Seoul shares snap 2-day losing streak on foreign buying

South Korean shares closed higher Wednesday, snapping a two-day losing streak amid an extended buying streak by foreign investors. The local currency fell slightly against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 33.38 points, or 1.30 percent, to close at 2,609.58. Trade volume was heavy at 508.3 million shares worth 11.3 trillion won ($8.5 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 642 to 239. Foreign investors extended their buying streak to a sixth consecutive ses

Feb. 7, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened higher Wednesday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 17.75 points, or 0.69 percent, to 2,593.95 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.37 percent overnight. In Seoul, most large caps were in positive terrain. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.54 percent, with top pharmaceutical firm Celltrion advancing 0.66 percent. Top battery maker LG Ener

Feb. 7, 2024

Seoul shares down for 2nd day on Powell's comments on rate cuts

South Korean shares closed lower for a second consecutive day Tuesday amid US rate woes prompted by the Federal Reserve chair. The local currency slightly gained ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 15.11 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 2,576.20. Trade volume was heavy at 404.4 million shares worth 10.1 trillion won ($7.6 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 613 to 265. Foreign investors scooped up a net 338.1 billion won worth of shares,

Feb. 6, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on Wall Street losses

Seoul shares opened lower Tuesday tracking overnight losses on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 7.74 points, or 0.30 percent, to 2,583.57 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.71 percent lower after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made remarks that suggested rate cuts may come later than anticipated. In Seoul, large caps traded mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics advanced 0.13 percent, while the w

Feb. 6, 2024

Seoul shares close lower on profit taking

South Korean stocks closed lower Monday on profit taking after recent gains. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 24 points, or 0.92 percent, to 2,591.31, ending a two-day winning streak. Kospi soared nearly 5 percent over the bullish period. Trade volume was heavy at 500.2 million shares worth 12.1 trillion won ($9.09 billion), with losers closely outnumbering winners 459 to 434. Institutions sold a net 724.2 billion won worth of lo

Feb. 5, 2024

Seoul shares open lower after rally

South Korean stocks started lower Monday as investors locked in profits following a surge the previous session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 1.32 percent, or 34.56 points, to 2,580.75 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the Kospi soared 2.87 percent on the back of a climb in autos and techs. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics sank 1.46 percent, and its consumer electronics rival LG Electronics declined 0.51 percent. Bio shares also traded weaker, with Sam

Feb. 5, 2024

Analysts upbeat on Kakao; battery sector outlook gloomy

Despite lingering management risks, tech giant Kakao may see a surprise increase in its stock price this year, with analysts bullish on its advertising and commerce businesses. According to market intelligence firm FnGuide, Kakao's target price, provided by more than three analysts, was 69,458 won ($51.90) as of Sunday, up 10.6 percent from 62,783 won recorded at the end of last year, marking the highest increase rate among the target prices of the top 20 firms listed on the Korean stock ma

Feb. 4, 2024

Seoul shares spike nearly 3% on tech earnings

South Korean stocks rose by almost 3 percent Friday, backed by techs, autos and financials following solid earnings reports from US big techs. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 72.85 points, or 2.87 percent, to 2,615.31. Trade volume was high at 580 million shares worth 14.1 trillion won ($10.7 billion), with winners far outpacing losers 710 to 180. Foreign investors and institutions drove up the Kospi, buying shares worth 1.89 tri

Feb. 2, 2024

Seoul shares spike nearly 2% on export recovery despite dashed hope for Fed's early rate cuts

South Korean stocks rose by almost 2 percent Thursday despite overnight Wall Street losses, with techs and autos climbing as the nation's exports rose for the fourth month. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 45.37 points, or 1.82 percent, to 2,542.46. Trade volume was heavy at 741.3 million shares worth 13.3 trillion won ($9.98 billion), with winners outpacing losers 668 to 239. South Korea's exports moved up for the fourt

Feb. 1, 2024

Hana Securities to bolster foreign investor services on regulatory easing

Hana Securities, the brokerage unit of South Korean finance giant Hana Financial Group, on Thursday announced it has established a new foreign investment team. According to the Hana subsidiary, the move comes in response to the recent abolition of the foreign investors' registration system by the local government. Starting in December, South Korea scrapped a 30-year-old policy that required foreign nationals to register with the local financial regulators to open an account and trade on the

