One out of every 10 companies traded on South Korea's main bourse hit a new high this year on the back of a solid gain in the key market index, data showed Monday.

According to the data by the Korea Exchange, 89 stocks, or 10 percent of the 889 firms listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index, renewed their all-time highs between Jan. 3 and Aug. 3. 

During the cited period, the benchmark index KOSPI climbed 3.96 percent from a year earlier.

The number, however, marks a 47.6 percent drop from the same period a year earlier, when 170 stocks reached new highs, bolstered by the KOSPI's 4.26 percent surge.

A total of 18 chemical stocks renewed their all-time highs during the eight-month period, followed by pharmaceuticals with 12 and service companies with 10.

A slew of large caps hit new highs. Preferred shares of Samsung Electronics Co. touched a new high of 1,285,000 won (US$1,154.2) last Monday, raising the value of the world's top smartphone maker to 19 percent of the main bourse's total market capitalization.

The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. also hit a fresh all-time high of 63,000 won on May 30. KEPCO had the No. 2 market cap as of Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, 50.8 percent of all the KOSPI stocks, or 452 companies, saw their share prices rise from the start of this year.

The data also showed 15.5 percent of the 1,176 companies traded on the secondary KOSDAQ bourse, or 182 stocks, renewing their all-time highs during the eight-month period, when the overall market gained 3.03 percent.

During the same period a year ago, 200 KOSDAQ firms hit fresh highs on the back of a 29 percent jump in the market index, according to the data. (Yonhap)