The KOSPI market cap landscape has shifted markedly this year. While Samsung Group affiliates and semiconductor-related stocks surged on expectations of artificial intelligence (AI) gains, secondary battery, shipbuilding, and defense stocks that led the market last year lost steam and fell from the top ranks.
According to the Korea Exchange (KRX) on the 7th, as of the 5th of this month, the rankings of seven out of the top 10 KOSPI stocks by market cap (excluding preferred shares) changed from the end of last year. Only No. 1 Samsung Electronics, No. 2 SK hynix, and No. 10 KB Financial held their spots, while the other seven swapped positions in less than six months.
The biggest climber was Samsung Electro-Mechanics, up 589% this year. After sitting at No. 34 at the end of last year, it shot up to No. 5 this month, jumping 29 spots. Over the same period, its market cap swelled from the 19 trillion won range to the 131 trillion won range, about seven times larger. The spread of AI servers boosted both demand and prices for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC), a core component.
Samsung Group stocks have lined up inside the top 10. As Samsung Electronics shares spiked, the value of Samsung Life Insurance's equity drew attention. Samsung Life Insurance climbed 11 spots from No. 18 at the end of last year to No. 7. Its share price has jumped 162% from the start of the year. Samsung C&T also rose 92% this year, moving up five spots from No. 13 to No. 8.
SK Square, the largest shareholder of SK hynix, also climbed from No. 7 to No. 3, thanks to the increase in the value of its equity following SK hynix's share price surge.
Hyundai Motor rose one spot from No. 5 to No. 4 as Boston Dynamics' Humanoid Robot "Atlas" was unveiled at CES 2026 and the company was reassessed as a physical AI player. More recently, the visit to Korea by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spotlighted expectations for physical AI cooperation.
By contrast, secondary battery and shipbuilding stocks that had ranked high by market cap last year slid. LG Energy Solution, a secondary battery stock, fell from No. 3 at the end of last year to No. 6 this month. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the flagship shipbuilder, also dropped three spots from No. 6 to No. 9.
Samsung Biologics plunged from No. 4 last year to No. 13 this month, Hanwha Aerospace fell from No. 8 to No. 15, and Doosan Enerbility slipped from No. 9 to No. 14.