Market wrap
How the Korean market went, in plain English: a wrap after every trading day's close, a look back at each week and month, and the week ahead every Sunday. The news that moved stocks, the themes and names it touched, who was buying, ETFs and how our signals did, with a link to every source.
August 2026· 20 trading daysKOSPI up 3.4%, KOSDAQ up 15.9% in August as foreigners sell and retail buysKOSPI rose 3.4% to 6,820.02 and KOSDAQ jumped 15.9% to 834.29, its best August on record. Foreigners net sold about ₩10.2 trillion on KOSPI while batteries, power and hydrogen led.KOSPI+3.4%KOSDAQ+15.9%KOSPI 200+2.4%July 2026· 22 trading daysKOSPI falls 22.2% in July, its worst month since 2008, as chip peak-out fears hit SK hynix and SamsungKOSPI fell 22.2% to 6595.45 and KOSDAQ fell 21.4% in July on AI memory peak-out fears and heavy foreign selling. SK hynix lost 35.2% and Samsung Electronics 21.4%; banks and refiners held up.KOSPI−22.2%KOSDAQ−21.4%KOSPI 200−23.6%June 2026· 21 trading daysKOSPI ends June flat at 8,476.5 after circuit breakers; KOSDAQ falls 14.7%, won weakest in 17 yearsThe KOSPI finished June almost unchanged at 8,476.5 after three circuit breakers, while the KOSDAQ fell 14.7%. Foreigners sold about ₩48.6 trillion of KOSPI shares and the won weakened to 1,541.5 per dollar.KOSPI0.0%KOSDAQ−14.7%KOSPI 200+2.1%May 2026· 18 trading daysKOSPI rises 28.5% in May to a record 8,476.2 on memory chips; KOSDAQ falls 9.9% as bio stocks slumpThe KOSPI gained 28.5% over the period to a record 8,476.15, led by SK hynix and Samsung Electronics, while the KOSDAQ fell 9.9% on a bio sell-off and higher global bond yields.KOSPI+28.5%KOSDAQ−9.9%KOSPI 200+35.4%