Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) hits $1 trillion market cap; KOSPI closes at record 7,384 (+6.45%)

Samsung Joins the Trillion-Dollar Club — 13th Globally, 2nd Semiconductor Firm

Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) surged 14.41% to close at ₩264,000 on May 6, 2026, driving its market capitalization above $1 trillion (approximately ₩1,543 trillion). Samsung is the 13th company in history to cross this threshold and the second semiconductor firm after Taiwan's TSMC. The milestone leapfrogs Walmart and Berkshire Hathaway, moving Samsung to 11th place in the global market-cap rankings.

KOSPI Closes at All-Time Record: 7,384.56 (+6.45%)

The KOSPI index gained 447.57 points (+6.45%) to close at a record 7,384.56, touching an intraday peak of 7,426.60. SK Hynix (000660.KS) rose 10.64%, clearing ₩1.6 million per share, while SK Square (402340.KS) gained 9.89%. The KOSPI has now rallied more than 75% year-to-date, making South Korea's equity market one of the best performers globally in 2026.

Foreign Investors Post ₩3.53 Trillion Net Buy — a Historic Single-Day Inflow

Foreign investors recorded ₩3.53 trillion (approximately $2.5 billion) in net purchases in the KOSPI in a single session. Domestic institutions sold ₩2.21 trillion while retail investors took ₩919.7 billion in profits, but foreign demand comfortably absorbed both. Days with foreign net purchases exceeding ₩1 trillion are historically uncommon; ₩3.53 trillion in one session is exceptional by any measure.

Twin Catalysts: AI's Structural Memory Demand + Apple Foundry Talks

Two distinct catalysts appear to have converged. First, the global semiconductor investment community reassessed Samsung's memory business from a cyclical recovery play to a structural AI infrastructure story. Han Dong-hee of SK Securities stated that "long-term supply contracts are driving structural earnings improvement," pointing to Big Tech capex — Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon combined — growing 77% year-over-year in 2026 as the demand anchor. Second, reports that Samsung has entered foundry contract discussions with Apple added a fresh incremental catalyst.

Price Targets Raised Across the Board

Major Korean brokerages uniformly raised Samsung price targets on the day. The consensus average moved to ₩306,087 — implying roughly 50% further upside from Tuesday's close. SK Securities set the most aggressive target at ₩400,000. For SK Hynix, the analyst consensus average reached ₩1,735,455, with the highest target at ₩2.3 million.

What to Watch Next

The next key dates are Samsung's Q2 2026 preliminary earnings (expected July), the Bank of Korea Monetary Policy Board meeting on May 29, and any formal confirmation of an Apple foundry arrangement.

Not investment advice. Verify all figures with primary sources before acting.