Feb. 1, 2024

Mirae Asset to shift paradigm with new rate-tracking ETF

Mirae Asset Global Investments is to launch a new exchange-traded fund product investing in interest rates, seeing lucrative opportunities amid the relatively high-interest rates, the asset manager said Thursday. The asset manager, with total assets under management surpassing 300 trillion won ($225 billion) as of the end of 2023, is to add a new product to its Tiger ETF lineup to secure the lead in the local ETF market. Named the Mirae Asset Tiger Synth CD 1Y Rate Active ETF, the financial prod

Feb. 1, 2024

Seoul shares open higher despite overnight Wall Street losses

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday despite overnight Wall Street losses from the US Federal Reserve's indication that it won't likely cut interest rates next month against the hopes of many investors. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 9.56 points, or 0.38 percent, to 2,506.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US Fed held its benchmark lending rate steady for the fourth consecutive time. After the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeti

Feb. 1, 2024

Seoul shares fall as chipmakers weighed down after Samsung Electronics earnings

South Korean stocks closed slightly lower Wednesday, hurt by declines in semiconductor stocks after chip giant Samsung Electronics reported its fourth-quarter earnings. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 1.72 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,497.09. Trade volume was moderate at 443.1 million shares worth 8.69 trillion won ($6.50 billion), with losers outpacing winners 525 to 350. Market watchers cited the mixed performance of overnight Wa

Jan. 31, 2024

Seoul shares open weaker ahead of US Fed's rate decision

South Korean stocks opened weaker Wednesday ahead of a key rate decision by the US Federal Reserve this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slid 6.01 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,492.80 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks closed mixed as Wall Street waited for the Fed's latest decision on interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.35 percent, while the S&P 500 shed 0.06 percent. The Nasdaq composite dropped 0.76 percent. In Seoul

Jan. 31, 2024

Seoul shares fall on profit-taking ahead of US Fed's rate meeting

South Korean stocks closed lower Tuesday as investors booked profit ahead of the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting later this week. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 1.84 points, or 0.07 percent, to close at 2,498.81, ending its three consecutive session advance. Trade volume was moderate at 476.1 million shares worth 8.63 trillion won ($6.49 billion). Winners, however, outpaced losers 493 to 385. Foreign and retail investors s

Jan. 30, 2024

[Photo News] Cry for compensation

Petitions submitted by investors reeling from losses due to Hong Kong-tied derivatives are laid out at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday. A group of investors held a protest, calling for compensation for their losses and accusing banks of misleading them. The principal losses from the financial product are estimated to reach 6 trillion won ($4.5 billion) in the first half of this year. (Yonhap)

Jan. 30, 2024

Seoul shares open higher following Wall Street gains

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 18.70 points, or 0.75 percent, to 2,519.35 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks gained ground as investors looked ahead to scheduled earnings announcements by major companies and the Federal Reserve's rate decision meeting later this week. The S&P 500 climbed 0.8 percent to close at a fresh high, while the Dow Jones Indu

Jan. 30, 2024

Seoul shares up for 3rd day on institutional, foreign buying

South Korean stocks closed higher for the third straight trading day Monday as institutions and foreign investors shored tech, bio and other blue chips. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 22.09 points, or 0.89 percent, to close at 2,500.65, extending its winning streak to a third day. Trade volume was moderate at 421.5 million shares worth 8.85 trillion won ($6.62 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 523 to 361. Institutions and for

Jan. 29, 2024

[KH Explains] Private equity firms hunt for health care buyouts

Korean private equity firms are increasingly betting big on health-focused companies at home and abroad, in a bid to capitalize on the growth potential of the health care and wellness sector amid a globally aging population. In Korea alone, where accelerated demographic change is observed due to the low birth rate, the number of people aged 65 or over was 9.73 million in 2023, about 20 percent of the total population, surging from 10 percent back in 2010. Hahn & Co., the nation's largest pri

Jan. 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] BridgeRock offers strategic solutions for real estate loan workouts

Once deemed an investment that produced a stable income stream, office buildings in the US are causing a headache for Korean investors as they wrestle with defaults on loans amid weakening demand and increased interest rates. With their investments turning sour, investors should come up with “creative ways to handle defaulted loans to draw a path to recovery," US commercial real estate investment firm BridgeRock Capital’s founder and managing director Jin Kim said. “Kore

Jan. 29, 2024