KOSPI's recent rally uneven, focused on large-cap stocks: data

▲ The closing share prices of chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, and top carmaker Hyundai Motor are displayed on a screen in the lobby of Woori Bank in central Seoul on Jan. 19, 2026. (Yonhap)

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KOSPI's recent rally uneven, focused on large-cap stocks: data

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap) -- The recent rally in the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was largely uneven, with a few large-cap stocks dominating, data showed Tuesday.

The KOSPI Large Cap Index jumped 18.27 percent since Dec. 30, the last trading day of 2025, as of Monday, according to the data from the Korea Exchange (KRX), South Korea's main bourse operator.

The index, consisting of the top 100 companies in terms of market capitalization, outperformed the broader KOSPI, which rose 16.4 percent from 4,214.17 to 4,904.66 over the cited period.

In contrast, mid-cap and small-cap shares underperformed the broader market index.

The KOSPI Mid Cap Index and the KOSPI Small Cap Index only rose 5.91 percent and 0.87 percent, respectively, over the same period, the data showed.

The mid cap index consists of KOSPI-listed companies ranked 101st to 300th in terms of market cap, while the small cap index tracks companies placed below the 300th place.

As of Tuesday, a total of 813 companies are listed on the main KOSPI market, according to the KRX.

"The local stock market's bullish run is concentrated on certain large-cap shares, with the relative strength in large-cap stocks compared with smaller and mid-cap stocks expanding in the KOSPI," Shin Hyun-yong, an analyst at Yuanta Securities, said.

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