KOSPI loses 81 points as Goldman cuts target after selloff

The KOSPI lost 81 points, or 1.5 percent, to close at 5,469 points on October 26. Foreign investors sold KRW 697.2 billion of shares, while investors awaited chip earnings and the Federal Reserve's decision.

LG Display rose 2.4 percent, the strongest named gainer in the session. After the close, Goldman Sachs cut its 12-month KOSPI target to 9,000 from 12,000, citing higher volatility and slower earnings momentum.

Why did the KOSPI fall 1.5 percent?

The index opened at 5,499 points, down 0.9 percent, and briefly recovered before losses widened near the close, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Foreign selling outweighed purchases by institutions and individuals. The KOSPI also tracked losses on Wall Street as investors waited for third-quarter results from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, Yonhap News Agency said.

Goldman Sachs lowered its target by 25 percent but retained a positive view of Korean equities. The revised target still implies more than 60 percent upside from current levels, CNBC reported.

LG Display leads the KOSPI gainers

Winners and losers at the October 26 close came from the same market phase, with values reported by Korea JoongAng Daily:

• LG Display up 2.4 percent.
• Jeju Air up 1.0 percent.
• Hanwha Aerospace down 4.0 percent.
• Hyundai Motor down 2.5 percent.
• Samsung Electronics down 1.2 percent.

Decliners outnumbered advancers 790 to 101. Trading value reached KRW 12.01 trillion, while Samsung Electronics fell 1.2 percent and Hanwha Aerospace dropped 4.0 percent, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Goldman cuts its KOSPI target to 9,000

The Goldman Sachs revision added a post-close valuation signal to a session already shaped by foreign selling. Seoul Economic Daily said the bank cited more conservative valuation assumptions after the index lost more than 35 percent from its June peak, Seoul Economic Daily reported.

What comes next for the KOSPI

• October 28, 2026, 9:00 a.m. KST: SK hynix announces third-quarter earnings and holds its conference call, SK hynix says.
• October 29, 2026, 10:00 a.m. KST: Samsung Electronics holds its third-quarter earnings conference call, ZDNet reports.
• October 28, 2026, 2:00 p.m. ET: The Federal Open Market Committee announces its rate decision, with a press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET, Schwab Network says.

KOSPI price data for October 26, 2026

The KOSPI closed at 5,469 points on October 26, down 81 points or 1.5 percent from the previous close of 5,550 points, Yonhap News Agency reported. It opened at 5,499 points after closing at 5,550 points on October 23.

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