Kospi Jumps 3.1% to 5,638.34 as Chip Stocks Rise and Anthropic Files
Key Facts
South Korea’s Kospi closed up 3.1% at 5,638.34 on Oct. 27, after briefly rising more than 4% during the session, according to the Associated Press. SK hynix gained 5.2% and Samsung Electronics rose 4.2%, as appetite for chip and artificial intelligence stocks improved across Asia. The gains followed a 2.8% rise in U.S. semiconductor stocks in the previous session, their biggest daily jump in a month, according to a Reuters report. Reuters linked the improvement in risk appetite to Anthropic filing for an initial public offering, alongside anticipation of technology companies’ results and central bank meetings during the week. Chip stocks are particularly important in South Korea, where third-quarter data showed semiconductor exports supporting the economy as private consumption declined.
South Korea’s gross domestic product grew 1.0% in the third quarter from the previous quarter, accelerating from 0.6% in the second quarter and exceeding the 0.7% average forecast in a Reuters poll. Among activity components, exports rose 2.3% in the third quarter, supported by demand for semiconductors, machinery and electrical equipment. Facility investment jumped 4.1%, driven by spending on equipment including semiconductor manufacturing machinery. By contrast, private consumption fell 0.2%, its first decline in about four years. The figures show how growth sources diverged, with exports and productive investment supporting activity while one component of domestic demand contracted.
South Korean exports exceeded $800 billion in the period from January to September 2026, surpassing the annual record set the previous year, according to Reuters. The agency said exports were on track to exceed $1 trillion for the year. This economic backdrop underscores the importance of the semiconductor sector in assessing the performance of major South Korean companies, after Reuters linked chip demand to higher exports in the third quarter. But the decline in private consumption highlights that strength in activity did not extend across all parts of the economy. Markets also awaited meetings of the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan during the week, with economists expecting all three banks to leave interest rates unchanged. That anticipation came alongside technology company results, which could affect investors’ assessment of demand prospects for chips and artificial intelligence.
Anthropic filed an S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Oct. 26 and intends to list its shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker ANT, according to the regulatory filing. The filing puts the company on course for a potential public offering, but its final valuation, the amount it will raise and the offering price have yet to be determined, according to the Associated Press. The agency reported that the offering could begin the following month and that reports had indicated it could raise as much as $100 billion. That figure remains an estimate cited in reports carried by the agency, which said the amount raised, final valuation and offering price remain uncertain. The filing makes Anthropic part of the wider focus on artificial intelligence stocks, while details of the offering remain subject to what emerges later.
Financial statements attached to the registration filing showed Anthropic revenue of $16.286 billion in the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared with $1.163 billion in the corresponding period of 2025. Net loss was $80.748 billion, compared with $12.969 billion a year earlier. The company said in the filing that revenue grew 1,300% year over year, adding that it did not expect growth at similar rates to continue. At the same time, operating loss narrowed to $693 million in the first half of 2026, from $2.135 billion in the same period a year earlier. The filing recorded a loss of $72.388 billion related to changes in the fair value of convertible securities, derivative liabilities and SAFE agreements. The difference between operating loss and net loss highlights the substantial effect of the fair-value item on the period’s reported results.
Attention turns after the Kospi session to results from South Korea’s two chipmakers. SK hynix said it would announce third-quarter results before 9:00 a.m. Seoul time on Oct. 28, followed by an earnings conference at 9:00 a.m. Samsung Electronics is scheduled to hold its third-quarter earnings call on Oct. 29 at 10:00 a.m. Korea time. Samsung held its preliminary quarterly guidance announcement on Oct. 8. The dates fall in a week markets are also watching for technology company results and central bank meetings, while Anthropic’s final offering date, size and price remain undecided.