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Articles by Lee Bo-ra
KOSPI plunges 11% over two days, barely defends the 5,000 level
The ‘blue tsunami’ stemming from the Democratic Party’s landslide in the U.S. midterm elections swept the domestic stock market for a second day on the 6th. The KOSPI fell below the 5,000 mark intraday for the first time in nine months, while Samsung Electronics plunged into the ‘180,000-won range’ and SK hynix into the ‘1,130,000-won range’. Market stabilization mechanisms were triggered one after another.
They said the market would improve after the U.S. midterms, but KOSPI plunges 5%… Samsung Electronics·Hynix down 7~9%↓
On the 5th, the day after the U.S. midterm election results, the domestic stock market plunged by more than 5%, marking ‘Black Thursday’. The slump is seen as the result of weakened investor sentiment as concerns mounted over tighter data-center regulation and a slowdown in artificial intelligence (AI) investment in the wake of the ‘Blue Tsunami’, with the U.S. Democratic Party securing majorities in both the House and the Senate.
On the 19th, CSAT day, the stock market will open at 10 a.m.… the pre-market will also be closed
On the 19th, when the College Scholastic Ability Test is administered, the domestic stock market will open at 10 a.m., one hour later than usual. The pre-market, where stocks can be traded before the regular session opens, will not open. Korea Exchange stated on the 5th that on the 19th, the day of the CSAT, it will delay by one hour both the start and end times for regular trading on the KOSPI, KOSDAQ, and KONEX markets.
From tomorrow, a ‘low PBR’ tag will be attached to stock tickers… 151 low-PBR companies disclosed for the first time
The Korea Exchange has, for the first time, disclosed a list of 151 companies, including Emart, that have remained in the lower tier by PBR (price-to-book ratio) over the past three years in the domestic stock market. From the 2nd, a ‘low PBR’ tag will be attached to the tickers of these companies in brokerage stock trading systems.
Thanks to Solidigm IPO withdrawal? SK hynix rebounds 4%···KOSPI recovers the 5,500 mark
On the 23rd, the KOSPI rebounded after a volatile session and held the 5,500 mark. Although investor sentiment weakened as credit concerns about AI investments by big-tech companies spread, SK hynix reversed late in the session and gained more than 4% after news that it had scrapped plans to list its U.S. second-tier subsidiary, Solidigm. The KOSPI closed at 5,550.30, up 16.53 points (0.30%) from the previous session.
KOSPI plunges 7%, retreats to the 5,500 level… volatility likely to persist
On the 15th, the domestic stock market plunged more than 7%, marking a Black Thursday. Circuit breakers were simultaneously triggered on the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets for the first time in two and a half months. Analysts say the plunge was spurred by a combination of anxiety over prolonged high interest rates, concerns about the profitability of artificial intelligence (AI), and a supply-demand vacuum caused by foreign selling.
AhnLab up 12%↑, Genians briefly hit the upper limit···Security stocks surge amid AI hacking in the financial sector
As a series of artificial intelligence (AI) hacking incidents have hit the financial sector recently, cybersecurity-related stocks are surging on the domestic stock market. On the morning of the 6th, on the KOSDAQ market, AhnLab, regarded as a leading security stock, rose 12.99% from the previous session. Other security stocks are also soaring. Genians gained 22.30%, RaonSecure 27.58%, Monitorlab 14.85%, and Sandslab 20.58%. Among these, Genians and Sandslab hit the upper price limit at one point.
Incumbent corporate executives from a Seoul National University business club shared information on five stocks and pocketed over 20 billion won
Financial authorities uncovered a case in which incumbent corporate executives from a Seoul National University business club shared non-public merger and acquisition (M&A) information over several years and reaped illicit gains of over 20 billion won.
Won·dollar exchange rate nears the 1,380-won mark on U.S. rate hike… stocks slightly higher
After the U.S. raised its policy rate for the first time in three years and two months, the won·dollar exchange rate climbed into the upper 1,370-won range on the 17th. The KOSPI index is holding slightly higher. As of 10:10 a.m. that day in the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won·dollar rate was 1,379.68 won, up about 11 won from the previous session. The rate appears to be under upward pressure as the dollar strengthened following the U.S. policy rate hike.
From 164 to 152 per dollar in a plunge··· The yen snaps back from a 40-year ‘low’, raising ‘yen carry unwinding’ fears
As the yen·dollar exchange rate, which had surged into the 164yen range per dollar, has fallen rapidly recently and yen strength has continued, concerns are growing about ‘yen carry trade unwinding’. Increased yen buying driven by expectations of an additional policy rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) next week and joint intervention in the foreign exchange market by the U.S. and Japanese governments has contributed to the move.
