KOSPI rises 3.09% as Anthropic IPO hopes boost semiconductor stocks
On October 27, 2026, the Kospi closed up 3.09% at 5,638.34, crossing the 5,700 threshold during trading and triggering a temporary sidecar halt on program buy orders, hankyung.com reported. The session’s surge was driven by expectations of Anthropic’s upcoming initial public offering, which improved investor sentiment toward American tech stocks and domestic semiconductor equities. Foreign and institutional buying underpinned the gains, though narrowing advances in the afternoon left market watchers looking to upcoming corporate earnings and supply-demand flows to determine if the rebound can hold.
Anthropic IPO Hopes Dive Kospi Past 5,700 and Trigger Trading Halt
Anthropic reported its first quarterly operating profit and strong revenue growth driven by expanding enterprise use, though it also disclosed 8530억달러 in computing-related spending commitments. While foreign and institutional capital pushed the index up by more than 3% in a single session, the tapering of gains during the day highlights ongoing sensitivity to incoming earnings data.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Weigh 210 Trillion Won Shareholder Return Plans
Anticipated earnings surges across the artificial intelligence semiconductor sector have pushed shareholder returns to the forefront for South Korea’s largest chipmakers. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are reportedly weighing a combined total of over 210 trillion won in shareholder distributions, according to hankyung.com. SK Hynix is scheduled to unveil additional return measures—including share buybacks and cash dividends—during its upcoming earnings release on October 28. These prospective figures remain unconfirmed by formal regulatory filings, making actual financial execution timelines a primary variable for corporate revaluation.
Daishin Securities Adjusts Kospi Range to 5,200 and 8,200
Broader market volatility tied to rising interest rates and questions over artificial intelligence investment sustainability has prompted domestic brokerages to recalibrate index forecasts. Daishin Securities adjusted its 2027 Kospi trading band to a range of 5,200 to 8,200, lowering the upper bound from previous estimates while characterizing the recent price drop in semiconductor stocks as excessive. According to hankyung.com, stabilization in interest rates and inflation during the first half of next year, alongside renewed confidence in chip earnings, will dictate whether the index reaches the higher end of that forecast.
Most of Asia’s semis actually ripped higher overnight. Korea’s KOSPI closed +3.1% (Samsung +4.2%, SK Hynix +5.2%), Japan’s Nikkei +1.7% (Advantest nearly +10%), and Taiwan edged green with TSMC higher. The move was driven by Anthropic’s IPO filing boosting global AI sentiment.…