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Samsung SDI Stock Overview: Current Price, Volume, and USD/KRW Context
Samsung SDI surged over 38% in just five sessions — its largest rally since 2020. With short selling restrictions lifted and foreign investors piling in, here is the data-driven breakdown every investor needs right now.
As of April 21, 2026, Samsung SDI (006400.KS) is trading at approximately KRW 412,500, representing a dramatic recovery from its 52-week low. The USD/KRW exchange rate sits at 1,471.78, which means global investors converting dollar positions into Korean equities face a meaningful currency headwind. Personally, I think this exchange rate dynamic is underappreciated by most retail participants. The KOSPI index closed at 6,351.56, down a modest 0.07%, while the broader U.S. indices — the Dow at 49,446.78, S&P 500 at 7,110.38, and NASDAQ at 24,408.00 — all posted marginal gains.
KRX:005930 · Full price history since listing · All-Time High marked
KRX:005930 · MA20 · MA60 · MA200 · RSI(14) · MACD signal
Global indices · 30-day return · KOSPI highlighted
| Metric | KRW | USD (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Price | 412,500 | $280.30 |
| 52-Week High | 438,000 | $297.60 |
| 52-Week Low | 248,500 | $168.85 |
| Market Cap | KRW 28.4T | $19.3B |
| Avg Daily Volume (Recent) | 3.82M shares | — |
| 90-Day Avg Volume | 1.45M shares | — |
Notice the volume disparity. Recent daily trading volume is roughly 2.6 times the 90-day average, signaling extraordinary institutional and retail interest. The USD/KRW rate has fluctuated within a 52-week range of approximately 1,320 to 1,498, and its current level near 1,471.78 means dollar-denominated returns for foreign investors are somewhat compressed even as KRW-denominated gains look spectacular.
Anatomy of the Record Rally: Session-by-Session Percentage Gains
What exactly happened during Samsung SDI's historic surge? Let me walk through the data session by session. The rally began on April 14, 2026 and accelerated through April 18, producing five consecutive days of gains that collectively represent the stock's strongest weekly performance in over six years.
| Date | Open (KRW) | Close (KRW) | % Change | Intraday High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14 | 298,000 | 318,500 | +6.88% | 321,000 |
| Apr 15 | 322,000 | 345,000 | +8.32% | 349,500 |
| Apr 16 | 348,000 | 372,500 | +7.97% | 378,000 |
| Apr 17 | 375,000 | 398,000 | +6.84% | 402,000 |
| Apr 18 | 400,000 | 412,000 | +3.52% | 438,000 |
Compared to Samsung SDI's top ten single-day gains since its IPO, the April 15 session ranks third all-time. The cumulative five-day gain of approximately 38.3% surpasses the March 2020 pandemic rebound rally of 29% and the January 2021 EV-euphoria spike of 31%. Against sector benchmarks, Samsung SDI outperformed the KOSPI by over 37 percentage points during this window. Foreign investors were net buyers of approximately KRW 1.2 trillion ($815 million) across these five sessions, their largest concentrated buying streak in the stock since Q4 2020.
Short Selling Data: Outstanding Short Interest and Ban Timeline
Honestly, you cannot discuss this rally without examining the short selling dimension. Korea's regulatory approach to short selling has been anything but simple. The short selling landscape in Korean equities has undergone dramatic shifts over the past three years.
Korea Short Selling Ban Timeline
- June 2023: Partial ban on short selling for selected mid-cap and small-cap stocks reinstated amid market volatility.
- November 2023: Full ban extended to all KOSPI and KOSDAQ listed equities, following political pressure.
- March 2025: Full lift of the short selling ban with new disclosure and reporting requirements implemented.
- April 2025 onward: Institutional short positions gradually rebuild under the new regulatory framework.
| Month | Short Interest Ratio (%) | Short Interest (Shares) |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | 1.2% | 825,000 |
| Jun 2025 | 2.8% | 1,930,000 |
| Sep 2025 | 4.1% | 2,825,000 |
| Dec 2025 | 5.6% | 3,860,000 |
| Mar 2026 | 6.3% | 4,340,000 |
| Apr 2026 (pre-rally) | 6.8% | 4,685,000 |
On the key rally days, short volume as a percentage of total volume spiked dramatically. On April 15, short covering accounted for an estimated 22% of total volume — a clear indicator of a squeeze dynamic. Institutional shorts held roughly 78% of total short positions (approximately KRW 1.45 trillion or $985 million), while retail shorts comprised the remaining 22%. The rapid unwinding of these positions amplified upward price momentum in a feedback loop that is textbook short squeeze mechanics.
Fundamental Catalysts: Revenue, EV Battery Orders, and Macro Indicators
Was this purely a technical squeeze, or did fundamentals justify the move? In my assessment, it was both. Samsung SDI's recent financial performance has improved materially, and several macro catalysts aligned simultaneously.
| Quarter | Revenue (KRW T) | Revenue (USD B) | Operating Profit (KRW B) | Op. Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2024 | 5.1 | 3.47 | 185 | 3.6% |
| Q2 2024 | 5.4 | 3.67 | 210 | 3.9% |
| Q3 2024 | 5.8 | 3.94 | 295 | 5.1% |
| Q4 2024 | 6.2 | 4.21 | 380 | 6.1% |
| Q1 2025 | 6.7 | 4.55 | 455 | 6.8% |
The EV battery order backlog reached an estimated $48 billion by early 2026, with confirmed contracts from major European and American OEMs including BMW, Stellantis, and Rivian. The Bank of Korea base rate stood at 2.75%, Korean CPI moderated to 2.1% year-over-year,
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