Individual Investors' Net Buying Alone... KOSPI Reclaims 3100 Level

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] The KOSPI reclaimed the 3100 level. The market closed higher as individual investors continued net buying and institutional investors reduced their net selling towards the end of the session.

On the 19th, the KOSPI closed at 3107.62, up 0.68% (20.96 points) from the previous trading day. The index fluctuated during the session, dropping as low as 3040.28. Looking at investor trends, individuals were net buyers of stocks worth 436.9 billion KRW, while foreigners and institutions sold stocks worth 352.9 billion KRW and 73.8 billion KRW, respectively.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, Samsung Electronics closed at 82,600 KRW, up 0.61% from the previous session. SK Hynix (5.56%), LG Chem (0.21%), NAVER (2.58%), Samsung Biologics (1.28%), Hyundai Motor (2.76%), and Kakao (0.60%) also saw gains.

The KOSDAQ index started the day higher but continued to weaken. It closed at 965.11, down 0.24% (2.31 points) from the previous day. In terms of investor activity, individuals were the sole net buyers with purchases worth 78.6 billion KRW, while foreigners and institutions were net sellers of 31.9 billion KRW and 27.3 billion KRW, respectively.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, Kakao Games (1.48%), EcoPro BM (0.94%), and HL Biopharma (13.53%) rose. Meanwhile, Celltrion Pharm (-0.25%), Seegene (-6.77%), and Pearl Abyss (-6.47%) declined.

Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities, explained, “Concerns over rising inflation and interest rates are significantly impacting the market, while escalating tensions between the U.S. and China acted as a source of instability today. Although the Chinese stock market reversed to an upward trend in the afternoon, leading to gains in the domestic market, the simultaneous net selling by foreigners and institutions continues. Considering that the number of rising stocks is only about one-third of the declining stocks, caution regarding volatility should be maintained.”

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