iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY)
EWY Heading For A -75% Like In The 1997 "Great Crisis"? Not In My Opinion
The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) offers concentrated exposure to South Korea's memory sector, dominated by Samsung and SK, with valuations now well below historical averages. Despite cheapness, KOSPI's 12-month forward P/E at 4.54x, persistent selling reflects fears of a 1997-style crisis, retail leverage, and foreign outflows. I see key differences from 1997: the won is stable, exports are strong, and memory sector backlogs provide multi-year earnings visibility.
KOSPI refuses to rally despite chip strength: one big risk is still getting worse
South Korean stocks struggled to turn Micron Technology's record earnings into a lasting rally on Thursday, leaving the KOSPI near flat even as Japan's Nikkei 225 surged on renewed enthusiasm for semiconductor shares. The KOSPI recovered from an early 0.34% decline to trade around 6,805 by late morning, while Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix erased opening losses.
EWY: The Bubble Faded, But Korea Still Needs New Buyers
The Korean Stock Market (KOSPI) experienced extreme volatility, with a 90% rally from last year's bottom followed by sharp corrections. Despite turbulent price swings, corporate earnings remain resilient, memory cycle strength persists, and governance reforms are accelerating. Visible deleveraging has occurred in leveraged ETFs, but retail risk appetite is migrating to structured products like autocallable ETFs.
KOSPI jumps 2% as Nikkei rises: why investors are looking past the BoJ hike
The Nikkei 225 and KOSPI advanced on Friday as falling oil prices and easing US Treasury yields revived demand for Asian technology shares, while investors absorbed another step towards tighter monetary policy after the Bank of Japan raised rates to a 31-year high. South Korea's KOSPI climbed about 2%, outperforming the region as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rallied and foreign investors returned to the market.
EWY: 40 Points Ahead Of SOXX, But There's A Catch
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) is up 148% YoY, driven by heavy concentration in Samsung and SK hynix, both benefiting from strong AI memory demand. Nearly half of EWY is exposed to two companies, making the ETF highly sensitive to the memory cycle and AI infrastructure spending trends. I rate EWY a Hold, as further upside depends on continued tight HBM supply and robust Korean exports, but risk/reward is less compelling after the rally.
KOSPI rockets above 7,000 as AI stocks overpower yen and oil fears
South Korea's KOSPI outperformed Asian markets on Wednesday while Japan's Nikkei 225 recovered from the previous session's selloff, as renewed strength in semiconductor and AI-related shares offset concerns over oil approaching $100 a barrel. The KOSPI rose 1.67% to 7,070.94 by late morning, reclaiming the 7,000 mark as Samsung Electronics gained 1.48% and SK Hynix jumped 4.85%.
KOSPI surges 3% as AI optimism returns and Goldman backs 12,000 target
South Korea's KOSPI surged about 3% on Monday, leading gains across Asia as investors piled back into semiconductor stocks on renewed optimism over artificial intelligence demand. The benchmark opened 3.34% higher at 6,910.78 and was up 2.97% at 6,886.09 by late morning in Seoul.
South Korea says chip investments under discussion with US amid tariff concerns
South Korea and the United States are discussing semiconductor investments in the U.S. as part of broader bilateral talks, a Seoul official told reporters on Friday.
KOSPI jumps, Nikkei hesitates as Asia tests whether the bond rout is over
Asian stocks recovered on Thursday as a pause in the global bond selloff brought buyers back to South Korea and Japan, although the rebound remained cautious ahead of Friday's US jobs report. The KOSPI climbed 1.4% to 6,654.76 by late morning, clawing back part of Wednesday's 3.99% plunge, while the Nikkei 225 edged about 0.1% higher to 64,374.
KOSPI tumbles despite chip buybacks: how much support can they really provide?
South Korean stocks sank on Wednesday as a renewed surge in oil prices and global bond yields hit the KOSPI's heavyweight technology and industrial names, turning Seoul into one of Asia's weakest major markets. The KOSPI was down 2.86% at 6,640.26 by late morning after opening more than 3% lower.
KOSPI rebounds as chip stocks recover while Nikkei 225 slides on bond shock
Asian stocks came under pressure on Tuesday as another surge in global bond yields collided with higher oil prices, leaving Japan's Nikkei 225 and South Korea's KOSPI navigating a difficult mix of inflation and interest-rate risks. The Nikkei fell about 1% to 65,647 in morning trading as semiconductor shares retreated, while the KOSPI recovered sharply from an opening loss of more than 1% to trade just 0.2% lower around 6,809 by late morning.
Kospi Index at a crossroads as Samsung, SK Hynix leverage bets reverse
The Kospi Index has come under intense pressure in the past few months as top constituents like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix lost momentum and as wary South Koreans pare back their leveraged bets. It dropped to 6,788 on Friday, down by 27% from its highest point this year.
