KOSPI Rises 3.56% Yesterday, Semiconductors, Financials and Energy Lead

TL;DR

• KOSPI closed at 6,813.34, up 3.56% yesterday ([collected at] 2026-08-14 08:20 KST, 2026-08-13 final close). The flow of money was clear, with inflows into semiconductors, IT, financials and energy.
• Abroad, Nvidia and Apple headlines and Bitcoin volatility affected investor sentiment.

What happened

KOSPI closed at 6,813.34, up 3.56% on the final close. Domestically, financials (+3.36%), IT and semiconductors (+3.06%), and energy (+2.79%) led. KOSDAQ closed at 861.37, up 0.29%. Overseas, energy (+6.49%) and healthcare (+2.61%) were strong, and US IT and semiconductors rose by +1.59%. At the same time, Nvidia earnings and AI chip benefits, Apple next-generation iPhone, foldable and AirPods reports, and debates over Bitcoin price recovery appeared to shape sentiment.

By the numbers

• KOSPI: 6,813.34 (+3.56%), 2026-08-13 final close
• KOSDAQ: 861.37 (+0.29%), 2026-08-13 final close
• Sector flows (recent trading day): Korea financials +3.36%, Korea IT·semiconductors +3.06%, Korea energy +2.79% / US energy +6.49%, US IT·semiconductors +1.59%
• Crypto and prediction markets: Bitcoin shows volatility despite ETF inflows, with debate over a $65,000 recovery, Polymarket has a 70% 'yes' bet that the Fed will not change rates after the September meeting
• News points: Nvidia earnings and AI chip upside highlighted, Apple next-generation product competition intensifies, Goldman Sachs acquisition of NEOS (related to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs) among factors affecting flows and liquidity

PickStock checkpoints (what to watch)

• Early session quotes and volume concentration: check whether yesterday's strong gain leads to early profit-taking or sustained strength by watching quotes and volume.
• Leading moves in semiconductor and IT names: with Nvidia headlines in the US, monitor leading domestic semiconductor names and volume concentration.
• Financials fund inflow: financials rallied to the 3% range yesterday, so check foreign and institutional trades in large financial names today.
• Crypto and ETF news reaction: monitor how Bitcoin news and ETF-related items (Goldman Sachs, NEOS) affect domestic crypto-related stocks.
• Policy and industry issue monitoring: robot-related policy and special-topic stock news, such as humanoid and quadruped purchases, can affect early session demand.
• Foreign and institutional net buying: the direction of flows into large caps, especially semiconductors and financials, may alter whether the index extends gains or shows signs of adjustment.

Pre-market note: the figures and flows above are based on confirmed public data as of [collected at] 2026-08-14 08:20 KST. For detailed intraday quotes and volumes, check live data. To track relevant names, review your holdings on My Stock Radar.

This article is for information only and is not investment advice.