Korea Kospi

• South Korea's net external financial assets dropped to $64 billion in Q2, marking a 12-year low after a decrease of $689.5 billion. • The decline was primarily driven by a soaring KOSPI, which increased the valuation of Korean stocks held by foreign investors. • The Bank of Korea emphasized that the drop is a result of asset valuation rather than a loss of stability, noting that net external debt remains steady.

• On August 20, Asian markets saw a strong rebound, with South Korea's KOSPI Index surging 5.89% to 6,852.58 points and Japan's Nikkei 225 rising 1.36% to 66,216.79 points. • Major tech stocks led the rally, including SK Hynix (up over 12%), Samsung (up over 9%), and Kioxia (up over 6%), while the Korea Exchange activated a Sidecar mechanism to manage program buying. • The momentum is driven by Samsung's plan to announce a shareholder return exceeding 100 trillion won (~$71.9 billion) and a $120 billion conditional revenue agreement between Google and Marvell for custom AI chips.

• Asian stock markets advanced on Thursday, August 20, 2026, following positive trends from Wall Street. • South Korea's benchmark Kospi index saw the most significant gain, rebounding by more than 6%. • The market surge follows the US Treasury's decision to expand its debt buybacks, boosting investor confidence across the region.

• South Korea's Kospi index surged 4%, leading a broader rally across Asian markets following a positive trend in bond yields. • The MSCI Asia Pacific index rose by 1%, effectively ending a two-day losing streak for the region. • This jump reflects investor optimism and a shift in sentiment triggered by the recent bond market rally.

• Asian stock markets experienced a broad decline, led by South Korea's Kospi, which plummeted 5.2% to 6,515.97. • Other major indices saw significant losses, including Tokyo's Nikkei 225 falling 2.6% to 65,703.78 and the Shanghai Composite dropping 1.5% to 3,927.70. • The regional retreat was primarily driven by a sell-off in AI-related stocks, impacting technology-heavy markets across the Asia-Pacific region.

• On August 19, Japanese and South Korean stock markets plunged following a three-day decline in major U.S. indices, including a 1.33% drop in the Nasdaq. • South Korea's KOSPI fell over 6%, triggering a circuit breaker, while specific stocks like Kioxia dropped over 10% and SK Hynix also saw significant declines. • The sell-off was driven by a cooling risk appetite for global tech stocks, with the S&P 500 sliding 0.69% and the Dow Jones falling 0.22%.

• Asian stock markets generally rose, led by a significant 3.7% rally in South Korea’s Kospi Index, while Japan’s Topix and the Shanghai Composite both climbed 0.5%. • The positive momentum follows a cooler-than-expected US jobs report and CPI reading, which Wells Fargo suggests may discourage the Federal Reserve from taking hawkish rate hikes in September. • Despite the broad rise, caution remains as Cisco Systems' shares dropped 4.1% due to disappointing earnings, and Cerebras Systems plummeted 17% following a decline in hardware sales.