KOSPI Rebounds... Up 1.5% Early in the Session

Foreign Investors Net Buyers Early in the Session
KOSDAQ Falters, Gives Up Gains After Firm Start

Both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ started the session strong. The KOSPI is up nearly 1.5%, trading above the 4,060 level.

On November 17, the KOSPI opened at 4,078.57, up 1.67% from the previous trading day. As of 9:30 a.m., it stood at 4,064.83.

Foreign investors, who recorded record net selling last week, are now driving the index higher with net buying early in the session. As of 9:16 a.m., foreign investors had net purchased shares worth 117.3 billion won. In contrast, individual investors and institutions net sold 57.9 billion won and 41.5 billion won, respectively.

The proportion of rising and falling sectors was similar. The electrical and electronics sector posted the highest gain at 3.03%, followed by electric and gas (1.46%), food, beverage and tobacco (1.45%), and manufacturing (1.39%). On the other hand, paper and wood (-1.81%), transportation and storage (-1.71%), securities (-1.48%), metals (-1.26%), and construction (-0.95%) declined.

Most of the top 10 stocks by market capitalization rose. SK Hynix jumped as much as 5.1%. Samsung Electronics also gained 2.9%. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (1.1%), Doosan Enerbility (1.0%), Kia (0.7%), and Hanwha Aerospace (0.6%) followed. KB Financial Group (-1.1%) and LG Energy Solution (-0.7%) fell, while Samsung Biologics and Hyundai Motor remained flat.

The KOSDAQ also started up 0.70% from the previous session at 904.15. However, as of 9:30 a.m., it had given up most of its gains, standing at 897.98.

On the KOSDAQ market, individual investors were the sole net buyers, purchasing shares worth 124.6 billion won. Foreign investors and institutions net sold 50.7 billion won and 32.4 billion won, respectively.

Most sectors declined. Several sectors, including chemicals (-2.66%), textiles and apparel (-1.25%), metals (-1.15%), finance (-1.15%), paper and wood (-1.12%), and transportation equipment and parts (-1.06%), fell by more than 1%. Pharmaceuticals (1.21%) and general services (0.64%) rose.

Among the top 10 stocks by market capitalization, more sectors declined. EcoPro (-1.7%), Rainbow Robotics (-1.0%), HLB (-0.9%), Alteogen (-0.5%), and Peptron (-0.3%) saw the biggest drops. In contrast, PharmaResearch (5.5%), Samchundang Pharm (2.6%), and LIG ChemBio (0.4%) gained.

Yonhap News Agency