Seoul shares open nearly flat despite US gains

South Korean stocks opened almost flat Thursday following overnight gains on Wall Street buoyed by cooler-than-expected inflation data. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 0.8 point, or 0.01 percent, to 2,487.47 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The local market opened an hour later, along with the government and all major institutions, including private businesses, to make room for the once-a-year national college entrance exam. US stocks closed higher overnight following r

Nov. 16, 2023

Seoul shares close higher as US inflation softens

South Korean shares closed higher Wednesday after US reports showed softer inflation data that raised hopes of an end to US rate hikes. The local currency sharply gained ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 53.42 points, or 2.2 percent, to close at 2,486.67. Trading volume was moderate at 413.1 million shares worth 9.22 trillion won ($7.08 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 752 to 140. Foreigners scooped up a net 542.3 billion won worth of

Nov. 15, 2023

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street helped by lower-than-expected US inflation data. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 35.21 points, or 1.45 percent, to 2,468.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks closed higher overnight following reports that the US consumer price index, a key inflation measure, rose at the slowest pace in October since 2021. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.43 percent, while the Nasdaq Compo

Nov. 15, 2023

S. Korean shares close higher ahead of US inflation data

South Korean stocks finished higher Tuesday on gains in technology and chemical shares, while investors awaited the US inflation data slated to be announced this week. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index advanced 29.49 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 2,433.25. Trading volume was slim at 300 million shares worth 6.27 trillion won ($4.71 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 709 to 108. Foreigners offloaded a net 93.5 billion won

Nov. 14, 2023

Seoul shares open higher despite potential US govt. shutdown woes

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday on advances in tech shares amid growing concerns that the United States may face a government shutdown. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 25.87 points, or 1.08 percent, to 2,429.63 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Investors have been closely monitoring the possibility that the US may face a government shutdown should Congress fail to pass a spending plan by Friday. Overnight, US shares closed mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Av

Nov. 14, 2023

[Graphic News] Smartphone sales continue to sag globally: report

Sales of smartphones continued to shrink globally in the recently-ended quarter as consumers watched their spending, market tracker Counterpoint reported. Smartphone sales fell 8 percent, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of decline in year-over-year comparisons, according to research by Counterpoint's Market Pulse service. The decline was “largely due to slower-than-expected recovery in consumer demand,” the group said in its findings. Samsung continued to lead the smartpho

Nov. 14, 2023

Seoul shares down amid possible US government shutdown woes

South Korean stocks finished lower Monday amid concerns of a potential US government shutdown following a cut in Moody's rating outlook for the United States. The local currency fell against the US dollar. After choppy trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slipped 5.90 points, or 0.24 percent, to close at 2,403.76. Trading volume was slim at 299.3 million shares worth 5.8 trillion won ($4.37 billion). Losers outnumbered gainers 592 to 283. Institutions net purchased 35.5

Nov. 13, 2023

Seoul shares open higher on hope for exports recovery

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday as the country reported continued improvement in exports, led by the semiconductor industry. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 8.59 points, or 0.36 percent, to 2,418.25 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The customs office said the country's exports increased 3.2 percent on-year to $18.2 billion in the first 10 days of the month, with outbound shipments of semiconductors gaining 1.3 percent, marking the first increase since Augus

Nov. 13, 2023

[Hello Indonesia] How Mirae Asset mesmerized Indonesian investors with cartoon

Deeply understanding a country and translating it into a business strategy is the biggest challenge and core mission for any company trying to make inroads into a new market. For Mirae Asset Securities to hold the largest share in the Indonesian capital market, the brokerage firm took a unique approach to investors -- publishing a cartoon-based market research paper and hosting a mock stock trading contest for millennials. “Analyzing the Indonesian market from a cultural perspective and us

Nov. 12, 2023

HMM Q3 net sinks 96 pct on lower shipping rates

South Korea's top container shipper HMM Co. said Friday its third-quarter earnings tumbled on sluggish shipping rates amid decreased cargo volume. Net income amounted to 95.4 billion won ($72.3 million) in the July-September period, down 96 percent from a year earlier, the shipping company said in a regulatory filing. Sales dipped 58 percent on-year to 2.1 trillion won, with operating income plunging 97 percent to 75.8 billion won. In the first three quarters of this year, the company poste

