The Korean Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opened sharply lower on July 16. As of 9:00 a.m., it stood at 6,953.49 points, down 330.92 points (4.54%) from the previous day. Overnight, the U.S. Philadelphia Semiconductor Index closed down by about 2%, and SK Hynix’s American depositary receipt (ADR) fell 9% (-$17.46) to $176.46, becoming the direct external trigger for this round of declines in South Korean semiconductor stocks.
KOSPI and KOSDAQ July 16 Opening Quotes and Net Buy/Sell Data for the Three Major Investor Groups
As of 9:04 a.m. on July 16, 2026, KOSPI was at 6,953.49 points, down 330.92 points (4.54%) from the previous day’s close. The index opened at 6,960.50 points, down 323.91 points (4.45%) from the prior trading day.
KOSPI main board net buy/sell for the three major investor groups: retail investors net bought 213.4 billion won; foreign investors net sold 127.4 billion won; institutional investors net sold 80.2 billion won.
KOSDAQ was at 813.27 points, down 16.16 points (1.95%) from the previous day. It opened at 813.32 points, down 16.11 points (1.94%). KOSDAQ three major investor net buy/sell: retail investors net bought 11.4 billion won; foreign investors net sold 9.7 billion won; institutional investors net sold 1.6 billion won.
Main Board and Kosdaq Start-Up Board Top 10 Stocks by Market Cap: Price Change Details
Among the top 10 stocks by market cap on the KOSPI main board, 8 fell while LG Energy Solution and KB Financial gained 2. The largest decliners were as follows:
SK Square: 1,232,000 won, -150,000 (-10.85%)
SK Hynix: 1,863,000 won, -219,000 (-10.52%)
Samsung Electronics: 256,750 won, -22,750 (about -8.13%)
Samsung Motors, Hyundai Motor, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Biologics: all fell (specific declines were not fully disclosed)
Among the top 10 start-up board (KOSDAQ) stocks by market cap, 8 also recorded declines: Alteogen, EcoPro BM, EcoPro, Jusung Engineering, Rainbow Robotics, Wonik IPS, LEENO Industrial, and PSK all posted losses. Kolon TissueGene and HLB rose.
Overnight U.S. Stock Market Close Recap: Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down about 2%, SK Hynix ADR down 9%
On July 15, 2026, at the U.S. market close, the three major stock indexes finished higher, boosted by economic indicators suggesting easing inflation: the S&P 500 closed at 7,572.42 points (+0.38%); the Nasdaq Composite closed at 26,269.23 points (+0.62%); and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 150.25 points (+0.29%).
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index moved lower independently, closing down by about 2%, as profit-taking continued in AI semiconductor stocks that had surged recently. Stock-level data: SK Hynix ADR fell 9% (-$17.46), closing at $176.46; Micron Technology and Intel’s share prices also declined.
Kiwoom Securities researcher Kim Yumi publicly commented on the current downturn, saying: “Because New York semiconductor stocks fell, the domestic market gave back some of the gains that semiconductor stocks had driven from the previous day.”
FAQ
What was the intraday decline of the Korea KOSPI index on July 16, 2026 at the open?
As of 9:04 a.m., KOSPI was at 6,953.49 points, down 330.92 points (4.54%) from the previous day; the opening decline was 4.45% (-323.91 points), with the index opening at 6,960.50 points.
What factors drove this KOSPI decline?
Based on market coverage, the main triggers were that the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index closed down by about 2% overnight, SK Hynix ADR fell 9%, and profit-taking in AI semiconductor drove a hit to local Korean stocks. Foreign investors and institutional investors each net sold 127.4 billion won and 80.2 billion won, further accelerating the decline.
Which stocks had the largest declines on the KOSPI main board?
Based on intraday data for July 16, 2026, the biggest losers were SK Square (-10.85%, to 1,232,000 won) and SK Hynix (-10.52%, to 1,863,000 won). Next was Samsung Electronics (about -8.13%, to 256,750 won).