KOSPI reclaims the 7,000 mark after a month···Will it rise further after breaking the psychological resistance?
On the 9th, the KOSPI index reclaimed the 7,000 mark for the first time in a month and a half. The move is attributed to strength in semiconductor stocks on expectations of expanding demand for artificial intelligence (AI). Since the ‘7,000 level’ is acting as a psychological resistance for domestic investors, brokerages judge that how much ‘retail investors’ sell down existing holdings in this zone will determine whether the index can advance further.
Were we a ‘nation of leverage’··· As ‘Samjeon-Nix’ leverage is regulated, retail investors head to other leverage
‘Samjeon-Nix’ leverage restrictions, one month in Balloon effect into domestic and overseas leveraged ETFs One month after regulations on single-stock leveraged (including inverse) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix took effect, funds from domestic investors have shown a shift into other leveraged ETFs. As entry barriers to ‘Samjeon-Nix’ leveraged ETFs increased, an analysis holds that a so-called ‘balloon effect’ has emerged, with demand for leverage moving to...
‘Samjeonnix’ leverage trading value, which had been plunging, is rising again…Why?
Rising ‘Samjeonnix’ share prices seen prompting profit-taking through selling From the 19th, paper trading mandatory for new investments in ‘Samjeonnix’ leverage After the government strengthened regulations, trading value in single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which had been plunging, is showing renewed growth.
“Does the National Pension Service prop up a floor in domestic stocks and defend the exchange rate? That is completely wrong···there is only one purpose: securing retirement for the public”
Executive Director Bae Jae-hyun, who led investment strategy for 12 years at the pension fund “Within one month, the allocation to the risky asset of domestic equities was increased by 6% The ‘public declaration’ that there would be no sell-off bomb was a decisive blunder The public-interest principle in the investment guidelines means do not harm the public good Twenty supervisors···the Fund Management Headquarters must be independent from the Service” “The National Pension Service is a...
Sleepless nights from the first day of August···‘Tropical Night Advisory’ for most regions nationwide
Korea Meteorological Administration urges maintaining indoor cooling On the 1st, a Tropical Night Advisory was issued for most regions nationwide. The heat wave is expected to persist for the time being. As of 6 p.m. that day, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced the areas under the Tropical Night Advisory.
On the last day of July, the stock market unleashed a slew of ‘largest-ever’ records
‘A true rollerco-KOSPI.’ The KOSPI index rose by the largest amount on record on the 31st, with a raft of records set in a single day. On the day, the KOSPI surged 1001.89 points to close at 6595.45. It was the first time in the history of the Korean stock market that the KOSPI gained more than 1000 points in a single day. The 18% increase was also the highest on record.
Following the U.S., the U.K. is also moving to 24-hour stock trading… Could the ‘domestic market’ do the same
Global stock exchanges, including those in the U.S. and the U.K., are moving one after another to establish 24-hour stock-trading systems. As retail investors increase worldwide and cross-border investment demand expands, it has become difficult to keep investors with regular trading hours alone. The shift is also seen as an effort to find a way forward amid competition not only from overseas exchanges but also from alternative trading systems (ATS) and 24/7 crypto-asset exchanges.
Leverage education completions in the first half exceeded 1 million… 5,000 were minors
In the first half of this year, 1.16 million people completed the prior basic education (ETP) required to invest in leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a 19-fold surge from a year earlier. The increase is attributed to the introduction of single-stock leverage for Samsung Electronics·SK hynix. With enthusiasm for single-stock leverage investment continuing, attention is on whether government supplementary measures, such as strengthening pre-education, will cool an overheated market.
With the margin deposit for ‘Samjeonnix’ leverage raised to $22,500 (30,000,000 KRW), will volatility subside
On the 16th, the government decided to raise the basic margin deposit for investors in the single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on Samsung Electronics·SK hynix from $7,500 (10,000,000 KRW) to $22,500 (30,000,000 KRW). The minimum order size will also be increased from 1 share to 20 shares.
‘Another Black Monday’ KOSPI plunges 9%, gives up the 7,000 mark…SK hynix posts its biggest drop on record
The KOSPI index plunged nearly 9% on the 13th, surrendering the 7,000 level. A sharp sell-off in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the two top semiconductor names, was the main driver of the market decline. Investors see unresolved concerns about a semiconductor peak-out following a slowdown in artificial intelligence (AI) investment, along with heightened geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, as intensifying downward pressure on stocks.
