Foreigners' 'Position Shift' Recovers KOSPI to 2210 Level... Kakao Down 5.35% Amid 'Blackout Incident'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The KOSPI index, which started with a decline of over 1%, turned to an upward trend on the afternoon of the 17th.

As of 1:52 PM that day, the KOSPI index was recorded at 2,212.99, up 0.44 points (0.02%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 2,187.17, down 25.38 points (1.15%) from the previous trading day, but narrowed the decline and recovered to the 2,210 level as foreign investors turned to net buying. During the session, it rose as high as 2,216.45. Individuals and foreigners net bought approximately 144.1 billion KRW and 199 billion KRW respectively, while institutions net sold 345.7 billion KRW.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, Samsung Biologics rose 1.61%, showing the largest gain. This was followed by LG Energy Solution (1.14%), NAVER (0.91%), Samsung Electronics (0.89%), Hyundai Motor (0.60%), and Samsung SDI (0.17%). On the other hand, Celltrion (-2.87%), SK Hynix and LG Chem (-0.52%), and Kia (-0.43%) showed weakness. Kakao, which experienced a data center fire, fell more than 9% but narrowed the loss to record a 5.35% decline.

By industry sector, non-metallic minerals (3.86%), paper & wood (0.74%), electrical & electronics (0.73%), insurance (0.72%), manufacturing (0.37%), and pharmaceuticals (0.29%) showed strength. The construction sector recorded the largest decline, falling more than 3%, followed by services (-1.35%), machinery (-0.75%), distribution (-0.71%), and securities (-0.64%).

The KOSDAQ index showed a slight decline, recording 678.21, down 0.03 points (0.00%) from the previous trading day. It fell to 664.83 during the day but narrowed the loss and even turned to an upward trend. Individuals alone net bought approximately 88 billion KRW, preventing further index decline. Foreigners and institutions net sold 15.7 billion KRW and 64.7 billion KRW respectively.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, Celltrion Healthcare fell 4.37%, showing the largest decline. HLB dropped 3.84%, and Rino Industrial fell 2.44%. Kakao Games, a Kakao affiliate, declined 1.83%. EcoPro rose 8.34%, recording the largest gain, followed by secondary battery stocks EcoPro BM (3.63%) and L&F (3.06%).

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