Samsung Electronics' stock price surged more than 7% in a single day, nearing the 140,000 won mark. Driven by expectations of a semiconductor industry recovery and increased investment in artificial intelligence, major South Korean semiconductor stocks collectively strengthened, and the KOSPI index also hit a new all-time high.
On January 5th, Samsung Electronics closed at 138,100 won on the Korea Exchange, a 7.47% increase from the previous trading day. The stock opened at 134,600 won and maintained a steady upward trend throughout the day, reaching a new high of 138,600 won in the afternoon. This means that in just two days, the stock price has moved from the 120,000 won range through the 130,000 won range and is now approaching the 140,000 won mark.
This trend is not unique to Samsung Electronics. SK Hynix also closed at 696,000 won that day, up 2.81%, having briefly broken through 700,000 won during the day, earning it the nickname "700,000 Hynix." The strong performance of major semiconductor stocks was also directly reflected in the KOSPI index. The KOSPI index closed up 3.43% that day, at 4,457.52 points, setting new historical highs for both the closing price and the intraday price.
This overall market rally coincides with positive news in the global technology market. Semiconductor-related stocks in the US stock market have also performed strongly recently, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surging over 4% last week. In South Korea, the expansion of AI infrastructure and expectations of a recovery in memory semiconductor prices have also contributed to the rise in the share prices of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
On the same day, foreign investors also actively bought in. On the Korea Exchange, net foreign purchases totaled 2.1748 trillion won, driving the index higher, while individual and institutional investors sold 1.51 trillion won and 702.4 billion won respectively. This was interpreted as a signal that foreign funds are flowing back in based on renewed confidence in the domestic semiconductor industry.
Despite short-term fluctuations, this stock market trend appears to reflect market confidence that the semiconductor industry has re-entered a growth phase in the medium to long term. In particular, the inflow of foreign capital into mega-corporations like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is likely to drive the overall stock market rally. Going forward, depending on the extent of the global economic recovery and the recovery in memory chip demand, this upward trend may further expand.
