{"id":62348,"date":"2026-05-25T20:38:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T00:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-kospi-hits-historic-8000-milestone-amid-us-iran-tensions-and-xiaomi-bearishness\/62348\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T20:38:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T00:38:24","slug":"global-markets-kospi-hits-historic-8000-milestone-amid-us-iran-tensions-and-xiaomi-bearishness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-kospi-hits-historic-8000-milestone-amid-us-iran-tensions-and-xiaomi-bearishness\/62348\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets: KOSPI Hits Historic 8,000 Milestone Amid US-Iran Tensions and Xiaomi Bearishness"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted &quot;self-defense&quot; strikes<\/strong> against Iranian missile sites and mine-laying vessels near <strong>Bandar Abbas<\/strong>, complicating ongoing peace negotiations in <strong>Doha<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Korea\u2019s KOSPI (<a href=\"\/stock\/KOSPI\">KOSPI<\/a>) surged 2.8% to a record high of 8,065.37<\/strong>, marking a historic <strong>77% year-to-date gain<\/strong> fueled by an unprecedented AI semiconductor supercycle.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bearish bets on Xiaomi (<a href=\"\/stock\/XIACF\">XIACF<\/a>) reached an all-time high<\/strong> ahead of Q1 earnings as the company faces a &quot;10,000-yuan era&quot; for smartphones due to <strong>surging memory costs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brent crude futures climbed to $97.62 per barrel<\/strong>, gaining <strong>$1.50<\/strong> as traders weigh the risk of a <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> blockade against optimistic diplomatic rhetoric from the White House.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>U.S. Conducts Strikes in Southern Iran Amid Fragile Ceasefire<\/h2>\n<p><strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong> confirmed that American forces carried out defensive strikes targeting missile launch sites and Iranian vessels attempting to deploy mines in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. The strikes, centered near the strategic port of <strong>Bandar Abbas<\/strong>, concluded &quot;for now&quot; according to military officials, who emphasized that the U.S. will continue to exercise restraint during the current ceasefire. <em>While President Trump touted that negotiations are &quot;proceeding nicely,&quot; the military action highlights the extreme fragility of the diplomatic efforts to reopen global shipping lanes.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In a related development, <strong>Qatar<\/strong> issued a stern denial regarding reports that it offered <strong>$12 billion<\/strong> to <strong>Iran<\/strong> to secure a peace agreement, calling the claims &quot;baseless.&quot; <em>The geopolitical uncertainty immediately impacted energy markets, sending <strong>Brent crude<\/strong> up to <strong>$97.62<\/strong> as participants digest the &quot;self-defence&quot; strikes.<\/em> Despite the local explosions, Iranian state media reported that the situation in <strong>Bandar Abbas<\/strong> remains under control and urged residents not to panic.<\/p>\n<h2>KOSPI Breaches 8,000 Mark as AI Boom Accelerates<\/h2>\n<p>The South Korean <strong>KOSPI (<a href=\"\/stock\/KOSPI\">KOSPI<\/a>)<\/strong> made history in early trade on Tuesday, surging <strong>2.8%<\/strong> to reach a peak of <strong>8,065.37<\/strong>. This rally has been almost entirely driven by the dominance of semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/SSNLF\">SSNLF<\/a>) and SK Hynix (<a href=\"\/stock\/HXSCL\">HXSCL<\/a>), which together accounted for nearly <strong>43%<\/strong> of the market&#39;s total daily transaction value. <em>Analysts suggest that South Korea has become the world&#39;s eighth-largest stock market, with a total market capitalization nearing <strong>$4.28 trillion<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The broader Asia-Pacific region saw mixed results following the <strong>Memorial Day<\/strong> closure in the United States. While the <strong>KOSPI<\/strong> soared, the <strong>Nikkei 225<\/strong> and <strong>ASX 200<\/strong> both slipped <strong>0.4%<\/strong> as investors remained cautious regarding the escalation in the Middle East. <em>Market participants are increasingly focused on whether the AI-driven earnings explosion can sustain these record valuations amidst rising regional macro risks.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Xiaomi Faces Record Bearish Sentiment and Cost Pressures<\/h2>\n<p>Traders have pushed bearish bets on Xiaomi (<a href=\"\/stock\/XIACF\">XIACF<\/a>) to record levels ahead of its first-quarter earnings report. The negative sentiment stems from a &quot;beyond imagination&quot; surge in <strong>memory chip costs<\/strong> and an escalating price war in China\u2019s <strong>Electric Vehicle (EV)<\/strong> market. <em>Xiaomi President Lu Weibing recently warned that flagship smartphone prices could breach the <strong>10,000 yuan ($1,469)<\/strong> threshold due to these persistent supply chain headwinds.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The company is also struggling to maintain its market share in China, having recently fallen out of the <strong>top five smartphone shippers<\/strong> in the first quarter. While Xiaomi (<a href=\"\/stock\/XIACF\">XIACF<\/a>) continues to expand its EV footprint with the upcoming launch of the <strong>YU7 GT<\/strong>, investors are concerned about a potential profitability squeeze. <em>The stock has retreated significantly from its 2025 highs, reflecting deep-seated worries over component shortages and domestic rivalry.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>HSBC Targets Aggressive Growth in Hong Kong<\/h2>\n<p>In the banking sector, <strong>HSBC Hong Kong<\/strong> (<a href=\"\/stock\/HSBC\">HSBC<\/a>) has set an ambitious target to grow its customer base to <strong>7.5 million<\/strong>, matching the city\u2019s entire population. CEO <strong>Maggie Ng<\/strong> stated that the bank is focusing on international investors who view Hong Kong as a &quot;safe harbor&quot; for wealth management amid global geopolitical volatility. <em>The bank has already added nearly <strong>2 million<\/strong> new customers over the past two years, positioning itself to capture the growing demand for offshore financial services from mainland China and beyond.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted &quot;self-defense&quot; strikes against Iranian missile sites and mine-laying vessels near Bandar Abbas, complicating 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