Nov. 10, 2023

Businesses to have access to forex brokers under bill revision

Non-financial entities, including export companies, will be allowed to make transactions through forex aggregators, a service which has until now been limited to financial firms, according to an announcement from the Finance Ministry on Friday. The reform comes as part of the proposed revision to the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, part of the Korean government's effort to make the local forex market meet the "global standards." Under the reform, forex aggregators will provid

Nov. 10, 2023

Seoul shares end lower on Fed chief's hawkish comments, Tesla

South Korean stocks finished lower Friday after the US Federal Reserve's chief hinted that interest rates could be raised further and Tesla dropped overnight. The local currency fell against the greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 17.42 points, or 0.72 percent, to close at 2,409.66. Trading volume was slim at 304.12 million shares worth 5.61 trillion won ($4.26 billion). Losers outnumbered gainers 600 to 259. US stocks sagged overnight after Federal Reserve Ch

Nov. 10, 2023

South Korea’s commercial real estate market shrinks in Q3: report

South Korea's commercial real estate market retreated in the third quarter as foreign investments declined due to high pricing, according to a report from market tracker MSCI Real Assets on Thursday. Local commercial real estate transactions in the third quarter stood at $4.6 billion, marking a 34 percent decrease on-year, the report showed. Though South Korea was the top country in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of transaction volume in the previous quarter, it fell to the third-larges

Nov. 10, 2023

Seoul shares open lower on Fed chief's remark

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday in line with overnight losses on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 20.68 points, or 0.85 percent, to 2,406.40 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks sagged overnight after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated interest rates may be hiked again if needed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7 percent and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.9 percent. In Seoul, market heavyweights remained weak. Top market cap

Nov. 10, 2023

Seoul shares end higher on institutional, foreign buying

South Korean ended slightly higher Thursday as foreign investors and institutions snapped up shares following a two-day losing streak. The local currency rose against the greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.46 points, or 0.23 percent, to close at 2,427.08. Trading volume was moderate at 388.8 million shares worth 7.13 trillion won ($5.44 billion). Losers, however, outnumbered gainers 444 to 432. The Kospi remained in negative terrain in the morning session with mixe

Nov. 9, 2023

Seoul shares open flat with Fed's stance in focus

South Korean stocks opened flat Thursday as investors took to the sidelines gauging the Federal Reserve's future rate policy in the wake of the country's short selling ban. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.04 point, or 0.00 percent, to 2,421.58 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks closed mixed overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 0.12 percent and the Nasdaq Composite rising 0.08 percent, as investors largely sat on the sidelines while

Nov. 9, 2023

'Bedbug' stocks soar amid investors' race to make quick cash

Recent reports of bedbug infestations in various public spaces, including a university dormitory, low-cost apartments, and saunas, have raised alarms of an impending nationwide outbreak across South Korea, prompting the government to launch a multi-agency task force on Tuesday. But, it turns out bedbugs are causing more than just itchy bites -- they're now making waves in the South Korean stock market, as savvy investors are bullish on pesticide manufacturers. On Tuesday, agrochemical compa

Nov. 8, 2023

Seoul shares fall amid lingering woes over short selling ban

South Korean stocks ended lower Wednesday amid lingering woes over the country's ban on short selling. The local currency gained ground against the greenback. After choppy trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 22.34 points, or 0.91 percent, to close at 2,421.62. Trading volume was moderate at 461.3 million shares worth 7.54 trillion won ($5.75 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 498 to 378. After opening higher, the Kospi climbed as high as nearly 1 percent in

Nov. 8, 2023

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street over a slide in Treasury yields there. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 10.84 points, or 0.44 percent, to 2,454.80 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks closed higher overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average edging up 0.2 percent and the Nasdaq Composite rising 0.9 percent amid an easing of Treasury yields there. In Seoul, battery and bio-related shares opened stronger, with l

Nov. 8, 2023

Seoul shares slide 2.3% after record gains over short selling ban

South Korean stocks ended more than 2.3 percent lower Tuesday as investors took profit following the previous session's sharpest-ever daily gains prompted by the country's reimposing of a ban on stock short selling. The local currency sharply fell against the greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index sank 58.41 points, or 2.33 percent, to close at 2,433.96, bringing its four-session winning streak to a close. Trading volume was moderate at 447.6 million shares worth 11

Nov. 7, 2023