S&P lifts Samsung outlook as AI memory boom gathers pace SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) — Global ratings agency S&P Global Ratings has made its call on Samsung Electronics, betting that an AI-driven memory supercycle will drive at least two more years of strong earnings growth. The agency revised its outlook on the chipmaker to positive from stable, saying favorable industry conditions, including strong demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and a prolonged supply shortage, are likely to support memory prices through 2027. "The po July 22, 2026

KOSDAQ gains new life from robotics jolt SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Robotics stocks jolted the lethargic KOSDAQ market awake on Wednesday as investors bet that Samsung Electronics’ newly elevated robotics ambitions, military demand and Nvidia’s physical AI vision could turn South Korea’s equipment supply chain into the next major technology theme. Industrial robotics and automation company T-Robotics hit the daily ceiling, surging 29.95 percent to 12,540 won and leading gains on the secondary market. The m July 22, 2026

Korean stocks lead Asia as chip rally sends KOSPI above 7,000 SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Korean stocks led Asian markets by a wide margin Wednesday morning, driven by heavy foreign buying in semiconductor shares after a sharp overnight rally in U.S. chipmakers revived expectations for continued artificial intelligence infrastructure investment. The benchmark KOSPI was trading 5.6 percent higher at 7,125.8 as of 10:30 a.m., outperforming Japan's Nikkei 225, which gained 1.9 percent to 67,512.1. China's Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong July 22, 2026

AI-theme stocks turbocharge KOSPI above 7,100 mark SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - AI-theme turbocharged South Korean chip and robotics stocks on Wednesday, sending both the main and secondary market indices well above 5 percent as big-tech earnings reaffirmed AI demand and investment. A buy-side sidecar was triggered on the KOSPI at 9:06:02 a.m., halting program buying for five minutes after the KOSPI 200 futures index surged 5.40 percent. As of 9:06 a.m., the KOSPI was up more than 6.1 percent at 7,155.5, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ July 22, 2026

KOSPI rebounds over 3% as chipmakers lead broad rally SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark KOSPI advancing more than 3 percent as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led a rebound in semiconductor shares. The KOSPI rose 231.68 points or 3.56 percent to close at 6,747.95 as a buy-side sidecar was activated on the main bourse after the index's gains accelerated. It opened 0.58 percent higher at 6,553.88 and fell to an intraday low of 6,429.03 during early volatile trading before clim July 21, 2026

Seoul steps in as ETF crash takes toll on retirees and minors SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A crash inevitably leaves collateral damage, and the nearly 50 percent plunge in leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to chip behemoths Samsung Electronics and SK hynix has hit some of South Korea's most vulnerable investors, wiping out retirement savings and money invested on behalf of minors. "Were we guinea pigs?" one investor wrote after watching losses mount in the newly launched single-stock leveraged ETFs. "Will anybody he July 21, 2026

KOSPI tests newly formed floor around 6,500 with retail return SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI tested a newly formed floor around the 6,500 mark Tuesday as retail investors returned, helping stabilize the market after Monday's rout. The benchmark index traded around 6,530 after the opening bell, swinging between gains and losses after tumbling 4.5 percent on Monday to close at 6,516.30, its steepest one-day decline this year. Early optimism that the selloff was easing faded as foreign buying quickly lost momentu July 21, 2026

Hanwha Solutions rights issue cut to $810 million after 21% discount SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) -Hanwha Solutions has bowed to regulatory scrutiny by finalizing on Monday a scaled-back 1.17 trillion won ($810 million) rights offering, less than half the 2.4 trillion won it originally planned to raise. The final fundraising reflects months of regulatory intervention and investor backlash that forced repeated revisions to one of South Korea's largest equity offerings this year, before a slide in the company's share price further reduced the proceed July 21, 2026

Samchundang Pharm shares surge on hopes for diabetes generic SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - KOSDAQ-listed drugmaker Samchundang Pharm saw its shares soar on Monday amid expectations that its diabetes drug would move a step closer to entering the U.S. pharmaceutical market. Its shares surged 29.82 percent to close at the daily trading limit of 239,000 won after the drugmaker said it had received a written response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its oral semaglutide generic, a pill for Type 2 diabetes, although the approval July 20, 2026

KOSPI drops 4.5% as sell sidecars hit both markets SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Korean stocks closed sharply lower Monday, with the benchmark KOSPI losing more than 4 percent and the KOSDAQ falling more than 5 percent as sell-side sidecars were activated in both markets. The KOSPI dropped 304.33 points, or 4.46 percent, to close at 6,516.27. The index opened 2.60 percent lower at 6,643.58. It climbed as high as 6,814.86 during the session before falling to an intraday low of 6,472.80. The selloff followed a buildup of investor anx July 20, 2026