KOSPI Surges Past 4,600 as Leading Semiconductor Stocks Soar

KOSPI Hits Record Highs Day After Day
Samsung Electronics Surpasses 140,000 Won, SK Hynix Reaches 760,000 Won
Hyundai Motor Rises for Six Consecutive Days... Sets 52-Week High

The KOSPI index surpassed the 4,600 mark for the first time ever during intraday trading. Since the beginning of the year, it has been setting new records day after day. The strong performance of the two major semiconductor companies, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, is driving this record-breaking rally. On this day, Samsung Electronics reached the 140,000 won level for the first time ever during trading, while SK Hynix also exceeded 760,000 won, continuing to set new records daily.

On the 7th, as the KOSPI index surpassed 4600, the stock prices of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix continued to hit record highs. The current status of the domestic stock market along with the stock prices of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are displayed at the Korea Exchange in Yeouido, Seoul. 2026.1.7 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

As of 9:15 a.m. on January 7, the KOSPI was trading at 4,600.51, up 75.03 points (1.66%) from the previous day. Samsung Electronics was trading at 143,000 won, up 2.95% from the previous day, and reached an intraday high of 144,400 won, setting a new all-time high. SK Hynix rose 3.58% to 752,000 won, reaching an intraday high of 762,000 won and setting a new record. Hyundai Motor was also showing strong performance for consecutive days, trading at 327,500 won, up 6.33%. During the session, it climbed to 332,000 won, marking a new 52-week high.

Noh Donggil, a researcher at Shinhan Investment & Securities, stated, "The rally in semiconductors has been very strong since the beginning of the year." He added, "As of the 6th, the year-to-date returns for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are 15.8% and 11.5%, respectively. If we accumulate the returns since the fourth quarter of last year, it amounts to 65.6% for Samsung Electronics and 108.9% for SK Hynix. Considering the share of profits and market capitalization these two stocks represent in the domestic stock market, they are the key drivers behind the KOSPI's rise to the 4,600 level."

The domestic stock market also appears to have been influenced by the strong performance of the New York stock market, which hit record highs overnight. On the 6th (local time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.99% to close at 49,462.08, reaching an all-time high. The S&P 500 index climbed 0.62% to 6,944.82, also setting a new record. The Nasdaq index finished up 0.65% at 23,547.173. Stocks related to artificial intelligence (AI) led the market's gains. Amazon rose 3.37%, and Micron surged 10.04%. Micron, which soared more than 240% last year alone, has continued its rally, rising about 20% since the beginning of this year.

With strong earnings expected in the semiconductor sector, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, fueled expectations for a surge in semiconductor demand. At a press conference during CES 2026, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, CEO Huang stated, "Because demand for Nvidia is extremely high, all high-bandwidth memory (HBM) suppliers are expanding production." He also mentioned, "Due to the rise of 'AI factories,' the world will need more fabs (semiconductor manufacturing plants) in the future." In addition, CEO Huang held a private meeting with Chung Euisun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, which also contributed to the sharp rise in the stock prices of not only Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, but also Hyundai Motor.

As the earnings growth of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is expected to continue this year, securities firms have been raising their target prices for both stocks since the beginning of the year. KB Securities increased its target price for Samsung Electronics from 160,000 won to 180,000 won, and Kiwoom Securities raised it from 140,000 won to 170,000 won. Daol Investment & Securities raised its target price for SK Hynix from 760,000 won to 950,000 won. Additionally, Kiwoom Securities raised its target for SK Hynix from 730,000 won to 880,000 won, and DS Investment & Securities increased it from 650,000 won to 800,000 won.

Expectations for the KOSPI index itself are also rising. On this day, Korea Investment & Securities raised its KOSPI target for this year from 4,600 points to 5,650 points. Kim Daejun, a researcher at Korea Investment & Securities, explained, "The reason for raising the index outlook is the sharp increase in corporate earnings, especially in the semiconductor sector."