Shinhan BNP Paribas draws W52b commitment to finance wind turbines

South Korea’s asset management company Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management said Thursday it has snapped up a combined 52 billion-won ($46 million) commitment to a new private fund to finance a wind turbine project in South Jeolla Province. The new fund, dubbed SH BNPP Green New Deal Fund No. 1, will target 17.325-megawatt wind turbines in Wando County, South Jeolla Province. Shinhan BNP Paribas said it managed to reduce the price volatility by entering into a 20-year supply contract wit

Nov. 5, 2020

Seoul stocks open sharply higher despite US election limbo

The South Korean benchmark stock index opened sharply higher Thursday despite the US presidential election being in limbo, taking a cue from the overnight Wall Street rally. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 31.13 points, or 1.32 percent, to 2,388.45 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks traded bullish after a 0.6 percent hike the previous session, as investors rush for giant tech and bio stocks as US election uncertainties continue.  Investor sentiment

Nov. 5, 2020

[KH Finance Forum] S. Korea to level playing field for financial companies, tech rivals

  South Korea is slated to unveil policy packages to promote fair competition between traditional financial giants and emerging tech players as the pandemic accelerates the digital transformation in the local finance industry, a senior official said Wednesday. Responding to the rise of tech giants in the sector, the Financial Services Commission will construct a legal framework to supervise those firms’ presence in the finance market and ease regulatory imbalances between convention

Nov. 4, 2020

Seoul shares close higher amid US election vote count

South Korean shares closed higher Wednesday as investors kept a watchful eye on the ongoing vote count of the US presidential election. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 14.01 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 2,357.32. Trading volume was high at about 972.9 million shares worth some 14.7 trillion won ($12.9 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 441 to 377. Foreigners offloaded a net 218.3 billion won of local stocks

Nov. 4, 2020

Seoul shares open higher ahead of US election result

South Korean shares opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street as investors awaited the results of the US presidential election. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 20.98 points, or 0.9 percent, to 2,364.29 in the first 15 minutes of trading.   The local market followed gains on Wall Street as preelection polls favored Democratic nominee Joe Biden over President Donald Trump, raising investor hopes for reduced uncertainties surrounding

Nov. 4, 2020

Korean office workers warm to stock investment: survey

The proportion of South Korean office workers taking a keen interest in stock investment has surged in recent months as retail investors began a buying boom, betting on gains from market volatility, a survey showed Tuesday. According to job portals Job Korea and Albamon, half of the 593 wage-earning respondents said they invested in stocks. The figure was 22.8 percentage points higher than two years ago, when the same survey was conducted.　 The survey also showed that 76.7 percent were investi

Nov. 3, 2020

Seoul stocks rally amid US presidential election uncertainty

South Korean stocks rallied Tuesday on hopes the shares will advance after an apparently imminent US presidential election result. The local currency closed at 1,134.1 won against the US dollar, down 0.5 won from the previous session’s close. The nation’s benchmark Kospi closed at 2,343.31, up 43.15 points, or 1.88 percent, from the previous session. The index prolonged its uptrend since marking 2,315.81 earlier in the day. Foreign and institutional investors scooped up 208.1 bill

Nov. 3, 2020

Woori Financial to hold digital training for employees

Woori Financial Group said Tuesday it would implement an employee training program starting this month, to enhance its digital capabilities. For the program, the group will publish storyboards online about how to create digital financial services, make a good use of e-marketing methods and study consumer trends, officials said.  Employees from digital finance units across the banking group’s affiliates -- Woori Bank, Woori Card, Woori Finance Research Institute and Woori FIS, a fina

Nov. 3, 2020

SC Bank launches online sales channel to support social ventures

Standard Chartered Bank Korea said Tuesday it had launched an online sales channel on Naver, South Korea’s biggest search portal, to support social ventures operated by young entrepreneurs.  The lender has partnered with Naver’s donation platform, called “Happybean,” and opened up an online market there, which will be run until Nov. 30.  As of Tuesday, six social enterprises were selling a wide variety of products ranging from food to clothing, while introdu

Nov. 3, 2020

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street ahead of the US presidential election. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 25.83 points, or 1.12 percent, to 2,325.99 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The index rose after a 1.46 percent rally the previous session, hoping that the stocks will advance after the US election on Wednesday (Washington time). The upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting also boosted investor

