[Edaily Reporter PARK MIN ] On the 21st, amid growing downward pressure on the domestic stock market due to a resurgence in U.S. long-term Treasury yields and the fallout from the Middle East crisis, the market closed slightly higher, holding the 6,900-point mark thanks to strong performance from SamsungElectronics(005930)and SK hynix(000660). This was the result of expectations for large-scale shareholder returns and attractive valuations following the recent correction.

In contrast, the KOSDAQ fell more than 4%, dropping to the 800 level for the first time in nine trading days. During the session, a “sell-side sidecar”—a temporary suspension of sell orders—was triggered due to volatility in the KOSDAQ 150 futures prices and the spot index. This marks the 32nd sidecar activation in the KOSDAQ market this year and the 14th on the sell side.

◇SamsungElectronics Rises 4% on Foreign Media Reports of 100 Trillion Won Shareholder Return

According to MP Doctor,as of 3:35 p.m. today,the KOSPI closed at 6,912.95, up 0.88% (60.37 points) from the previous trading day. Although it opened lower, falling as low as 6,742.44 early in the session, it subsequently rebounded to reach 6,954.12. After fluctuating throughout the day, it managed to hold above the 6,900 mark.

By investor type, retail investors and foreign investors were net sellers of 1.1662 trillion won and 175.7 billion won, respectively, while institutional investors were net buyers of 2.4879 trillion won. With 193 stocks rising and 683 falling—indicating a predominance of declines—buying interest in the top two semiconductor stocks, SamsungElectronics and SK hynix, helped prevent the index from falling further.

In particular, SamsungElectronics showed strength along with related stocks, with its share price rising more than 4% during the session after foreign media reports emerged in the afternoon that the company would “announce a shareholder return plan in the 100 trillion won range.”

On this day, SamsungElectronics closed at 281,500 won, up 3.87% from the previous trading day, while SamsungElectronics(1P)(005935)surged 8.26% to close at 207,000 won. Related group stocks— Samsung Life Insurance(032830)—soared 10.61% to close at 328,500 won, and SAMSUNG C&T CORPORATION(028260)rose 5.75% to close at 395,500 won.

SK hynix, which had led the KOSPI rally the previous day after announcing a large-scale share buyback and cancellation plan, continued its strong performance, closing up 2.31% at 1.73 million won.

In contrast, SamsungElectroMechanics extended its losses, falling 5.73% to 1,316,000 won, while LG Energy Solution(373220)also dropped 4.05%. HyundaiMotor(005380)fell 0.60%, and SKSQUARE(402340)remained flat at 1,123,000 won, unchanged from the previous trading day.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index closed at 801.94, down 4.63% (38.95 points) from the previous trading day, as selling pressure spread across the biotech, secondary battery, semiconductor equipment, and robotics sectors. While retail investors were net buyers of 623.6 billion won, foreign and institutional investors were net sellers of 283.6 billion won and 346.5 billion won, respectively, exerting downward pressure on the market.

On this day, 282 stocks on the KOSDAQ rose, while 1,378 fell, indicating a clear predominance of selling. Notably, around 10:05 a.m., a sell-side circuit breaker was triggered due to fluctuations in the KOSDAQ 150 futures price and the spot index, temporarily suspending the effectiveness of program buy orders for five minutes.

Alteogen Inc.(196170), the company with the largest market capitalization on the KOSDAQ, closed at 320,000 won, down 5.74% from the previous trading day. In addition, most pharmaceutical and biotech stocks, including HLB INC.(028300)(-3.13%), ABL Bio Inc.(298380)(-8.85%), Peptron, Inc.(087010)(-3.93%), SAM CHUN DANG PHARM CO. LTD(000250)(-7.71%), and LigaChem Biosciences(141080)(-7.66%), fell across the board.

ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520) ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)also closed down 7.26% and 7.45%, respectively, while , the leading robot stock, closed at 454,000 won, down 3.71%. Selling pressure continued in semiconductor equipment stocks as well, with down 4.91%, down 5.27%, and down 5.47%. Rainbow Robotics(277810) JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930) WONIK IPS Co.,Ltd.(240810) LEENO Industrial Inc(058470)

By sector, certain defensive stocks—including life insurance (+8.88%), wireless communications (+4.80%), property and casualty insurance (+3.55%), and semiconductors (+2.97%)—as well as the semiconductor sector showed strength.

However, this was driven by gains in SamsungElectronics, SK hynix, and related group stocks, resulting in a disparity between the sector index’s rise and the price movements of individual stocks. Meanwhile, sectors such as construction (-5.06%), aerospace and defense (-6.90%), and energy equipment and services (-7.07%) saw significant declines.

The KOSPI’s slight gain on the day is seen as a solid performance given the adverse conditions, including a renewed rise in U.S. Treasury yields, concerns over a global slowdown in consumption, and the crisis in the Middle East. Overnight on the New York Stock Exchange, the yield on the 30-year U.S. Treasury note rose again to 5.24%, and international oil prices jumped by more than 2%, causing all three major indices—the Dow Jones (-1.32%), the S&P 500 (-0.87%), and the Nasdaq (-1.00%)—to fall in unison.

Han Ji-young, an analyst at KIWOOM Securities, stated, “Although macroeconomic uncertainty is high, the KOSPI’s current earnings momentum is strong, which is a source of relief.” She added, “Considering that the market has secured its own domestic buffers—such as the increasing likelihood of shareholder returns from SamsungElectronics following SK hynix—the downward pressure on stock prices that could result from future macroeconomic uncertainty is expected to be limited.”

She continued, “The KOSPI’s operating profit consensus for 2026 and 2027 stands at 986 trillion won and 1,311 trillion won, respectively, and has shown no significant deterioration or cracks even after August, when the burdens of interest rates, energy costs, and exchange rates were mounting,” and “It is also worth noting that, with the forward price-to-earnings ratio (PER) at just 5.5 times, the valuation level suggests that the burden of interest rates is not significant,” he analyzed.