KOSPI Shows Mixed Trends in the Afternoon... Increased Net Selling by Institutions

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] The volatility of the KOSPI is increasing as institutions expand their net selling. Meanwhile, individuals appear to be defending the index decline by engaging in net buying alone.

As of 1:55 PM on the 19th, the KOSPI stood at 3,086.00, down 0.02% (0.66 points) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 3,089.96, up 0.11% (3.30 points) from the previous day, but during the session, it fell as low as 3,040.28. Looking at investor trends, institutions sold stocks worth 343.7 billion KRW. Foreigners also net sold stocks worth 254.7 billion KRW. Individuals alone purchased stocks worth 616.7 billion KRW.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, SK Hynix rose 4.76% during the session. LG Chem (0.21%), NAVER (1.16%), Samsung Biologics (0.13%), and Hyundai Motor (2.34%) also increased.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index stood at 960.37, down 0.73% (7.05 points) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 967.65, up 0.02% (0.23 points) from the previous day, but has maintained a downward trend amid selling pressure from institutions and foreigners. Looking at investor trends, institutions and foreigners sold stocks worth 78.3 billion KRW and 40.8 billion KRW, respectively. Individuals purchased stocks worth 137.7 billion KRW.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, Seegene and Pearl Abyss fell 6.38% and 6.32%, respectively. Alteogen (-1.66%), SK Materials (-0.12%), and CJ ENM (-2.34%) also declined. On the other hand, Kakao Games (2.22%), EcoPro BM (0.67%), and HLB (5.12%) rose.

Sangyoung Seo, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, explained, “The larger decline in the market today is due to the People's Bank of China's liquidity absorption in yuan and the highlighted issues regarding trade frictions between the U.S. and China.” The day before, the People's Bank of China conducted its first open market operation after the Lunar New Year holiday to absorb liquidity.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.