Seoul shares spike nearly 2% on bargain hunting; won sharply up

South Korean stocks soared almost 2 percent Thursday as investors bought bargains after four consecutive sessions of decline amid ongoing geopolitical risks in the Middle East and speculation about delays in US interest rate cuts. The Korean won rebounded sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 50.52 points, or 1.95 percent, to close at 2,634.7. Trade volume was moderate at 466 million shares worth 10.2 trillion won ($7.47 billion), with gainers far

April 18, 2024

Seoul shares open higher amid woes over rate cut delay

South Korean stocks started higher Thursday as investors hunted for bargains following a recent decline amid speculations over a potential delay in US interest rate cuts this year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 26.08 points, or 1.01 percent, to 2,610.26 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.12 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.15 percent. The Federal Reserve said in the Beige Book that the economy has expanded s

April 18, 2024

Seoul shares down for 4th day on geopolitical, rate policy woes

South Korean stocks dipped nearly 1 percent Wednesday to expand their losing streak to a fourth day as investors' concerns heightened on hawkish remarks by US Federal Reserve officials and escalating tension in the Middle East. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index plunged 25.45 points, or 0.98 percent, to close at 2,584.18. Trade volume was a little slim at 400.5 million shares worth 9.5 trillion won (US$6.8 billion), with decliners outp

April 17, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on bargain hunting

South Korean stocks started higher Wednesday as investors hunted for bargains following a sharp slide the previous day sparked by escalating tensions in the Middle East. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 8.58 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,618.21 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq edged down 0.1 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2 percent. US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said

April 17, 2024

Seoul shares sink over 2% on escalating tension in Middle East

South Korean stocks sank more than 2 percent Tuesday as Israel warned of a retaliation over Iran's drone and missile attack over the weekend. The Korean won also fell sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index plunged 60.8 points, or 2.28 percent, to close at 2,609.63. Trade volume was moderate at 557 million shares worth 11.9 trillion won ($8.48 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 771 to 124. Foreigners offloaded a net 272 billion won, while indiv

April 16, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply lower as Israel warns of retaliation

South Korean stocks started sharply lower Tuesday tracking overnight losses on Wall Street amid the escalating tension between Israel and Iran. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 36.34 points, or 1.36 percent, to 2,634.09 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.65 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.79 percent. Tensions continued to escalate in the Middle East after Israel warned of retaliation after Iran conducted a dr

April 16, 2024

Seoul shares close lower amid growing Middle East tension; won at 17-month low

South Korean stocks fell 0.42 percent Monday due to heightened geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East following Iran's recent drone and missile attacks on Israel. The Korean won fell sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index plunged 11.39 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 2,670.43, after falling as low as 2,641.16 at one point. Trade volume was moderate at 552 million shares worth 10.3 trillion won ($7.45 billion), with decliners outpacing gain

April 15, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply lower on Iran's attack against Israel

South Korean stocks started sharply lower Monday amid growing geopolitical instability in the Middle East sparked by Iran's missile and drone strikes against Israel. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 33.9 points, or 1.26 percent, to 2,647.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Iran conducted the attack Saturday in retaliation for Israel's airstrike on Iran's diplomatic complex in Syria earlier this month. Tech shares opened bearish, with Samsung Electronics f

April 15, 2024

Seoul shares open lower despite US gains

South Korean stocks started lower Friday despite overnight US gains as investors await the Bank of Korea's rate decision later in the day. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 16.61 points, or 0.61 percent, to 2,690.35 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.7 percent and the S&P 500 rose 0.7 percent on a tech rally, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was almost flat. Apple soared 4.3 percent, Nvidia surged 4.1 percent, and Amazon c

April 12, 2024

Seoul shares close almost flat despite higher US inflation; won sharply down

South Korean stocks ended almost flat Thursday thanks to gains in techs and autos despite higher-than-expected US inflation that dimmed hopes for the Federal Reserve's early rate cuts. The Korean won sharply fell to the lowest point in 17 months against the US dollar. After starting 1.45 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index pared earlier losses by rising 1.8 points, or 0.07 percent, to close at 2,706.96. Trade volume was moderate at 522.4 million shares worth 12.5

April 11, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply lower on higher US inflation

