Kospi Barely Holds 6,600 Level as Samsung and SK Hynix Both Come Under Pressure; SoftBank Surges Over 7% to Support Nikkei 225

TradingKey - KOSPI Barely Holds 6,600 Level, Nikkei 225 Proves Resilient, SoftBank Surges Over 7%, SK Hynix and Samsung Pressure Market Downward

During the Asian session on September 15, Japanese and South Korean stock markets showed clear divergence. Japanese stocks rebounded off lows to close slightly higher, while South Korean stocks extended their weakness to close lower. Among them, the KOSPI Index fell 0.85%, nearly losing the 6,600 level, and finally closed at 6,627.26 points. The two major heavyweights continued to decline, with Samsung Electronics falling 0.6% to close at 247,500 KRW, and SK Hynix dropping 0.53% to 1,688,000 KRW.

KOSPI Index chart, Source: TradingView

The Nikkei 225 Index remained relatively resilient, edging down 0.01% to close at 63,484.05 points; two major heavyweights staged a significant rebound, with Kioxia rising 2.29% to close at 51,750 yen, and SoftBank surging 7.54% to close at 6,279 yen.

Market discussions intensified regarding the pace of global AI large model upgrades and major tech companies' capital expenditure. Semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix extended their weak trends, dampening market confidence. Following a heavy sell-off of South Korean equities in the previous trading session, foreign and institutional investors maintained a net selling stance today; although retail investors stepped in to buy, it was insufficient to reverse the overall decline.

However, the relatively weak yen provided some support to export-oriented automakers and the precision machinery sector, offsetting the pressure to follow tech stocks lower. In addition, SoftBank Group rebounded sharply by over 9% at the open today, lifting the Nikkei 225 Index by hundreds of points in a single day and helping market sentiment recover.