Seoul shares end higher despite recession woes

Seoul shares finished sharply higher on Thursday, despite concerns over a looming global recession. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 27.78 points, or 1.19 percent, to close at 2,356.73, ending its losing streak of the past five sessions. Trading volume was moderate at 415.98 million shares worth 5.96 trillion won ($4.67 billion), with gainers outstripping decliners 655 to 210. Foreigners and individuals sold a net 570 billion won wor

Dec. 22, 2022

Seoul shares open higher despite recession worries

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday, tracking Wall Street gains overnight, amid persistent worries about a global recession. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 9.51 points, or 0.41 percent, to 2,338.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks rallied overnight, boosted by strong earnings from some major companies and positive consumer confidence data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.6 percent, the S&P 500 rose 1.49 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite

Dec. 22, 2022

Seoul shares open higher amid global recession woes

Seoul shares opened higher Wednesday amid concerns over a global recession after the US Federal Reserve vowed to continue its monetary tightening to tame inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 6.35 points, or 0.27 percent, to 2,339.64 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Institutions and individuals bought a combined 53 billion won ($41 million) worth of stocks, exceeding foreign selling valued at 51 billion won. Fed officials last week indicated plans to raise the rate t

Dec. 21, 2022

Seoul shares down on recession woes, Japan's yield curve policy change

South Korean stocks ended lower Tuesday dragged down by investor concerns over a global recession and the Japanese central bank's yield curve policy change that heralds a possible monetary tightening. The Korean won sharply strengthened against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 18.88 points, or 0.80 percent, to close at 2,333.29, extending its losing streak to a fourth session. Trading volume was moderate at 353.63 million shares worth 5.2 trillion won ($4.

Dec. 20, 2022

Seoul shares open lower on fears of global recession

Seoul shares opened lower Tuesday, tracking falls on Wall Street, amid investor concerns over a global recession after the US Federal Reserve vowed to continue its monetary tightening to tame inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index declined 10.63 points, or 0.45 percent, to 2,341.54 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased 0.49 percent to 32,757.54, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite shed 1.49 percent to 10,546.03. Last week, t

Dec. 20, 2022

Seoul shares down for third day on global recession worries

Seoul shares ended lower to extend their falls for the third consecutive day Monday as investors remain concerned the US Federal Reserve's additional rate hikes could result in a global recession next year. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 7.85 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 2,352.17, extending its losing streak to a third session. The trading volume was moderate at 312.32 million shares worth 4.85 trillion won ($3.72 bill

Dec. 19, 2022

Seoul shares open lower on recession fears

South Korean shares opened lower Monday on growing fears of a global economic slowdown over the Federal Reserve's monetary tightening to tame inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 11.29 points, or 0.48 percent, to 2,348.73 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, US shares ended lower as weak data on the real economy and the Fed's rate hikes stoked fears of the global economy facing a hard landing. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.85 percent, and

Dec. 19, 2022

Retail investors' top 10 stocks log negative return rates

Korea's top 10 most popular stocks among retail investors, including tech titan Samsung Electronics and internet giants Naver and Kakao recorded negative return rates this year, as shares end lower on growing recession fears. The top 10 shares most bought by individual investors in Korea were Samsung Electronics, Naver, Kakao, preferred shares of Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Doosan Enerbility, Kakao Bank, EcoPro BM, LG Electronics and Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Korea Exchange data showed.

Dec. 18, 2022

Toss Securities joins hands with Hana Bank for 24-hour forex trading service

Hana Bank on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with Toss Securities, the brokerage arm of fintech company Viva Republica, to jointly provide around-the-clock service for foreign exchange trading. “Through continuous cooperation with various financial companies like Toss Securities, we will create a new trend in the foreign exchange market,” Hana Bank official Namgoong One said in a statement. According to Hana Bank on Friday, the bank will mainly provide exchange rate i

Dec. 16, 2022

Seoul shares end lower on growing recession fears

South Korean stocks finished slightly lower Friday as investors worried about a global economic slowdown amid the Federal Reserve's continued push for aggressive monetary tightening. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 0.95 point, or 0.04 percent, to close at 2,360.02, extending a losing streak to a second session. The trading volume was moderate at 404.6 million shares worth 7.03 trillion won ($4.31 billion), with decliners ou

