KOSDAQ Surges 26% in January [3-Minute Brief]

Published 02 Feb.2026 07:58(KST)

Updated 02 Feb.2026 08:13(KST)

[At a Glance]
1. KOSDAQ posts biggest gain in 25 years
2. U.S. administration makes rare mention of weak won
3. Total industrial production up 0.5% year-on-year last year

MARKET INDEX : Year to date

KOSDAQ Surges 26% in January [3-Minute Brief]

○All three major indices on the New York Stock Exchange closed lower.
○Decline attributed to the nomination of the next Fed Chair.
○International gold and silver prices plunged, while the value of the US dollar rebounded.

Top3 NEWS

■ KOSDAQ surged 26% in January, its biggest monthly gain in 25 years

○The largest increase since the IT bubble in 2001
○Driven by expectations for revitalization policies and expanded investments from pension funds
○Concerns remain that artificial stimulus could hurt retail investors if the bubble bursts

■ US: "Recent won weakness does not reflect Korea's economic fundamentals" (Summary)

○US Treasury Department's 'January Currency Report'
○Unusual for the government report to mention the exchange rate
○Korea included on the monitoring list for the third consecutive time

■ "Semiconductors led, construction dragged"… Last year's industrial production up 0.5%, lowest in five years (Summary)

○December 2025 and annual industrial activity trends
○Recovery in manufacturing, centered on semiconductors, and services
○Construction output saw the largest decline since statistics began

Graphic News: [Venture Capital Reset]③Insurance, banks and other 'long-term capital' must be channeled into investments

○Shift needed from 'public/short-term → private/long-term investment'
○Consideration needed for fund-of-funds venture capital and long-term investment tax credits
○Incentives required for long-term capital inflow, such as easing RWA

the Chart: ABL Bio shares plunge as Sanofi reprioritizes pipeline

○Milestone visibility shaken
○Clinical trial difficulty for target indications highlighted again
○ABL Bio: "Development is not being discontinued"

Today's Key Schedule

○Domestic

09:30 Nikkei Korea Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (January)

○Overseas

16:00 Germany Retail Sales (MoM) (December)

17:55 Germany Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (January)

19:00 US OPEC Meeting

23:45 US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (January)

◇Lunchtime & Evening Commute Weather

○Lowest temperature: -5℃ (▲2℃) ｜Highest temperature: 1℃ (▲1℃)
○Precipitation probability: 0% in the morning｜80% in the afternoon
○Fine dust: Good in the morning｜Good in the afternoon

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