US Market Analysis and Korean Market Daily Briefing — 2026-09-18
Following the Federal Reserve's first rate hike in three years, U.S. stocks rebounded thanks to falling oil prices and stabilizing bond yields, triggering a relief rally. Despite the Fed's hawkish signals, the domestic market snapped a four-day losing streak to reclaim the 6,700 level, with institutional buying successfully countering foreign sell-offs.
US Market Analysis and Korean Market Daily Briefing — 2026-09-18
Previous Day US Market Summary
The previous day (September 16), U.S. equities closed higher as the negative impact of the Fed's rate hike was already priced in, accompanied by declines in oil prices and bond yields.
- Rate Hike in 3 Years and Relief Rally: The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 bps on Wednesday, which the market largely treated as a digested event. Stocks that initially dipped following the announcement rebounded sharply, erasing earlier losses driven by falling oil prices and stabilizing Treasury yields.
- Easing Oil and Inflation Concerns: As international crude oil prices trended downward, optimism grew that inflation could be managed, lifting both stocks and bonds.
- Fed Chair Warsh's Hawkish Remarks: Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh signaled the possibility of additional hikes while maintaining vigilance over inflation, but the market largely interpreted this as the "removal of the biggest uncertainty."
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Korean Market Key Themes and Issues
Today's Korean stock market is expected to see movement across key themes, driven by the combination of the previous day's positive momentum from the U.S. and a technical rebound in the KOSPI.
- KOSPI Technical Rebound and Institutional Buying: The previous day, the KOSPI closed up 1.37% at 6,717.97, snapping a four-day losing streak. While foreign investors net sold approximately 1.6 trillion won, institutional investors net bought around 1.2 trillion won to defend the index.
- Exchange Rate Volatility and Impact on Export Stocks: Ongoing pressures from a strong U.S. dollar and rising U.S. Treasury yields are amplifying volatility in the won-dollar exchange rate. While this could trigger short-term profit-taking in export-heavy automotive and shipbuilding sectors, falling oil prices may help alleviate cost burdens.
- Expectations of Global Inflation Peaking: Declining oil prices and stabilizing 10-year U.S. Treasury yields are fueling expectations that global inflation has peaked out. This is expected to positively impact growth stocks, particularly semiconductors and AI-related shares.
Stocks to Watch Today
Key stocks related to the themes derived above are outlined below.
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SK Hynix / Samsung Electronics (Semiconductors): The AI supercycle and surging demand for HBM are driving earnings improvements. Absorbing the events of falling oil prices and rate hikes can ease valuation pressures on the semiconductor sector.
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Automotive and Shipbuilding Stocks (Exporters): While there are expectations of benefits from a rising exchange rate, the previous day's recovery in risk appetite in U.S. markets and falling oil prices partially offset concerns over a global economic slowdown, supporting steady movement.
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AI and Defense Infrastructure Stocks: Evaluated as structural growth drivers extending beyond 2026, sectors like AI, energy, and defense are likely to show an elastic rebound once the rate-hike risk is resolved.
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Important: This briefing is for reference only, and investors are solely responsible for their own 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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