Daily Briefing · 2026-09-27

The combined third-quarter operating profit of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is expected to reach 189 trillion won, and a record-breaking dividend in the range of 90 trillion to 110 trillion won is also under consideration. However, target share prices among brokerages diverge sharply, ranging from 630,000 won to 350,000 won, a 1.8-fold difference, reflecting split investment judgments. As China's HBM technology gap narrows to 2 years, Korea's semiconductor advantage is under threat, with warnings that the next 3 to 5 years represent a golden window. Solidigm, an SK Hynix grandchild company, is pursuing a U.S. listing at a valuation of up to 204 trillion won, but concerns have been raised about dilution of existing shareholder value due to duplicate listing. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield has become fixed in the 5% range, hitting its highest level in 22 years, prompting assessments that the era of low interest rates is ending. Seoul apartment prices have risen for 86 consecutive weeks, setting an all-time record for the longest streak, with a clear divergence emerging as the Gangnam area sees a spate of sharply lower-priced transactions while outlying areas rise due to the balloon effect. Jeonse prices have surged by more than 80 million won over two years, significantly increasing the burden on tenants. The KOSPI200 ETF recorded a return of 80.76 percent this year, emerging as the top investment vehicle, outperforming bank time deposits by 40 times as well as surpassing the rate of increase in gold, Bitcoin, and international oil prices. Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Hyung-il held his first economic affairs meeting since taking office, discussing electric vehicle industry policy and retirement pension system improvements as the first agenda items. The Korea-U.S. strategic investment project continues to see its official announcement delayed due to procedural delays on the U.S. side, while Korea and Mexico have strengthened economic cooperation by signing an investment guarantee agreement. Foreign investors made net purchases of $942.0 billion in U.S. stocks over the past 12 months, recording the largest capital inflow since 1985. Third-quarter earnings show deepening K-shaped polarization between export-oriented and domestic-demand stocks, with earnings outlooks for shipbuilding, energy, and power equipment being revised upward, while consumer, retail, and gaming stocks are being revised downward. Hanwha Aerospace issued an official apology and announced disciplinary measures following controversy over discriminatory hiring practices based on educational background and age. Lotte Construction suffered a loss of 200 billion won in a single month at its Busan site due to overlapping issues of uncollected construction costs and subrogated payments. Starting in October, prices for snacks, beverages, bus fares, and amusement park admission fees are set to rise successively, expected to increase the cost-of-living burden on ordinary citizens. At 11 out of 16 banks, refinancing loan rates were set higher than rates for new loans, creating a paradoxical situation where the interest savings effect is minimal. Political risk has flared up as President Lee Jae-myung and eight other military leaders, nine in total, were charged in connection with the DMZ explosion incident. HLB's cholangiocarcinoma treatment Rifictor gained approval from the U.S. FDA, and ahead of its fourth-quarter launch in the U.S. market, it is expected to bring a positive wave to the domestic bio industry.