July 23rd Before Market Open: US-Iran Tensions, Oil Price Surge, New York Stock Market Falls / Alphabet Earnings Beat Estimates but Stock Plummets.. Semiconductor Stocks Rebound After Hours

Summary

The panel discusses how US-Iran tensions and surging oil are weighing on markets, while Alphabet's strong earnings and capex signal continued AI investment. They highlight opportunities in KOSDAQ, semiconductor 소부장, entertainment, and power equipment, while advising caution on Tesla, Kakao, and speculative themes.

• US-Iran conflict drives oil above $86 and pressures equities, but ceasefire would be a major positive catalyst.
• Alphabet's cloud revenue surged 82% YoY and capex guidance was raised, reinforcing that AI infrastructure investment is not peaking.
• KOSDAQ is favored over KOSPI due to undervalued earnings-driven stocks, with semiconductor 소부장 leading the rebound.
• Entertainment and casino stocks are seen as bottoming out with attractive valuations and earnings support.
• Memory chip makers Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Micron are top picks on sustained AI capex.
• Power equipment, especially Hyosung Heavy, is called out for strong order backlogs and data center demand.
• Selected beaten-down small/mid-caps like RFHIC, Classys, and KT&G are highlighted for value recovery plays.
• Tesla is avoided due to declining margins; Kakao is deemed inferior to Naver; solar and shipbuilding are on watch.