코스피 4% 급등, 7000 코앞…‘GPT-6’ 훈풍에 반도체 질주

Last weekend, the global release of a new AI model 'GPT-6 Astral' sparked a surge in the global semiconductor sector. As a result, the Korean Kospi index surged by 4% on Monday, reaching 7,000 points at 6995.39, just 5 points shy of the coveted milestone. The index had climbed 3.34% from 6,910.78 the previous day, marking the largest single-day gain since mid-July.

This rally was primarily driven by foreign and institutional investors, who collectively made net purchases totaling 2.5 trillion won for the day. Individual investors, on the other hand, were net sellers, offloading 6.8 trillion won worth of stocks in a short sell-off. Semiconductor giants also performed well, with Samsung Electronics up 5.68% to 27,000 won and SK Hynix closing at 178,300 won, up 8.26%.

Other AI-focused value chains such as Samsung Electronics (+3.78%) and electric power equipment (Efficiency Central Electronics +8.53%, LS ELECTRIC +5.99%) followed the upward trend. Analysts attributed this to the positive outlook for the semiconductor sector due to anticipated memory price hikes sparked by the release of GPT-6 Astral.

Despite macroeconomic headwinds from interest rates and oil prices, the bullish sentiment from corporate earnings boosted the market. The energy and infrastructure sector (Dong Seoul Energy +10.98%) also showed gains, buoyed by expectations of a major investment project announcement. However, the Kospi has yet to overcome the 7,000 resistance level and may face challenges in stabilizing at 7,000 points as long as Oracle's recent results and CPI data hold strong.

Korean Securities Research at Shinhan Investment Corporation noted that while AI-related investments have seen bullish sentiment, the bio and robotics sectors lag behind, limiting the upside potential. Unlike the Kospi, foreign and institutional investors on the Kosdaq market converted to net sellers.