KOSPI Breaks Record High! But Foreigners Are Selling Samsung Electronics and Upper-Tail Stocks Are Emerging... Should You Sell Now? / When Will the Rally End? | Team Lead Hwang Yu-hyeon

Summary

Hwang Yu-hyeon, PB Team Lead at Shinhan Investment Securities, reviewed a strong Korean market where KOSPI hit a record high but foreign investors sold Samsung Electronics and many stocks formed long upper tails. He argued the uptrend is not over, though near-term action is choppy and stock-specific, with semiconductors still preferred over batteries. He highlighted shipbuilding, defense, and financials as earnings-season beneficiaries, while warning that consumer/cosmetics stocks lack money and growth momentum. He also flagged pre-Lunar New Year profit-taking risk and geopolitical headlines as factors to watch.

• KOSPI hit a record high, but foreign net selling in Samsung Electronics and long upper tails in many stocks raised concerns.
• The speaker said the market uptrend remains intact, with higher lows in KOSPI and KOSDAQ, though near-term index moves may be choppy.
• Semiconductors, especially Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, were favored for holding despite short-term consolidation.
• Shipbuilding was presented as the most comfortable sector, supported by healthy charts and earnings-season expectations.
• Defense and financials were also expected to benefit from the earnings season, with defense as a geopolitical hedge.
• Consumer goods and cosmetics were viewed as unattractive due to insufficient liquidity and faded growth momentum.
• Risks include pre-Lunar New Year profit-taking, U.S. political uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions, but the speaker did not see the rally as over.