Analysis

TradingKey - During the Asia session on June 12, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opened significantly higher by over 7%, reclaiming the 8,000-point mark, with gains subsequently expanding to over 8%. As of press time, the KOSPI stood at 8,388.53 points, surging 624.58 points or 8.04% from the previous trading day. During early trading, a circuit breaker was triggered as KOSPI 200 index futures rose by 5%, leading to a five-minute suspension of programmed trading.

TradingKey - On June 11, Eastern Time, as SpaceX moves toward its largest-ever IPO, CEO Elon Musk appeared via video at ASML’s annual technology conference in the Netherlands to outline his plans to enter the semiconductor manufacturing sector to ASML employees. Boosted by the news, ASML shares closed up 9.53% at $1,899.48, hitting a 52-week high.

TradingKey - Trump abruptly announced on Thursday the cancellation of planned strikes against Iran scheduled for that night, claiming that Iran's top leadership has approved a draft multilateral consensus agreement. The proposal includes extending the ceasefire, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and initiating 60-day negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue. He also stated that the U.S. naval blockade of Iran will continue until the agreement is formally signed.

Tradingkey - During the June 11 Asian trading session, South Korean media outlet ETNews reported that SK Hynix has received requests from multiple Tier-1 equipment suppliers to increase supply prices by approximately 3% to 4%. SK Hynix has requested the relevant companies to submit supporting documentation for the price adjustments pending further evaluation.

TradingKey - During Asia trading on June 11, South Korea's KOSPI index closed at 7,762.94 points, up 0.42%. Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed at 64,217.22 points, edging up 0.06%, after dropping more than 2% in early trade before gradually narrowing losses and rebounding slightly.

Tradingkey - As AI technology deployment accelerates, global demand for high-performance memory chips continues to climb. South Korea's two semiconductor giants, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, have recently announced major capacity expansion plans to fully position themselves within the AI chip supply chain.

TradingKey - During the early Asian trading session on June 11, Japanese and South Korean stock markets both trended higher after opening sharply lower. As of press time, South Korea’s KOSPI Index stood at 7,673.71 points, while the Nikkei 225 Index rebounded in tandem, with its decline narrowing to 0.88%.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on June 10, both Japanese and South Korean stock markets closed lower, weighed down by the escalation of the U.S.-Iran military conflict, continued pressure on chip stocks, and rising inflation concerns. South Korea's KOSPI index fell 4.52% to 7730.82 points, while the Nikkei 225 index declined 1.89% to 64179.22 points.

TradingKey - Global semiconductor foundry giant TSMC (TSM) released its May 2026 revenue report on June 10. Monthly consolidated revenue reached NT$416.98 billion, representing a significant year-on-year increase of 30.1% and a month-on-month growth of 1.5%, setting an all-time monthly record. This performance extends the robust growth momentum seen since the beginning of 2026.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on June 10, South Korean stocks fluctuated lower, pressured by rising geopolitical risks and the overnight decline in U.S. chip stocks. Chip stocks once again led the broader market's decline.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on June 10, sources familiar with the matter revealed that SoftBank Group’s negotiations to secure a margin loan of at least $6 billion, using its stake in OpenAI as collateral, have failed to make progress. This comes just weeks after the company reduced its initial $10 billion target by 40%. SoftBank declined to comment. The sources stated that SoftBank is still considering various financing options and may restart negotiations in the future.

TradingKey — According to reports from Nikkei, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) plans to raise interest rates at its monetary policy meeting on June 15–16, increasing the policy rate from the current 0.75% to 1.0%. BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda and other leadership members are expected to propose the rate hike at the June 16 meeting, with the resolution anticipated to pass by a majority vote of the nine policy board members. If approved, this will mark the first rate hike of the year, bringing the policy rate to 1%—its highest level in 30 years since 1995. As Japan enters an era of high interest rates, what will be the impact on Japanese equities?

TradingKey - NVIDIA (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang recently engaged in a series of activities in Seoul, South Korea, including a BBQ gathering with SK Hynix Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. During the visit, Huang established partnerships with several Korean firms and publicly recommended Qualcomm (QCOM) stock. While these actions have further expanded the list of "NVIDIA-concept stocks," Bloomberg criticized his remarks as being detached from market dynamics. Among these "NVIDIA-concept stocks," are there any truly worth buying?

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on June 9, Japanese and South Korean equities opened higher and trended upward on Tuesday following the intense "Black Monday" sell-off. An overnight rebound in U.S. semiconductor stocks and the accelerated influx of dip-buying capital fueled a robust recovery across the Asia-Pacific technology sector.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on June 9, the South Korean stock market staged a powerful rebound after two consecutive sessions of heavy selling. Memory chipmakers led the gains, pushing the KOSPI index up by 8% intraday and successfully reclaiming the 8,000-point mark. As of press time, the KOSPI index was up 8.15%.

TradingKey - South Korean equities rebounded sharply in early Asian trading on June 9. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) saw early gains expand to 4.8%, led by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which both rose approximately 6%. The Korea Exchange triggered a circuit breaker as KOSPI 200 futures surged 5%, suspending program trading for five minutes.

TradingKey - On June 8, Seoul time, Jun Young-hyun, head of Samsung Electronics’ chip division, stated that the company has held extensive discussions with Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang regarding foundry cooperation for next-generation chips and future technologies such as HBM4E and HBM5. Both parties are collaborating on autonomous driving chips at the 4nm and 8nm nodes, as well as in the field of Nvidia accelerator chips.

TradingKey - During the Asian session on June 8, South Korean stocks plunged. The KOSPI index triggered a circuit breaker during intraday trading and closed down 8.29% at 7,484.41 points. The KOSDAQ index closed 9.08% lower at 911.39 points, having triggered a circuit breaker during the afternoon session.

TradingKey – Seoul, June 8. Impacted by a plunge of over 10% in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index last Friday and mounting concerns over interest rate hikes, the KOSPI index tumbled more than 8% in early Monday trading, triggering a Level 1 circuit breaker and a 20-minute trading halt. Boosted by news of Nvidia’s collaboration with SK Group and LG Electronics, the decline narrowed to approximately 4.8% before noon; however, selling pressure intensified in the afternoon, sending the index below 7,500 points before the close.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on June 8, NVIDIA (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang stated during a visit to the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul, that NVIDIA is partnering with LG Group to jointly advance developments in humanoid robots, data centers, and the automotive sector.