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Seoul shares end higher on eased growth concerns
South Korean stocks finished slightly higher Monday as concerns over an economic slowdown was eased by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's dovish comments. The local currency lost against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 6.91 points, or 0.27 percent, to close at 2,570.39. Trade volume was moderate at 429.4 million shares worth 9.73 trillion won ($6.7 billion), with losers closely outpacing winners 466 to 406. Individual and institutional investors led the da
March 10, 2025 -
Seoul shares open tad lower ahead of key inflation data
South Korean stocks started a tad lower Monday ahead of key US inflation data amid escalating uncertainties over US tariff policies. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 1.08 points, or 0.04 percent, to 2,562.40 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last week that the US economy is solid and he has no plan to adjust monetary policy hurriedly, calming the uncertainties for the world's largest economy. The US consumer price index will be relea
March 10, 2025 -
Foreign investors exit Korean stocks. Will short selling bring them back?
Analyst warns against overestimating short selling’s influence, pointing to foreign investors' broader risk assessments Amid foreign investors' months-long selling streak of Korean stocks, market watchers are closely monitoring whether the resumption of short selling could drive capital inflows or further dampen investor sentiment. Since September, foreign investors have been net sellers in the Kospi for seven consecutive months, offloading a total of 27.7 trillion won ($19.1 billion). This mark
March 9, 2025 -
Nongshim to raise ramyeon, snack prices on high costs
Nongshim Co., South Korea's leading instant noodle maker, said Thursday it will raise the prices of its instant noodle and snack products next week due to higher raw materials costs. Nongshim plans to raise the retail prices of 14 "ramyeon" products by 7.2 percent and three snack products by 7.4 percent starting March 17, the company said in a press release. In particular, the price of Shin Ramyun, which represents Nongshim's ramyeon products, will rise to 1,000 won ($0.69) from 950 won, while t
March 6, 2025 -
S. Korea urged to adopt bitcoin reserve, won-backed stablecoin amid Trump’s crypto push
South Korea should consider integrating bitcoin into its national reserves and issuing a won-backed stablecoin, financial experts and industry leaders said at a forum on Thursday. At the seminar, hosted at the National Assembly by the main opposition Democratic Party, the CEO of blockchain firm xCrypton, Kim Jong-seung, stressed the need for a strategic response if the US moves to create a "national strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies,” as announced by President Donald Trump. Trump is widely e
March 6, 2025 -
Seoul shares end higher for 2nd day on US tariff reprieve
South Korean stocks ended higher for a second straight session Thursday as investor sentiment improved after US President Donald Trump pulled back some of the tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The Korean won was trading sharply higher against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 18.03 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 2,576.16. Trade volume was moderate at 600.4 million shares worth 11.1 trillion won ($7.7 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 485 to 392. Forei
March 6, 2025 -
Seoul shares start higher as Trump delays auto tariffs on Mexico, Canada
South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday after the US administration agreed to delay auto tariffs on Mexico and Canada. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 19 points, or 0.74 percent, to 2,577.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US shares rebounded as investor sentiment improved after the Trump administration suspended new auto duties on Mexico and Canada for a month and signaled it is open to more tariff negotiations. The S&P 500 gained 1.12 percent, and
March 6, 2025 -
Seoul shares fall for 3rd session amid tariff war woes
South Korean stocks fell for the third consecutive session Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff scheme stoked fears of a global trade war. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 3.86 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 2,528.92. Trade volume was moderate at 475.57 million shares worth 12.84 trillion won ($8.78 billion), with losers outnumbering winners 590 to 310. The index opened slightly higher, despite US losses,
March 4, 2025 -
Korea’s first alternative stock exchange goes live
Breaking Korea Exchange’s nearly 70-year monopoly, Nextrade offers extended trading hours, lower commission fees Nextrade, South Korea’s first alternative stock trading system, began operations on Tuesday, introducing a 12-hour trading system that extends beyond traditional market hours. The key advantages of trading on Nextrade include flexible trading hours and lower commission fees. However, a limited number of available stocks and low initial liquidity are cited as potential drawbacks. “We w
March 4, 2025 -
Seoul shares start higher amid Trump tariff woes
South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday, despite US President Donald Trump's planned imposition of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 8.14 points, or 0.32 percent, to 2,540.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US shares slid after Trump said 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will take effect as planned on Tuesday, sparking fears of a global trade war. The S&P 500 dropped 1.76 percent, and th
March 4, 2025 -
SK Bioscience to provide more chickenpox vaccines to Latin America
South Korean biotech firm SK Bioscience said Friday it will continue to supply its varicella vaccine to Latin America until 2027 as it secured additional orders from an international health organization under the United Nations. SK Bioscience’s chickenpox vaccine SkyVaricella will be distributed to Latin American countries through the Pan American Health Organization, which procures large quantities of vaccines in the region. The volume of the order has not been decided. The firm made a foray in
Feb. 28, 2025 -
Seoul shares drop over 3% on looming tariff war, Nvidia slump; won at over 1-month low
South Korean stocks tumbled over 3 percent Friday, dragged down by a possible tariff war threat by US President Donald Trump and a slump in artificial intelligence chip giant Nvidia. The local currency fell sharply to over a one-month low against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 88.97 points, or 3.39 percent, to close at 2,532.78, following a 0.73 percent drop on the previous day. It is the lowest closing since Feb. 10, when the KOSPI finished at 2,521.27. Trad
Feb. 28, 2025 -
Seoul shares start sharply lower on US losses
South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Friday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street weighed down by a slump in chipmaker Nvidia and escalating tariff woes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 52.31 points, or 2 percent, to 2,569.44 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US shares declined as the latest Nvidia results failed to boost investor sentiment on artificial intelligence, which has been cooled by China's DeepSeek. The S&P 500 dropped 1.59 percent and t
Feb. 28, 2025 -
AmCham launches ‘Buy America’ campaign to bolster US-Korea ties
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea has launched its “Buy America” campaign to encourage Korean companies to purchase more US products. By leveraging its extensive business network, AmCham aims to expand the procurement of US energy, automobiles, agricultural products and other key goods, further strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two nations. The campaign follows AmCham Chairman and CEO James Kim’s commitment at the “Korea-US Business Night” in Washington, DC, on Feb
Feb. 26, 2025 -
Seoul shares end 2-day drop ahead of Nvidia earnings release
South Korean stocks snapped a two-session fall Wednesday, driven by gains from bio and information technology stocks, ahead of a fourth-quarter earnings release from Nvidia this week. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 10.8 points, or 0.41 percent, to close at 2,641.09. Trade volume was slim at 377.9 million shares worth 10.9 trillion won ($7.6 billion), with winners beating losers 543 to 335. Institutions scooped up a net 239.6
Feb. 26, 2025