EN Home › Market Briefing · published Oct 20, 2026 morning (KST) · prices as of 2026-10-19 close한국어

US 10Y 5.15% higher: Oct 20 Korea market briefing

Yesterday the US 10-year Treasury yield rose 6.0bp to 5.150%. The KOSPI 200 gained 1.50% and the Nasdaq 100 rose 1.17%, while Germany's DAX fell 1.18%. Today, two things to check: whether rising yields and rebounding stocks keep moving together, and how Korean rates move ahead of the Bank of Korea's base rate decision this week.

Yesterday's closes

Indicator	Close	Change	%
USD/KRW10-16	1,336.5	-5.5	-0.41%
Dollar Index10-19	101.92	+0.14	+0.13%
USD/JPY10-19	158.42	+0.42	+0.27%
US 10Y Yield10-19	5.150%	+6.0bp	-
Korea 3Y Yield10-19	3.877%	+2.3bp	-
KOSPI 20010-19	891.30	+13.14	+1.50%
Nasdaq 10010-19	29,529.35	+341.80	+1.17%
Nikkei 22510-19	64,916.70	-407.59	-0.62%
Hang Seng10-16	24,186.83	+124.11	+0.52%
DAX10-19	25,319.77	-302.84	-1.18%
WTI Crude10-16	99.02	+2.52	+2.61%
Gold10-16	4,181.10	+11.00	+0.26%
Bitcoin10-20	81,982	-84	-0.10%

The date next to each indicator is the trading day of that close. Bitcoin is the spot price at publication (7am KST). Yield changes are in bp (0.01 pp).

FX & Rates

The US 10-year Treasury yield closed at 5.150%, up 6.0bp from 5.090% the previous day. That is above its 100-day average of 4.742%. The Korea 3-year yield also rose 2.3bp to 3.877%, slightly above its 100-day average of 3.849%. USD/KRW stood at 1,336.5 won per dollar as of the October 16 close, down 5.5 won (0.41%) from the previous day and 6.77% below its 100-day average of 1,433.6. The Dollar Index rose 0.13% to 101.92, and USD/JPY rose 0.27% to 158.42 yen per dollar.

Equities

The KOSPI 200 closed at 891.30, up 13.14 points (1.50%). It is still 21.86% below its 100-day average of 1,140.61, though, so much of the loss from October's sharp sell-off has not been recovered. The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.17% to 29,529.35, moving closer to its 100-day average of 29,616.72. Germany's DAX, by contrast, fell 1.18% to 25,319.77, and the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.62% to 64,916.70. The Hang Seng rose 0.52% to 24,186.83 as of the October 16 close.

Commodities & Crypto

WTI crude rose 2.52 dollars (2.61%) to 99.02 dollars per barrel as of the October 16 close, the biggest percentage move of any asset in the market table. That is 15.77% above its 100-day average of 85.53 dollars. Gold rose 0.26% on the same day to 4,181.10 dollars per ounce, 2.41% below its 100-day average of 4,284.44 dollars. Bitcoin was at 81,982 dollars as of 07:00 KST, down 0.10% from the previous day and barely changed.

News and Markets

Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi rebels intensified, raising concerns about a wider Middle East conflict and unstable oil prices. The WTI price in the market table is the October 16 close, from before this news broke, so the next prices will show how much of the fighting oil has priced in. In Korea, reports covered heavy foreign net selling and a surge in forced liquidations of retail margin positions during October's sharp KOSPI fall. The KOSPI 200 rebounded 1.50% yesterday, but it is still far below its 100-day average. The DAX fell 1.18% on a day when large anti-government protests in France drew attention to political instability in a core eurozone country, but the available information does not support calling the protests the direct cause of the decline. China's completion of its ultra-long special treasury bond issuance is cited as a variable for domestic stimulus and a recovery in Asian markets.

What to Watch Today

The Bank of Korea's base rate decision this week is seen as a variable for a rebound in Korean stocks, and it is an indicator to check alongside the Korea 3-year yield. China's third-quarter growth figures and US corporate earnings, both due the same week, are also variables to watch. With the US 10-year Treasury yield up at 5.150%, one thing to watch is whether the Nasdaq 100 keeps rebounding if yields climb further. News on the Saudi-Houthi fighting, and on the Iran war in connection with Israel's general election, should be checked together with WTI crude prices. USD/KRW and the Hang Seng last closed on October 16 and should be checked again once prices from a new trading day come in.

Yesterday's key world news

Saudi-Houthi fighting escalates as coalition suffers first deaths· Geopolitics
Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi rebels escalated sharply, and two officers died when a coalition helicopter crashed. The Houthis claimed they shot it down. Talk of Egypt sending troops has added to fears of a wider Middle East conflict and unstable oil prices.
French cost-of-living protests turn into worst violence in decades· Politics
Student protests in France have grown into nationwide anti-government demonstrations over the cost of living. At least 500,000 people took part, and about 2,400 were arrested on the 17th alone. With the presidential election six months away, political instability is rising in a core eurozone country.
KOSPI plunges about 20% in October, cutting National Pension Service holdings by 182 trillion won· Economy & Markets
The KOSPI has fallen about 20% in October, and foreign investors have made net sales of about 17.6 trillion won this month alone. Forced liquidations are surging, which makes this week's rate decision a variable for any rebound.
Trump openly backs Netanyahu's Likud ahead of Israeli election· Geopolitics
President Trump declared his support for the Likud party ahead of Israel's general election on the 27th. Netanyahu stressed that the two countries will keep working together to remove the Iranian threat. The election could directly affect the course of the Iran war, now in its eighth month.
China completes 1.3 trillion yuan ultra-long special treasury bond issuance· Economy & Markets
China has finished this year's planned issuance of ultra-long special treasury bonds, totaling 1.3 trillion yuan, the third straight year of such issuance. With China moving to boost domestic demand, the issuance is seen as a variable for a recovery in Asian markets.

Full country-by-country summaries for Oct 19, 2026 (Korean) →

US 10-year Treasury yieldUSD/KRW exchange rateKOSPI 200Nasdaq 100WTI crude oil priceKorea 3-year yieldDAXBank of Korea base rate

This briefing is an automated summary of public market data and news-broadcast summaries from several countries, for information only — not investment advice. Figures follow the table's source data; markets may have moved since publication.