"50 million won has been cut in half"... "Samjeon-Nix" leveraged investors reel from -40% in a week
As the domestic stock market has entered a correction phase, losses have surged among retail investors who bought single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track twice the daily returns of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. With calls in political circles even for the delisting of leveraged ETFs, the financial authorities are considering measures to protect investors and stabilize the market.
‘The wealth-building elevator’ that some young people boarded, and the young people left behind
Amid a bull market, income gaps further swell the ‘young rich·young poor’ Opportunities to grow assets start to diverge already in university Asset gaps widen further depending on occupation A (36), a regular employee at Samsung Electronics, jumped in earnestly two years ago by buying overseas semiconductor-related stocks. Using a pre-tax annual salary of 80 million won and bonuses as seed money, he steadily increased his investments.
‘Effective annual rate of up to 19.4%’ Youth Future Installment Savings to be launched on the 22nd
The ‘Youth Future Installment Savings’, which offers an interest rate level of up to 19.4% targeting ‘2030’ youth, will be launched on the 22nd. The Financial Services Commission announced on the 21st that it will accept applications to enroll in the Youth Future Installment Savings from the 22nd until the 3rd of next month. The Youth Future Installment Savings is a three-year, flexible installment product that allows monthly deposits of up to 500,000 KRW.
KOSPI gains push back the projected depletion of National Pension finances by four years… benefits for women under the National Pension are only half those for men
An analysis indicates that, helped by the recent rise in domestic stock prices, the expected timing of National Pension fund depletion has been delayed to 2069, four years later than initially forecast.
KOSPI sets another all-time high at 8,864, closing in on 9,000···SK hynix tops 2.5 million won
The KOSPI index set another all-time high on the 17th, drawing within reach of the 9,000-point level. SK hynix topped 2.5 million won for the first time. The KOSPI closed up 137.64 points (1.58%) at 8,864.24. On the main board, foreign investors were net sellers of about 990 billion won, but institutions (577.7 billion won) and individuals (543.1 billion won) bought shares, lifting the index. In particular, SK hynix rose 5.84% to finish at 2,521,000 won, rewriting the all-time high set on the 2nd.
As the number of stock investors grows, brokerage apps suffer successive glitches… Kiwoom·Korea Investment & Securities face access and display errors
While the number of individual investors trading stocks is increasing, computer errors have occurred one after another in some securities firms stock-trading systems. On the Kiwoom Securities mobile trading system (MTS) app ‘Yeongungmun S#’, an access error occurred between about 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. on the 16th. When users attempted to log in, the waiting screen froze or an error alert appeared, preventing login.
KOSPI, Will It Test 9,000 This Week···Closes Up 5%
The KOSPI index jumped 5% on the 15th. The surge is interpreted as being driven by news of a U.S.·Iran agreement to end the war. With long-standing geopolitical uncertainty easing, attention turns to whether the KOSPI, which has shown severe volatility recently, can break through the 9000 level this week. The KOSPI closed at 8545.98, up 422.36 points (5.2%) from the previous session.
Financial Supervisory Service to probe SpaceX IPO allocation of ‘zero shares’ to Mirae Asset: “Determining the circumstances”
Mirae Asset Securities participated in SpaceX’s initial public offering (IPO) and solicited subscriptions from domestic institutional and professional investors, but after failing to receive a final allocation of shares from the underwriter, the financial authorities began investigating the circumstances. As not even ‘one share’ was allocated to Korea, exchange-traded fund (ETF) managers who had sought to include the IPO shares also suffered successive setbacks.
Kakao union to stage first strike since its founding today… 600 to march in Pangyo
The Kakao union will stage its first strike since its founding on the 10th. The Kakao Chapter of the Korea Chemical, Fiber and Food Industry Workers Union will hold a partial strike from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day and will march from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. around the Pangyo Agit area. The march is set to take place over a stretch of about 800 meters from the front of Kakao Pangyo Agit to U-Space.
SpaceX listing D-3···A liquidity black hole, or a KOSPI ‘rocket’?
Countdown to the largest IPO ever Aerospace stocks·ETFs are buzzing… busy hunting for domestic beneficiaries A global liquidity black hole… concerns about KOSPI capital outflows as well The U.S. listing on the New York stock market of SpaceX, the American aerospace company expected to stage the largest initial public offering (IPO) on record, is now four days away on the 12th.
