TLDR
- Samsung Electronics rallied 8.22% on Friday, bouncing back dramatically from Thursday’s 9.1% decline
- KOSPI index executed a dramatic V-shaped turnaround, gaining 5.76% to close at 8,088.34 after hitting lows near 7,300
- News emerged that Anthropic is discussing custom AI chip development with Samsung, sparking renewed investor interest
- SK Hynix jumped 10.88% Friday, recovering from its previous session’s devastating 14.6% plunge
- Despite volatility, KOSPI leads global markets in 2026 with approximately 92% gains year-to-date
Samsung Electronics shares experienced a powerful Friday rebound, surging 8.22% higher following Thursday’s brutal 9.1% selloff. This dramatic recovery mirrored the broader performance of South Korea’s KOSPI index, which had activated circuit breakers during Thursday’s intense market decline.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SMSD.L
The KOSPI initially tumbled to 7,300 during Friday’s early trading hours before executing an impressive V-shaped reversal, ultimately finishing the session 5.76% higher at 8,088.34. Thursday’s trading had witnessed the index plummeting 7.89% — marking one of 2026’s most severe single-session declines.
Emerging reports indicated that artificial intelligence company Anthropic has entered discussions with Samsung regarding the creation of specialized AI processing hardware. This development provided investors with compelling rationale to reinitiate buying activity, catalyzing the recovery in both Samsung and fellow chipmaker SK Hynix.
SK Hynix experienced its own remarkable turnaround, surging 10.88% Friday after suffering a punishing 14.6% drop during the previous session. As the KOSPI’s two largest components, these semiconductor giants significantly influence overall index movement.
Thursday’s market turmoil received additional amplification from liquidation pressure in heavily leveraged single-stock exchange-traded funds. South Korea’s financial regulatory authorities specifically highlighted concerns regarding this particular market dynamic.
Anthropic Partnership News Accelerates Recovery
Friday’s market rebound extended beyond mere technical correction territory. The revelation of potential Anthropic-Samsung custom hardware collaboration provided genuine fundamental support alongside opportunistic value buying and short position covering following Thursday’s extreme fear-driven selling.
Samsung’s stock continues trading significantly beneath its 52-week peak of 374,500 won, suggesting potential upside if the artificial intelligence memory narrative maintains momentum.
The KOSPI’s extraordinary 2026 performance has been predominantly driven by the AI memory sector boom. The index has delivered approximately 92% returns year-to-date — substantially outpacing every other major global benchmark. For perspective, the S&P 500 has gained merely 9.3% during the same timeframe.
AI Memory Boom Extends Beyond Korea
The artificial intelligence memory investment theme transcends Seoul’s borders. American competitor Micron concluded Thursday’s abbreviated holiday week down 5.5% at $975.56, swept up in the broader semiconductor sector selloff that pressured Nasdaq, which finished 0.8% lower.
Micron maintains impressive year-to-date gains of 166.4%, underscoring the extraordinary momentum characterizing the memory sector throughout 2026.
South Korea’s robust Friday recovery signals potential positive momentum for Micron when American markets resume trading Monday following the Independence Day holiday.
Friday’s dramatic movements in Samsung and SK Hynix reflected a confluence of factors including technical short covering, value-oriented purchasing, and short-duration capital aggressively pursuing the rebound opportunity.
Samsung’s shares concluded Friday’s session 8.22% higher, while SK Hynix finished up 10.88% for the day.