South Korean stocks started sharply lower Thursday as higher-than-expected US inflation data poured cold water on investors' hopes for early rate cuts. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index plunged 39.34 points, or 1.45 percent, to 2,665.82 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US indexes lost ground as the release of a key measure of inflation dashed investors' hopes that the Federal Reserve may start cutting its rates soon. The US' consumer price index f

April 11, 2024

Seoul shares close lower ahead of parliamentary elections, US inflation data

South Korean stocks ended lower Tuesday as investors grew more cautious ahead of parliamentary elections and the release of key US inflation data later this week. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. After starting higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 12.49 points, or 0.46 percent, to close at 2,705.16. Trade volume was moderate at 458.4 million shares worth 9.48 trillion won ($6.99 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 489 to 370. Institutions bought stocks wo

April 9, 2024

Seoul shares open higher ahead of parliamentary elections, US inflation data

South Korean stocks started higher Tuesday ahead of parliamentary elections and the release of key US inflation data later this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 18.76 points, or 0.69 percent, to 2,736.41 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US indexes were almost flat as investors awaited the March consumer price index report, a key measure of inflation, to be released later this week. Investors' eyes are also on the results of South Korea's

April 9, 2024

Foreigners' stock investment hits record high in Q1

Foreign investors sustained a five-month buying streak in the South Korean stock market, resulting in an unprecedented quarterly volume. The Financial Supervisory Service disclosed Monday that foreign investors amassed a total of 15.8 trillion won ($11.67 billion) worth of local shares in the first quarter of this year, marking the highest recorded amount since the agency started compiling data in 1998. In March, approximately 5.1 trillion won streamed into the domestic stock market from oversea

April 8, 2024

Seoul shares end tad higher on auto, battery stocks

South Korean stocks ended slightly higher Monday on the back of autos and batteries following stronger-than-expected US jobs data. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 3.44 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,717.65. Trade volume was moderate at 611.2 million shares worth 10.36 trillion won ($7.6 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 590 to 277. Foreigners bought 207.6 billion won worth of local shares, while retail investors and instit

April 8, 2024

Seoul shares open lower despite US gains

South Korean stocks opened lower Monday despite Wall Street gains backed by stronger-than-expected US jobs data. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 6.29 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,707.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, data showed that the US posted the biggest job growth in almost a year in March, indicating a strong economy. Even though the strong labor market may mean interest rates may stay elevated for longer, Wall Street closed higher on the belief th

April 8, 2024

[Graphic News] Most Chinese e-commerce platform users in S. Korea dissatisfied: poll

Most South Korean users of recently burgeoning Chinese e-commerce platforms were dissatisfied with various aspects of their services despite their competitive pricing, a poll showed. In the poll conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently on 800 consumers with experience using either AliExpress, Temu or Shein in the past year, 80.9 percent said they have experienced dissatisfaction with the services. Delayed delivery was cited as the biggest reason for dissatisfaction, at

April 8, 2024

Seoul shares dip 1% on dashed rate-cut hopes

Seoul shares dipped 1 percent Friday as investors were disappointed with hawkish comments by Federal Reserve officials ahead of US jobs data. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 27.79 points, or 1.01 percent, to close at 2,714.21. The main index has fallen 1.2 percent this week. Trade volume was moderate at 615.09 million shares worth 11.16 trillion won ($8.2 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 633 to 244. Institutions and foreig

April 5, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on dashed hopes for early rate cut

Seoul shares opened lower Friday as investors were disappointed with hawkish comments by Federal Reserve officials. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 23.64 points, or 0.86 percent, to 2,718.36 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.35 percent to 38,596.98 points and the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.4 percent to 16,049.08. Fed officials said the US central bank needs time to be confident on inflation before starting to cut rates a

April 5, 2024

Seoul shares rebound on tech gains, revived rate-cut hopes

Seoul shares rebounded sharply Thursday from the previous session's dip on tech, auto gains and revived optimism for the US Federal Reserve to cut rates this year. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 35.03 points, or 1.29 percent, to close at 2,742.00. Trade volume was moderate at 468.06 million shares worth 11.64 trillion won ($8.6 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 465 to 416. Foreigners bought a net 588 billion won worth

April 4, 2024