Dec. 16, 2022

Seoul shares open lower on recession woes

South Korean shares opened sharply lower Friday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, as the US Federal Reserve's continued push for aggressive monetary tightening deepened concerns about a global economic recession. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 20.39 points, or 0.86 percent, to 2,340.58 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.25 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite sank 3.23 percent, as data showed that ret

Dec. 16, 2022

Seoul shares end lower on hawkish Fed tone

Seoul shares ended lower Thursday after the US Federal Reserve signaled its plans for additional interest rate hikes next year with the warning of an economic slowdown. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 38.28 points, or 1.60 percent, to close at 2,360.97. Trading volume was light at 366.15 million shares worth 6.03 trillion won ($4.6 billion), with decliners outstripping gainers 540 to 307. Institutions and foreigners sold a combined

Dec. 15, 2022

Seoul shares open lower on Fed's hawkish stance

Seoul shares opened lower Thursday tracking falls on Wall Street as the US Federal Reserve signaled that its rate hikes would continue next year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 11.58 points, or 0.48 percent, to 2,387.67 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4 percent to 33,966.35, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.8 percent to 11,170.89. The drops come after the Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark

Dec. 15, 2022

Seoul shares rise to 1-week high on eased US inflation woes

South Korean stocks finished over 1 percent higher Wednesday as a slowdown in US inflation boosted hope for the Federal Reserve's less aggressive monetary tightening. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.13 point, or 26.85 percent, to close at 2,399.25, ending a two-day winning streak. Trading volume was light at 402.37 million shares worth 5.59 trillion won ($4.31 billion), with gainers outstripping decliners 632 to 226. The

Dec. 14, 2022

Hana Financial taps CEO candidates

Hana Life Insurance CEO Lee Seung-lyul, 59, was named the final candidate to be considered as the new head of Hana Bank, in Hana Financial Group’s latest leadership reshuffle, which took place earlier than usual. Hana Financial Group said Wednesday it completed CEO nominations for its affiliates Hana Bank, Hana Securities and Hana Card through a recommendation committee meeting held the day before. It was the first CEO reshuffle to be made after the group's chairman Ham Young-joo to

Dec. 14, 2022

Shinsegae chairwoman's W28b mansion is most expensive in Korea: data

Shinsegae Group Chief Lee Myeong-hee’s Hannam-dong residence maintained its position as the most expensive house in Korea for eight consecutive years, government data showed Wednesday. The 2,862-square-meter mansion located in Yongsan, central Seoul, was valued at 28.03 billion won ($21.59 million) for 2023, as assessed by the Land Ministry, down 9.8 percent from this year. The 10 most expensive houses in Korea all saw a depreciation in value, but none moved in rank. The government reports

Dec. 14, 2022

Seoul shares open higher on eased woes over sharp rate hikes

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday on cooler-than-expected inflation data in the United States. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 20.06 points, or 0.85 percent, to 2,392.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US shares finished higher after the consumer price index for November rose 0.1 percent from the previous month and 7.1 percent on-year, while economists forecast a 0.3 percent on-month increase and a 7.3 percent on-year rise. The cooler-than-expected

Dec. 14, 2022

Firms with more foreign shareholders more transparent

Companies with higher involvement of foreigners and small investors are more likely to release more detailed corporate governance reports, demonstrating more transparency, the Korea Exchange said Tuesday. The Korea Exchange, the nation's sole bourse operator, released an analysis on the corporate governance reports of companies listed on the local stock market. As companies with assets between 1 trillion and 2 trillion won ($767 million to $1.53 billion) were required to release corporate

Dec. 13, 2022

Seoul shares end nearly flat ahead of Fed's rate-setting meeting

South Korean stocks finished almost unchanged Tuesday as investors remain cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve's interest rate-setting meeting and the release of key inflation data. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 0.62 point, or 0.03 percent, to close at 2,372.40. Trading volume was a bit light at 438.75 million shares worth 6.39 trillion won ($4.90 billion), with decliners outstripping gainers 436 to 416. The market op

Dec. 13, 2022

Despite hiccups, regulator keeps distance from crypto listing approval

The Financial Services Commission denied a report that it is considering enforcement power to control the listing of cryptocurrencies through mandating approval from the country's top financial regulator. A local news report claimed Monday that financial authorities, including the FSC and Korea Financial Intelligence Unit, are reviewing to hold the authority to approve crypto firms to float their coins. "The report claiming financial authorities are looking into whether to approve the

Dec. 13, 2022