US Stock Market and Korean Market Daily Briefing — 2026-10-30
Yesterday, US stocks closed lower due to tech sell-offs triggered by Alphabet's disappointing earnings, despite the Fed holding interest rates steady. Today, the Korean stock market successfully settled around the 5700 level amid increased volatility following yesterday's surge in the KOSPI, with semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment (subak) sectors showing a selective divergence.
US Stock Market and Korean Market Daily Briefing — 2026-10-30
Summary of US Stock Market Yesterday
Yesterday (October 28, local time), the US stock market started strong for the third consecutive day following the Federal Reserve's decision to freeze benchmark interest rates, but showed mixed results due to disappointing earnings announcements from major companies after the market closed.
- Index Fluctuations and Tech Sell-off: The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 100 points from the previous session, halting its three-day rally. In particular, Alphabet reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter earnings, causing its shares to plunge in after-hours trading and sparking a rotation into the broader market.
- Fed's Rate Freeze: The Fed decided not to raise benchmark rates to help lower high inflation, which provided overall downside support for the market.
- Sector Trends: Selling pressure in select tech companies accelerated capital inflows into safe-haven bonds, while concerns over cloud and AI infrastructure demand weighed on the tech sector.
Key Themes and Issues in the Korean Stock Market
Today, the Korean stock market took a breather following yesterday's explosive rally in the KOSPI, with heightened volatility centered around the semiconductor sector emerging as a major issue.
- Semiconductor Supercycle Expectations and Volatility: Yesterday (10/28), fueled by SK Hynix's earnings surprise and forecasts of supply shortages by 2030, the KOSPI surged over 6% during intraday trading to touch the 6,000 mark. However, in today's (10/30) session, it dropped by around 5% at one point, widening volatility.
- Shareholder Return Policies and Value-Up Momentum: SK Hynix's aggressive shareholder return announcement stimulated overall market sentiment, but profit-taking from the sharp short-term rise led the index to finish securing the 5700 range.
- Continuous AI Infrastructure Demand: Despite US-driven concerns regarding AI, assessments indicate that cloud and AI infrastructure demand remains robust, supporting the downside for related semiconductor component stocks.
Recommended Stocks to Watch Today
Considering yesterday's weakness in US tech stocks and the increased semiconductor volatility in the Korean market, approaching stocks with confirmed earnings momentum remains effective.
- SK Hynix: Led the semiconductor sector rally driven by yesterday's earnings surprise, 2030 supply shortage forecasts, and a bold shareholder return plan. Monitoring is required to see if confidence in its fundamentals holds even during today's expanding volatility phase.
- Alphabet (US-linked): Although its stock tumbled in after-hours trading yesterday due to weak Q3 earnings, it remains a key watch item from a long-term perspective on AI infrastructure demand. Related domestic AI software and cloud partners' correlated movements should be observed.
- Semiconductor Parts/Materials/Equipment: While semiconductor subak stocks surged alongside yesterday's KOSPI rally, divergence is underway amid today's index decline. Focusing on oversold blue-chip stocks during technical corrections is recommended.
- Note: This briefing is for reference only, and investors bear full responsibility for their investment decisions.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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