{"id":65324,"date":"2026-07-24T03:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T07:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T03:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T07:08:15","slug":"global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Digest: Volkswagen Slashes Outlook as South Korean Stocks Plunge"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/#Automotive_Sector_Under_Pressure\" >Automotive Sector Under Pressure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/#South_Korean_Market_Meltdown\" >South Korean Market Meltdown<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/#European_Inflation_and_Global_Trade\" >European Inflation and Global Trade<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/#Energy_and_Geopolitics\" >Energy and Geopolitics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-volkswagen-slashes-outlook-as-south-korean-stocks-plunge\/65324\/#Corporate_Earnings_Spotlight\" >Corporate Earnings Spotlight<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Volkswagen (<a href=\"\/stock\/VOW3\">VOW3<\/a>)<\/strong> has slashed its 2026 revenue outlook, now expecting a <strong>decline of up to 3%<\/strong> due to a collapse in China sales and intensifying competition.<\/li>\n<li>South Korea\u2019s <strong>KOSPI<\/strong> index plummeted <strong>5.72%<\/strong> on Friday, capping a brutal month where the index fell over <strong>23%<\/strong> amid a massive sell-off in semiconductor giants like <strong>Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/005930\">005930<\/a>)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Spain&#39;s <strong>Producer Price Index (PPI)<\/strong> for June showed a significant cooling of inflationary pressure, with the year-on-year rate dropping to <strong>7.0%<\/strong> from a previous <strong>10.5%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">Oil prices<\/a> eased<\/strong> slightly on Friday, with <strong>Brent crude<\/strong> falling to <strong>$99.68<\/strong> and <strong>WTI<\/strong> to <strong>$91.20<\/strong>, though both remain up significantly for the week following geopolitical escalations in the Red Sea.<\/li>\n<li>The UK government confirmed that latest <strong>U.S. tariff announcements<\/strong> regarding forced labor enforcement will have <strong>no negative impact<\/strong> on British businesses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Automotive_Sector_Under_Pressure\"><\/span>Automotive Sector Under Pressure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Volkswagen (<a href=\"\/stock\/VOW3\">VOW3<\/a>)<\/strong> issued a stark warning on Friday, revising its annual sales forecast downward as it struggles with a slump in its most critical market, <strong>China<\/strong>. The German automaker now expects 2026 revenues to fall by as much as <strong>3%<\/strong>, a sharp reversal from its previous guidance of 3% growth. CEO Oliver Blume is reportedly considering drastic cost-cutting measures, including up to <strong>100,000 job cuts<\/strong> and the closure of several German factories, as the company grapples with high energy costs and a &quot;negative mix&quot; of lower-margin vehicle sales.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"South_Korean_Market_Meltdown\"><\/span>South Korean Market Meltdown<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>KOSPI<\/strong> index suffered one of its worst sessions of the year, sliding <strong>5.72%<\/strong> to close sharply lower as global investors fled the semiconductor sector. <strong>Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/005930\">005930<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>SK Hynix (<a href=\"\/stock\/000660\">000660<\/a>)<\/strong> were at the center of the carnage, following concerns that the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom may be cooling. This latest rout has pushed the South Korean benchmark deep into a bear market, with approximately <strong>\u20a9250 trillion<\/strong> in market capitalization wiped out since the start of July.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"European_Inflation_and_Global_Trade\"><\/span>European Inflation and Global Trade<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a rare piece of positive economic data, <strong>Spain\u2019s June PPI<\/strong> figures indicated a rapid deceleration in wholesale price growth. The monthly rate remained flat at <strong>0.0%<\/strong>, while the annual rate cooled to <strong>7.0%<\/strong>, providing some relief to the European Central Bank&#39;s inflation-fighting efforts. Meanwhile, in the UK, officials reassured exporters that the <strong>Trump administration&#39;s<\/strong> new 10% tariffs on various trading partners would not apply to British goods, citing the UK&#39;s effective enforcement of forced labor prohibitions.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Energy_and_Geopolitics\"><\/span>Energy and Geopolitics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Crude oil prices<\/strong> retreated from recent highs on Friday but remained on track for double-digit weekly gains. <strong>Brent crude<\/strong> dipped below the $100 mark to <strong>$99.68<\/strong>, while <strong>WTI<\/strong> settled at <strong>$91.20<\/strong>. The market remains on edge following a <strong>Russian<\/strong> claim of an attack on a military cargo vessel in Mykolaiv and reports of a fatal shooting in the <strong>West Bank<\/strong>, both of which have heightened the geopolitical risk premium in energy markets.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Corporate_Earnings_Spotlight\"><\/span>Corporate Earnings Spotlight<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Samsung Heavy Industries (<a href=\"\/stock\/010140\">010140<\/a>)<\/strong> reported its Q1 2026 earnings, posting an operating profit of <strong>325.0B won<\/strong>, which fell short of the estimated <strong>378.09B won<\/strong>. Despite the miss, the shipbuilder saw a <strong>122% jump<\/strong> in operating profit compared to the previous year, driven by a higher volume of high-margin vessel deliveries. The company\u2019s revenue for the quarter reached <strong>3.23T won<\/strong>, reflecting the ongoing recovery and capacity tightening within the global shipbuilding industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Volkswagen (VOW3) has slashed its 2026 revenue outlook, now expecting a decline of up to 3% due to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"rank_math_schema_Article":[],"rank_math_focus_keyword":[],"rank_math_description":[],"financial_data_references":[],"stock_symbols_mentioned":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5012],"tags":[3764,4462,5137,5854,17641,17791,18369,20790],"class_list":["post-65324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","tag-ppi","tag-brent-crude","tag-kospi","tag-us-tariffs","tag-spain-ppi","tag-samsung-electronics-005930-stock-005930","tag-volkswagen-vow3-stock-vow3","tag-samsung-heavy-industries-010140-stock-010140"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}