Individual net buying in TIGER Samsung Electronics·Hynix single-stock leverage tops 3 trillion won
Mirae Asset Asset Management announced on the 9th that the cumulative individual net purchases of ‘TIGER SK hynix Single-Stock Leverage’ and ‘TIGER Samsung Electronics Single-Stock Leverage’ have surpassed 3 trillion won. According to the Korea Exchange, as of the 8th, individual investors had net bought 2.0845 trillion won of TIGER SK hynix Single-Stock Leverage and 1.4614 trillion won of TIGER Samsung Electronics Single-Stock Leverage, respectively.
‘Jensen Huang Day’ yet… LG·Naver and other beneficiaries tumble
With NVIDIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang scheduled to visit Korea on the 5th to meet the heads of major companies, stocks that had risen on expectations of cooperation are plunging across the board. Overnight weakness on the New York stock market centered on semiconductor shares and foreign selling appear to be weighing on the domestic market. As of 9:27 a.m. today, LG Electronics is down 6.40 percent at 307,000 won. Hyundai Motor is trading at 656,000 won, down 6.29 percent.
Toss Securities bookmark shows a photo of President Lee?···Toss “Not a hack, a Chrome browser issue”
An incident occurred in which saving the Toss Securities website as a favorite caused a doctored photo of President Lee Jae Myung to be set as the thumbnail (preview image). According to the financial investment industry on the 28th, for a time the previous day, when the Toss Securities website was opened in the Google Chrome browser and a bookmark (favorite) was attempted, a bug occurred in which a doctored photo of President Lee appeared as the thumbnail.
Amid a KOSPI bull run, headcount at securities firms hits an all-time high…nearing 40,000
Amid a strong domestic stock market, the number of employees at securities firms has neared an all-time high of 40,000. Data from the Bank of Korea Economic Statistics System and the Korea Financial Investment Association on the 27th show that the total number of employees at securities companies stood at 39,711 at the end of the first quarter. That was up 181 from the previous quarter and 819 from a year earlier.
SK hynix joins the ‘$1 trillion’ club… second after Samsung Electronics
On the 27th, the market capitalization of SK hynix surpassed $1 trillion (about 1,503 trillion KRW) for the first time ever. Among domestic companies, it is the second after Samsung Electronics, and among Asian companies, it is the third after Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC and Samsung Electronics. As of 10:11 a.m., SK hynix was trading at 2.23 million won, up 8.67% from the previous day.
KOSPI·KOSDAQ surge, activating the buy sidecar on a sharp rebound
As the KOSPI index jumped 4% on the 21st, a buy sidecar was activated on the KOSPI market. The KOSDAQ index also surged 5% the same day, triggering a buy sidecar as well. The Korea Exchange announced that at 9:24:02 a.m. that day, a buy sidecar (temporary suspension of the validity of program-trading buy orders) was activated on the KOSPI. A buy sidecar is a mechanism that halts program buying for five minutes to mitigate volatility.
New York stocks finish lower on a surge in U.S. Treasury yields… Nasdaq 0.8%↓
On the 19th (local time), a sharp rise in U.S. bond yields sent all three major U.S. stock indexes lower at the close in New York. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at 49,363.88, down 322.24 points (0.65%) from the previous session. The S&P 500 fell 49.44 points (0.67%) to 7,353.61, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed down 220.02 points (0.84%) at 25,870.71. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq declined for a third straight session. The surge in bond yields weighed on stocks.
Closed higher despite a plunge sparked by foreign dumping···a ‘second Donghak Ant Movement’ sweeping the KOSPI
Pushed down to the 7,100 level, then regained the 7,500 level Bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix also closed higher Trend of foreigners selling and individuals buying continues Brokerages say “Foreign selling is a short-term phenomenon” On the 15th, the KOSPI index topped 8,000 intraday for the first time ever, but on the 18th, just one trading day later, it slid at one point intraday to the 7,100 level before trimming losses to hold the 7,500 level.
Even amid war, 8 out of 10 retail investors who sold stocks in Q1 made ‘profits’···Which stocks posted the biggest gains and losses?
Shinhan Investment analyzes client investment performance Average profit per person: 8.48 million won Despite external factors such as the U.S.-Iran war, 8 out of 10 individual investors made profits from stock investing in the first quarter. Their average profit amount was 8.48 million won, and the stock that brought the most gains and the most losses was Samsung Electronics.
KOSPI Closes at an All-Time High for the Fourth Straight Day… Just Below the 7500 Mark
On the 8th, the KOSPI closed just below the 7500 mark, setting an all-time high for the fourth straight day. The KOSPI closed at 7498.00, up 7.95 points (0.11%) from the previous session. The KOSPI opened at 7353.94, down 136.11 points (1.82%) from the previous session, widened its losses, then turned higher late in the session. At one point intraday, it rose to 7511.01, again moving above the 7500 level. The KOSPI has risen for four consecutive trading days since the 4th.
