KOSPI's first-ever surpassing of 6,600 points, easing Middle East tensions and rising corporate earnings expectations

Korea’s Composite Stock Price Index for 2026 broke through 6,600 points for the first time in history on April 27, 2026, as tightening tensions in the Middle East eased and expectations for improved corporate performance provided a boost. According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI index rose by 139.40 points (2.15%) from the previous trading day to close at 6,615.03 points, and during the session it briefly climbed as high as 6,657.22 points, setting a new record high. The KOSDAQ index also gained 22.34 points (1.86%), closing at 1,226.18 points, with both major markets showing strong upward momentum at the same time.

The rally in the stock market that day was driven by a reduction in uncertainty surrounding external developments. In recent times, the Middle East situation has been a core variable shaking international oil prices and global investor sentiment, but as the possibility of the U.S. and Iran restarting negotiations was mentioned, financial markets temporarily took on a more reassuring tone. After risk-asset avoidance sentiment weakened, foreign capital flowed back into the domestic stock market. In Seoul’s foreign exchange market, the won-to-U.S. dollar exchange rate, as of 3:30 PM, fell by 12.0 won from the previous trading day to close at 1,472.5 won. A decline in the exchange rate is often interpreted as a factor that eases the burden on foreign investors’ investment.

From a supply-and-demand perspective, synchronized buying by foreign investors and institutions pushed the index higher. In the securities market, foreign investors posted net purchases of 888 billion won, institutions recorded net purchases of 1.102 trillion won, and individuals posted net sales of 1.974 trillion won; the net selling was mainly profit-taking on issues that had risen earlier. Foreign investors also net bought 7170 billion won in the KOSPI200 futures market. The trend of synchronized buying in both spot and futures markets was interpreted as a signal of directional confidence in the market that goes beyond a short-term rebound.

By issue, the sectors expected to benefit from the expansion of AI infrastructure—such as semiconductors and power equipment—were particularly prominent. After Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix set record-high operating profits in the first quarter, major U.S. tech companies’ earnings this week are also expected to exceed market expectations; this expectation intensified buying of related stocks. Samsung Electronics rose 2.28%, SK Hynix gained 5.73%, LS Electric surged 12.80%, and Sanchuan Heavy Industries rose 10.95%. In the KOSDAQ market, Rainbow Robotics rose 9.31%, and Sanchuanli Pharmaceutical rose 8.14%. By contrast, some large-cap stocks and individual names such as LG Energy Solution (-3.53%), Samsung Biologics (-1.24%), and Lino Industrial (-11.74%) performed weakly due to profit-taking or pressure from a softer industry outlook.

Overall market heat remained high. On that day, KOSPI’s total market capitalization was 5421.5 trillion won, while KOSDAQ’s total market capitalization was 679.5 trillion won; for the first time, the combined total of the two markets surpassed 6000 trillion won. In terms of trading value, the securities market recorded 33.336 trillion won, and the KOSDAQ market recorded 17.501 trillion won. Nextrade’s pre-market and main-market trading values on the alternative exchange also totaled 26.4238 trillion won. There were 496 advancing stocks on the KOSPI, more than the 360 declining stocks. By industry, machinery·equipment (6.69%), electrical·electronics (3.25%), and general services (2.56%) performed strongly. This trend could potentially continue temporarily if the Middle East variable further stabilizes and earnings at AI-related companies are confirmed, but as profit-taking pressure following a short-term surge also grows, the market in the future may react more sensitively to both earnings and the continued nature of foreign buying.