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Last year, shipbuilding, defense, and nuclear power stocks that garnered attention in the domestic stock market have been ousted from the KOSPI top 10 by market capitalization, making way for semiconductor-related companies. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Aerospace, and Doosan Enerbility have all dropped out of the top 10, while SK Square, which holds shares in SK Hynix, and Samsung Electro-Mechanics have newly entered at 4th and 5th places, respectively. This shift is attributed to the soaring value of semiconductor companies fueled by the AI investment boom.
According to data from the Korea Exchange, the lineup of the top 10 KOSPI companies has changed significantly compared to August 29 of last year. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix continue to hold the 1st and 2nd positions, while SK Square and Samsung Electro-Mechanics have climbed to 3rd and 4th places, respectively. These companies have pushed out defense and shipbuilding stocks to enter the upper ranks, with Samsung Electro-Mechanics being a major shareholder of Samsung Electronics and a manufacturer of semiconductor substrates.
On the other hand, LG Energy Solution has fallen from 3rd place last year to 6th this year, and Samsung Biologics has dropped from 4th to 8th. Among automotive stocks, Hyundai Motor has seen a significant increase in market cap, rising one spot to 7th, while Kia has fallen out of the top 10. Analysts suggest that the rally of large-cap stocks in sectors like defense and shipbuilding has shifted towards AI and semiconductors, indicating a growing reliance on semiconductors in the stock market.