South Korea's KOSPI Plunges 7%, Memory Stocks Routed; ChipMOS Surges Nearly 8% as Safe Haven — BigGo Finance

• Indian benchmark indexes opened higher on July 16, 2026, with the Sensex surging 260 points and the Nifty rising 80 points. • The gains follow a positive trend from Wall Street, as investors prioritize strong corporate earnings over escalating geopolitical tensions between Iran and the US.

• Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song announced on the 16th that the base rate has been raised from 2.50% to 2.75% per annum. • Addressing recent high stock market volatility, Shin stated that there are few systemic risk factors currently threatening the real economy.

• U.S. equities rose following softer producer inflation and strong corporate earnings, while Asian markets saw a sharp reversal in semiconductor stocks. • Memory-chip manufacturers and equipment suppliers underperformed despite AI demand, though Hong Kong gained from a rotation into Chinese technology.

• The KOSPI plummeted over 6% to close at 6,820.60 on the 16th, driven by a sharp decline in global semiconductor stocks and domestic monetary policy shifts. • Major tech-related shares saw significant losses, with SK Square preferred shares dropping 12.30%, Samsung Electronics falling 10.42%, and Jusung Engineering sliding 10.31%.

• TechStock² reports on the financial performance of Arch Capital, noting that its insurance segment contributes approximately 25% of total revenue due to strict underwriting and pricing movements. • The company's return on equity stands at 6.6%, which is slightly below the industry average of 7.4% but indicates a positive upward trend.

• Asian stock markets declined on Thursday, with South Korea's KOSPI plunging over 6% and Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 2.98% due to pressure on semiconductor shares. • The downturn comes as investors await earnings from industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is forecast to report a 59% jump in net profit for the April-June period.

• The KOSPI index plummeted over 5% early on July 16, eventually closing down 6.4% following a period of extreme volatility. • The sharp decline was triggered by a significant sell-off in U.S. semiconductor stocks on July 15, which sparked a "sell sidecar" mechanism in the Korean market.

• The KOSPI plunged 6.37% to close at 6,820.60 on the 16th, dropping 463.81 points in a single day. • The crash was driven by sharp declines in semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, triggering record-frequency sidecars and circuit breakers this year.

• The Nasdaq slipped on July 16, 2026, as technology stocks lost momentum amid a broader market focus on June retail sales and weekly jobless claims. • Netflix is under scrutiny with its stock down 21.4% year-to-date and nearly 42% over the past year due to slowing user engagement and a shift in investor interest toward AI.

• Major U.S. stock indexes declined on Thursday amid a heavy schedule of corporate earnings reports. • The downturn was driven primarily by a drop in chipmaker stocks, which extended their losses throughout the trading session.

• The S&P 500 declined on Thursday as a downturn in chip stocks pressured the index, despite overall solid corporate earnings. • Swiss engineering firm ABB announced its largest-ever acquisition, purchasing U.K.-based industrial flow control maker Rotork for £4.1 billion ($5.6 billion).