (0.27%) from the previous trading day. The index fell as low as 5,572.10 during the session but has since quickly recovered its losses, rising as high as 5,740.72, demonstrating volatility.

In terms of market sentiment, institutions and foreign investors are driving the index higher. Institutions and foreign investors joined the rally with net purchases of 176 billion won and 201.1 billion won, respectively. In contrast, retail investors are taking profits, with net sales totaling 390.1 billion won.

In early trading, the share prices of the top two semiconductor stocks by market capitalization moved in opposite directions. SamsungElectronics(005930), which announced its finalized second-quarter earnings, managed to rebound, trading at 213,000 won—up 2.16% from the previous trading day. In contrast, SK hynix(000660)continued its downward trend, falling 4.43% to 1,339,000 won. SKSQUARE(402340)fell 3.18%, and SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)fell 1.55%, respectively, dampening investor sentiment.

In addition, LG Energy Solution(373220)rose 4.33%, posting the highest gain among the top market-cap stocks, while KB Financial Group(105560)rose 4.12%, HyundaiMotor(005380)rose 1.27%, SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)rose 1.01%, and Samsung Life Insurance(032830)rose 1.13%, all joining the rally.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index is trading at 673.03, up 10.35 points (1.56%) from the previous trading day. After dipping to 652.22 during the session, the index rose to 675.91 on the back of buying interest, continuing its upward trend.

In terms of market participants, foreign investors and institutions are driving the index higher. Foreign investors made net purchases of 33 billion won, and institutions made net purchases of 40.1 billion won, joining the rally. In contrast, retail investors made net sales of 74.1 billion won, offloading shares to lock in profits.

Alteogen Inc.(196170)succeeded in rebounding, trading at 293,500 won, up 3.89% from the previous trading day. Leading secondary battery stocks— ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520)—and ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)—rose 4.90% and 4.54%, respectively, joining the bullish trend, while Rainbow Robotics(277810)also continued its upward momentum, rising 3.23%.

Semiconductor equipment stocks showed weakness due to profit-taking. JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)plummeted 7.24%, posting the largest decline, while WONIK IPS Co.,Ltd.(240810)fell 0.72% and LEENO Industrial Inc(058470)dropped 0.69%.

By sector, buying interest is flowing into cyclical sectors such as defense, shipbuilding, retail, and entertainment, spreading a sense of optimism across the broader market.

The aerospace and defense sector recorded the highest gain, rising 7.62% and leading the upward trend. Following this, the shipbuilding sector rose 6.65% amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, while trading companies and retailers (6.15%) and the oil and gas sector (4.73%) also showed strength.

In contrast, technology-heavy sectors could not escape a downturn. Due to weakness in semiconductor stocks, the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment sectors fell 1.42% and 2.18%, respectively, ranking among the top decliners by sector.

Overnight, U.S. stock markets in New York closed lower across the board. Despite the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) keeping its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.50–3.75% per annum, concerns that “the Fed is falling behind in its response to inflation” weighed on the market, causing the yield on 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds to surge to the 5.2% range.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 51,594.14, down 1,153.18 points (-2.19%) from the previous session, marking its largest single-day decline since April 2025.

The large-cap-heavy S&P 500 index closed at 7,316.15, down 112.63 points (-1.52%) from the previous session, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed at 24,442.94, down 433.97 points (-1.74%).

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, composed of 30 major U.S.-listed semiconductor stocks, plunged 5.33%, extending its losing streak to five consecutive trading days. NVIDIA (-3.55%), Broadcom (-2.78%), Micron (-9.94%) and others posted sharp declines, and SK hynix American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) also fell 2.60%.

Han Ji-young, an analyst at KIWOOM Securities, said, “Given the lingering effects of the July FOMC meeting and market anticipation of Amazon’s earnings report scheduled for tomorrow, volatility is likely to increase in both the domestic and U.S. stock markets today.” She added, “However, since the market has entered an oversold phase, we expect to see a rebound attempt following an initial surge in volatility early in the session.”

She added, “It is important to note that while negative narratives surrounding the semiconductor sector—the market’s leading sector—are currently taking shape (such as profit peaking and the end of the AI investment cycle), there is no sign yet of a material deterioration in fundamentals, such as a significant downward revision in earnings estimates.”