Samsung down despite strong beat
Samsung's blockbuster earnings should have reassured investors. Instead, they triggered a 9% selloff that dragged the Kospi sharply lower and reignited concerns that expectations across the AI semiconductor space have become impossible to satisfy. A 19-fold jump in quarterly profit and an earnings beat were simply not enough once the market's whisper numbers had moved even higher.
At the same time, oil markets are facing two opposing forces. Fresh attacks in the Strait of Hormuz are reviving geopolitical risk, while Saudi Arabia's deep price cuts for Asian buyers and abundant crude supply continue to weigh on prices. Which story wins...