South Korea & Morgan Stanley

South Korea: South Korea's KOSPI showed significantly high volatility, with 79 days of 1% or more fluctuations in the first half of 2026, making it less attractive for investors seeking stability.

Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley analysts, including Ridham Desai, noted that India has become a larger macro asset class with defensive growth characteristics.

South Korea: South Korea's KOSPI index showed strong performance, driven by AI stocks.

Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley models an implied global oil market surplus and its head of FX EM strategy, James Lord, commented on the dollar's strength.

South Korea: South Korea's semiconductor shares rallied sharply, with its major chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix seeing significant gains. JPMorgan Chase maintained an overweight stance on South Korea, describing it as its preferred market in the region.

Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley provided a forecast for global data center construction costs, indicating the massive investment expected in AI infrastructure.