Citi raises the target level of the South Korean Kospi index to 8500 points, benefiting from factors such as growth in the semiconductor industry.

Citigroup Group has raised its target for the South Korean Kospi index from 7000 points to 8500 points, reflecting the growth potential of the semiconductor industry, fiscal stimulus, and government measures to increase enterprise value. Analysts Peter Lee and others wrote in a report that GDP growth driven by strong growth in the semiconductor industry and improvements in the fundamentals of the South Korean manufacturing sector are expected to lead to a 177% year-on-year increase in net profit for the 2026 fiscal year. "We observed that South Korean memory chip suppliers will benefit from the trend towards customization and the extension of cycles through long-term chip agreements." Popular stocks include Samsung Electronics, Eugene Technology, AmorePacific, APR, Hyosung Heavy, and NCSoft. The Kospi index fell 0.9% to 7318.26 points on Thursday.