Analysis by Korea CXO Institute, a Corporate Analysis Firm
Total Market Cap Increased, but Individual Stocks Show Mixed Results
41.8% of Stocks Saw Growth in Market Cap, 53.5% Decreased
52 Companies, Including Samsung, Increased Market Cap by Over 1 Trillion Won
In the third quarter of this year, the total market capitalization of listed companies increased by approximately 331 trillion won, but more than half of individual stocks actually saw a decrease in their market capitalization.
The KOSPI index is displayed on the electronic board at the Korea Exchange in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung
On October 9, Korea CXO Institute, a corporate analysis firm, analyzed the changes in market capitalization of 2,765 listed stocks (excluding preferred shares) on the KOSPI, KOSDAQ, and KONEX markets, comparing the end of June and the end of September this year. The results confirmed this trend.
As of the end of September 2025, the total domestic market capitalization stood at 3,187 trillion won, up by about 331 trillion won (11.6%) from 2,856 trillion won at the end of June. The overall size of the domestic stock market expanded, driven by the rise of major stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
However, the performance of individual stocks varied. Among the stocks analyzed, 1,156 stocks (41.8%) saw an increase in market capitalization, while 1,478 stocks (53.5%) experienced a decrease. For 131 companies (4.7%), there was either no change in market capitalization or they were newly listed.
In the third quarter, 52 companies saw their market capitalization increase by more than 1 trillion won. Samsung Electronics' market capitalization jumped from 353.9943 trillion won to 496.6576 trillion won, an increase of 142.6632 trillion won, while SK Hynix increased by 40.4041 trillion won. Other companies with significant increases included Hanwha Aerospace (up 16.9735 trillion won), LG Energy Solution (up 11.817 trillion won), Hanwha Ocean (up 9.4681 trillion won), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (up 7.6788 trillion won), and Samsung Life Insurance (up 5.84 trillion won).
On the other hand, companies such as Doosan Enerbility (down 3.6511 trillion won), Krafton (down 3.3402 trillion won), Kakao Pay (down 3.0616 trillion won), Kakao Bank (down 2.9811 trillion won), Hyundai Engineering & Construction (down 2.6836 trillion won), HMM (down 2.5113 trillion won), and Korea Electric Power Corporation (down 2.0863 trillion won) saw their market capitalization decrease due to falling stock prices.
In the third quarter, Hanwha Ocean and SK Square newly entered the top 20 companies by market capitalization. Among the 297 companies with a market capitalization exceeding 1 trillion won, HJ Heavy Industries & Construction recorded the highest growth rate at 252.2%.
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