Foreigners and Institutions 'Sell' Pressure Pushes KOSPI Down Over 1% to 2210 Level

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The domestic stock market is showing weakness due to net selling by foreigners and institutions.

As of 10:01 a.m. on the 20th, the KOSPI index was recorded at 2212.64, down 24.80 points (1.11%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 2225.53, down 11.91 points (0.53%) from the previous day, then widened its decline to fall as low as 2210.59. Foreigners and institutions sold approximately 212.8 billion KRW and 89.7 billion KRW respectively, while individuals alone net bought 293.8 billion KRW, helping to curb the index's decline.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, all showed weakness. LG Chem fell the most, dropping 3.71%. Samsung SDI followed with a 3.63% decline, and SK Hynix, which faces concerns over poor third-quarter earnings this year, also dropped more than 3%.

By sector, securities (-3.22%), textiles and apparel (-2.22%), chemicals (-1.89%), and finance (-1.60%) declined in order. Medical precision (2.01%), machinery (1.77%), telecommunications (0.40%), and construction (0.39%) rose.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index also declined. It recorded 685.93, down 4.63 points (0.67%) from the previous day. The index started lower, briefly turned upward, but soon returned to a downward trend. Individuals net bought about 114.1 billion KRW, while foreigners and institutions sold approximately 63.3 billion KRW and 50.9 billion KRW respectively.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, most declined except for Ecopro, which remained flat. Ecopro BM fell nearly 4%, followed by L&F (-2.81%), Celltrion Healthcare (-2.77%), and Pearl Abyss (-1.93%).

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