Nov. 3, 2020

KRX chief likely to lead insurance association

Korea Exchange Chairman Jung Ji-won has been recommended as the sole candidate to take the helm at the General Insurance Association of Korea, an organization that represents domestic general insurance firms, according to news reports Monday. After reviewing four candidates, who also included Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance CEO Kang Young-gu and former Financial Supervisory Commission Vice Chairman Yoo Kwan-woo, an eight-member committee under the insurance association chose Jung. The com

Nov. 2, 2020

Seoul jeonse price surges despite tenant protection measures: data

The average price for “jeonse,” one of the most common housing lease systems in Seoul, steeply increased, running counter to the government’s efforts to cool the heated real estate market and protect tenants. The average price of jeonse in the capital city rose by 7.5 percent from 510 million won ($449,000) in August to 536.7 million in October, according to KB Kookmin Bank’s real estate services platform Liiv On. Jeonse refers to a minimum two-year least contract wit

Nov. 2, 2020

Korea Herald‘s 1st finance forum to discuss digital innovation in post-coronavirus era

COVID-19 has rattled the economies around the world and Korea is no exception.　 In light of the prolonged crisis, however, South Korea, an IT powerhouse, is seeking a paradigm shift in its finance sector. To gauge the impact of the virus on the financial and investment sectors and to discuss how to rejuvenate the coronavirus-hit economy with innovative ideas and technology, The Korea Herald, South Korea’s largest English newspaper, holds its first finance forum on Wednesday in Seoul. Un

Nov. 2, 2020

Seoul stocks rally ahead of US election, FOMC meeting

Seoul stocks rallied Monday ahead of the upcoming US presidential election and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 33.01 points, or 1.46 percent, to close at 2,300.16. Trading volume was moderate at about 665 million shares worth around 8.4 trillion won ($7.4 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 683 to 165. Foreigners bought a net 49 billion won, and institutions purchas

Nov. 2, 2020

Samsung family in line to inherit W17tr of stocks

Members of the bereaved Samsung ownership family are expected to see major net worth boosts, as the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee left behind massive amounts of stocks they -- including heir apparent Lee Jae-yong -- stand to inherit, data showed Monday. Late Chairman Lee’s personal fortune in the form of stocks -- subject to a handover to the families -- was worth a combined 17.7 trillion won ($15.6 billion) as of Thursday’s market closing, according to data from financial market infor

Nov. 2, 2020

Seoul stocks open higher ahead of US election, FOMC meeting

Seoul stocks opened higher Monday ahead of the upcoming US presidential election and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 7.37 points, or 0.33 percent, to reach 2,274.52 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks got off to a strong start after the previous session's 2.56 percent plunge. Amid the global COVID-19 resurgence and the US election uncertainties, investors pinned hopes for a dovish signal from the FOMC, whic

Nov. 2, 2020

COVID-19 irony: Banking groups set to break records in pandemic

While the global economy seems to be largely struggling under coronavirus woes, South Korea’s major banking groups are projected to see record-high earnings for this year, analysts said Sunday. “There has been an increase in core interest revenues due to a growth in won-denominated loans and a narrow on-quarter decline of the banking groups’ net interest margins by 0.01 percentage point,” a recent note released by local brokerage BNK Securities said. “Their brok

Nov. 1, 2020

Kospi records first monthly fall after March

South Korea’s main bourse Kospi saw a monthly dip in October, discontinuing its winning streak following March, when the market hit its rock bottom over market fears on the coronavirus and started a seven-month rebound. Despite the index heading south, retail investors have flocked to high-risk leveraged exchange-traded funds, betting on the local stocks’ recovery, data showed Sunday. According to the nation’s sole securities exchange operator Korea Exchange, Kospi closed at 2

Nov. 1, 2020

Seoul shares face high volatility in coming week; US elections, COVID-19 in focus

South Korean shares are likely to face high volatility in the coming week, with key political developments, including the US presidential election and new coronavirus outbreaks, expected to roil global financial markets, analysts said Saturday. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,267.15 points on Friday, down 3.97 percent from a week ago. Local analysts said the KOSPI could receive an upward push in the coming week from hopes for third-quarter earnings hikes a

Oct. 31, 2020

NPS reaps 5% return as measures to boost gains are underway

South Korea’s public pension fund, the National Pension Service, said Friday that it has reaped a 5.07 percent return on its total investments from January to August this year. The nation’s largest institutional investor, overseeing 789.9 trillion won ($695.3 billion) worth of assets, also unveiled measures to pursue additional gains by wooing more hedge fund partners and enhancing its foreign currency management. At a meeting Friday of the NPS’ Fund Management Committee, We

Oct. 30, 2020