[Edaily Reporter PARK MIN ] On the 19th, the KOSPI opened 3% lower, breaking below the 5,500 mark in early trading amid renewed “artificial intelligence (AI) profitability concerns” that resurfaced over the weekend, but managed to rebound by around 1% during the session. SamsungElectronics and SK hynix, which had plummeted 6% in pre-market trading, quickly pared their losses, while large-cap biotech and secondary battery stocks surged, leading the index’s recovery.

According to MP Doctor, as of 1:01 p.m. today, the KOSPI index is trading at 5,720.43, up 52.38 points (0.92%) from the previous trading day. The KOSPI, which opened at 5,488.41—down 179.64 points (3.17%) from the previous trading day—has since fluctuated around the 5,600 level before rising to a high of 5,700, appearing to solidify its upward trend.

In terms of market sentiment, institutional investors are leading the rebound with net purchases of 461.9 billion won. In contrast, foreign investors, who had been buying early in the session, shifted course to net sales of 136.1 billion won as they took profits following the index’s rebound. Retail investors have also been consistently net sellers since the start of the session, with net sales totaling 711.3 billion won.

Among the top-market-cap stocks on the KOSPI, SamsungElectronics(005930)is trading at 218,000 won, up 1.16% (2,500 won) from the previous trading day, showing an upward trend. This demonstrates remarkable resilience compared to the pre-market session, when the stock was at risk of falling below the 200,000-won mark. SamsungElectronics(1P)(005935) is also up 2.45% to 171,300 won.

In particular, SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)is surging 7.86% to 1.4 million won, driving the index higher, while LG Energy Solution(373220)(6.20%), HyundaiMotor(005380)(4.49%), Samsung Life Insurance(032830)(2.10%), and KB Financial Group(105560)(0.81%) are also trading higher.

On the other hand, SKSQUARE(402340)(-2.30%) and SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)(-1.18%) are trading in the red, indicating a divergence within the semiconductor sector.

SK hynix(000660), the other pillar of the semiconductor duopoly, continued its downward trend, trading at 1,266,000 won, down 0.47%. Although it quickly recovered from an early-session plunge of over 6%, it was unable to reverse its decline and post gains like SamsungElectronics due to the dual-listing issue involving its U.S. subsidiary, Solidigm.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ Index also rose 5.08 points (0.64%) from the previous trading day to 799.86, edging closer to regaining the 800-point mark. In the KOSDAQ market, retail investors are net buyers of 87 billion won, institutional investors are net buyers of 12.9 billion won, while foreign investors are net sellers of 108 billion won.

Among the top-market-cap stocks on the KOSDAQ, secondary battery and robotics stocks are leading the rally. ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520)surged 7.87%, and ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)also jumped 6.74%. The leading robotics stock, Rainbow Robotics(277810), is trading at 372,500 won after surging 5.67%, while SAM CHUN DANG PHARM CO. LTD(000250)(2.20%) and HLB INC.(028300)(1.08%) also showed gains.

On the other hand, semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment stocks such as LEENO Industrial Inc(058470)(-3.53%), EO Technics Co., Ltd.(039030)(-3.24%), JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)(-2.14%), and WONIK IPS Co.,Ltd.(240810)(-1.47%) continue to trade lower, and Alteogen Inc.(196170)(-0.21%), the company with the largest market capitalization, is also down slightly.

The securities industry believes that the shock from the “AI bubble” theory—triggered last weekend on the New York Stock Exchange by concerns over CoreWeave’s credit risk and Gartner’s report warning about AI investment returns—was already factored into the index early in the trading session. However, once regular trading began, foreign and institutional investors began buying on the dip, perceiving the decline as excessive, and the panic-selling phase appears to have subsided for now.

Earlier, on the last trading day of last week, U.S. stock markets fell amid growing caution regarding artificial intelligence (AI) investments. On the 16th (local time), the Nasdaq Composite Index closed at 26,140.03, down 2.15%. The S&P 500 Index closed at 7,659.44, down 1.09%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the session at 52,002.41, down 0.34%.

As U.S. neo-cloud provider CoreWeave fell 11.91% amid renewed concerns over credit risk, AI and semiconductor-related stocks tumbled one after another, causing the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index to plunge 3.83%. The index has now fallen for eight consecutive trading days, marking its longest losing streak since the 2008 U.S. financial crisis.

Industry analysts noted that, given the KOSPI’s more than 14% weekly plunge last week due to external headwinds—such as the spotlight on CoreWeave’s credit risks and Gartner’s cautionary report—the valuation appeal resulting from short-term overselling has come to the fore, leading to strong buying interest, particularly from institutional investors, seeking a rebound at lower prices. However, they advise that investors should remain wary of high volatility for the time being, as uncertainties surrounding the AI industry have not been resolved.

An industry official stated, “A cautious approach is necessary until the Gartner IT Symposium scheduled for this week and earnings reports from major Big Tech companies like Meta confirm the actual demand and sustainability of capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the AI industry,” adding “The primary concerns are whether CoreWeave’s stock price—which served as the flashpoint for recent stock market volatility—will rebound, and whether the sharp rise in corporate bond yields and credit default swap (CDS) premiums will subside.”