KOSPI Ends Below 3160 as Foreign and Institutional Investors Sell Together

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jihwan] On the 20th, the KOSPI closed slightly lower at the '3160 level' due to simultaneous selling pressure from foreigners and institutions.

On this day, the KOSPI closed at 3,162.28, down 10.77 points (0.34%) from the previous day. The index opened at 3,174.53, up 1.48 points (0.05%) from the previous trading day, but soon turned downward. It fell to the 3,140 level at one point during the session but partially recovered the losses.

The stock market overall showed increased volatility without clear upward momentum, amid some news of weakened investor sentiment. The minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee released overnight mentioned the possibility of tapering, which acted as downward pressure on the market. Additionally, the New York stock market closed lower across the board as risk appetite was affected by the sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices such as Bitcoin.

By investor type, individual investors were the sole net buyers with 857.7 billion KRW. In contrast, foreigners and institutions were net sellers of 655.2 billion KRW and 200.7 billion KRW, respectively. Notably, foreigners continued their selling streak on the KOSPI for seven consecutive trading days.

By sector, the rising sectors included Transportation & Warehousing (2.16%), Non-metallic Minerals (1.3%), Medical Precision (1.03%), and Machinery (0.85%). On the other hand, declining sectors were Steel & Metals (-4.38%), Transportation Equipment (-2.5%), Food & Beverage (-1.73%), Securities (-1.72%), and Banking (-1.7%).

Among the top market capitalization stocks, SK Hynix (1.24%), LG Chem (2.50%), NAVER (0.43%), Kakao (0.44%), and Samsung SDI (0.79%) rose. Meanwhile, Samsung Biologics (-0.34%), Hyundai Motor (-2.81%), Celltrion (-0.74%), and Kia (-3.25%) declined.

The KOSDAQ closed at 971.13, up 2.03 points (0.21%) from the previous session. It started at 968.35, down 0.75 points (0.08%) from the previous day, then turned upward. In the market, foreigners and institutions were net buyers of 98.5 billion KRW and 9.7 billion KRW, respectively. Individuals were net sellers of 99.5 billion KRW.

By sector, rising sectors included General Electric & Electronics (1.76%), Non-metallic (1.74%), Semiconductors (1.73%), Other Manufacturing (1.11%), and IT Components (0.95%). Declining sectors were Finance (-1.42%), Pharmaceuticals (-1.36%), Telecommunications Equipment (-0.7%), and Food & Tobacco (-0.26%).

Among the top 10 market cap stocks, Celltrion Healthcare (0.95%), Celltrion Pharm (1.04%), EcoPro BM (4.20%), SK Materials (3.09%), and CJ ENM (0.79%) rose. Seegene (-5.99%), HLB (-2.00%), and Alteogen (-4.36%) declined.

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