Foreign investors buy big, then sell big, ‘So they sold SK hynix?’
Foreign investors: 6 trillion won net buying on the KOSPI this week, 7 trillion won net selling Bought 1.5 trillion won of Samsung Electronics Sold 1.45 trillion won of SK hynix and SK Square Foreign investors also sold power-related stocks in large amounts This week, as the KOSPI index broke above 7,000, the stock most heavily net bought by foreign investors was the large-cap semiconductor name Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix did not appear among the top 10 net-buy names.
Powered by semiconductors…‘2 →7’ took just one year
KOSPI opens a new chapter with a ‘7000 breakthrough’ Last April, tariffs pushed it below 2,300 In one year, the leading digit changed five times Market cap topped 6,000 trillion won for the first time Samsung Electronics joined the ‘$1 trillion club’ The KOSPI index on the 6th ushered in the ‘7000p’ era. In just one year, it crossed thousand-point thresholds five times and ranked first among major countries this year in returns.
‘Talpang’ hits Coupang head-on, back to a loss after seven quarters… Kim Beom-seok “Recovery will take time”
U.S. Coupang Inc. posts a Q1 operating loss of 354.5 billion KRW… far below Wall Street expectations Revenue growth at the lowest since listing… Industry says “Recovery will likely be slow amid successive headwinds” Coupang Inc. of the United States, the parent company of Coupang’s Korean unit, recorded its largest loss in four years and three months in the first quarter of this year. Its revenue growth rate hit the lowest level since its 2021 listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
KOSPI reaches the ‘7000’ mark after breaking through five 1,000-point thresholds in a year
On the 6th, the KOSPI index opened the ‘7000p’ era. In just one year, it has broken through the 1,000-point band five times, ranking No. 1 in returns this year among major markets worldwide. On this day, foreign investors bought large-cap semiconductor stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix en masse, driving the index higher.
‘7,000’ crossed by the KOSPI, is it sustainable··· earnings support vs. overheating·volatility concerns too
Behind the KOSPI index’s first-ever climb past 7,000 on the 6th are a rally in semiconductor stocks fueled by expanded AI (artificial intelligence) investment by U.S. big tech companies and the semiconductor super cycle. Some also suggest that a ‘money move (shift of funds)’ from real estate to stocksthe direction the Lee Jae Myung administration has pursuedhas arrived.
‘Surpasses 260,000 won’ Samsung Electronics Joins the ‘USD 1 Trillion Market Cap Club’…Second in Asia
On the 6th, Samsung Electronics became the second in Asia to join the ‘USD 1 trillion market capitalization club’. As of 1:56 p.m. that day, Samsung Electronics shares were trading at 266,000 won, up 33,500 won (14.41%) from the previous session. Its market capitalization stands at about 1,555 trillion won.
KOSPI tops 7,000 intraday for the first time ever···‘Samsung Electronics·SK hynix’ surge
The KOSPI index topped the 7,000 mark intraday on the 6th for the first time on record. It came a little over two months after it first broke through the 6,000 mark on February 25. The KOSPI opened at 7,093.01, up 156.02 points (2.52%) from the previous trading day. At 9:03 a.m., the KOSPI set a new intraday record high at 7,311.54, up 374.66 points (5.40%) from the previous session. Samsung Electronics jumped 8% within 10 minutes of the open, and SK hynix climbed more than 8%.
Amid calls for ‘2-million-nix’, the first “STOP” appears··· Why BNK ‘downgraded’ its investment rating on SK hynix
BNK Investment & Securities downgraded its investment rating on SK hynix, the bellwether of semiconductors, from ‘Buy’ to ‘Hold’. This is an unusual assessment at a time when most brokerages are maintaining a Buy on SK hynix and are successively raising their target prices. It is the only one among 25 domestic securities firms to have lowered its rating.
Jang Dong-hyeok “Martial law was the wrong means… Apologizes for failing to fulfill the role of the ruling party”
On the 7th, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said, “The martial law declared on December 3, 2024 was the wrong means that did not fit the situation,” adding, “As the ruling party, a pillar of state governance, we fully recognize our responsibility for failing to fulfill our role and offer a deep apology to the people.” At a press conference held that day at the central party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Jang made these remarks regarding the unlawful martial law, saying, “We caused...
‘Undemocratic’ PPP in turmoil: Failed candidate swap sparks backlash ahead of presidential election
After failing to forcibly change its presidential candidate, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) on May 11 officially registered Kim Moon-soo as its nominee for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for June 3.
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