In an interview with Bloomberg TV on June 8, Timothy Moe, Goldman Sachs' Asia-Pacific equity strategist, stated, "In the long run, this decline will be seen as a technical adjustment within a long-term bull market." He explained that a technical adjustment refers to a decline in stock prices due to short-term selling or the resolution of overheating, rather than a deterioration in corporate performance. He added, "It is a frightening adjustment, but the underlying strength remains very robust."
On the same day, the KOSPI index fell by as much as 8.8% during trading. This sharp drop triggered a circuit breaker, temporarily halting stock trading, and contributed to a broader decline in technology stocks across Asia. Recently, the South Korean market had shown strong gains, fueled by optimism about AI, particularly in the semiconductor and technology sectors.
Moe identified leveraged investment as a key factor in the market's decline, noting, "There were clear signs of increased speculative trading, particularly among individual investors in South Korea." He mentioned that funds had shifted into leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stating, "The process of unwinding accumulated investment volumes is occurring, and leverage has amplified this effect."
Goldman Sachs had raised its outlook for the South Korean and Taiwanese markets last week, asserting that the AI boom would boost profits for companies heavily weighted in technology. Moe remarked, "The current price levels of South Korean stocks are very reasonable," predicting that corporate profit growth will continue to drive stock market gains.
He concluded, "After the market experiences this turbulence, it will regain its footing and move toward higher peaks."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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