Seoul shares open slightly higher on tech gains

South Korean stocks opened a tad higher Monday, buoyed by gains in technology stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 0.72 point, or 0.03 percent, to 2,667.56 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Large caps traded mixed while techs and chemicals were in positive terrain. Tech giant Samsung Electronics gained 0.55 percent, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix advancing 0.56 percent. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution added 0.75 percent, while its local rival Samsung SDI gained

March 18, 2024

Seoul shares snap 3-day rise on hotter US inflation; won sharply down

South Korean stocks closed nearly 2 percent lower Friday to end a three-session winning streak, as investors locked in profits following hotter than expected US inflation. The local currency fell sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 51.92 points, or 1.91 percent, to 2,666.84. Trade volume was heavy at 575 million shares worth 12.9 trillion won ($9.7 billion), with losers beating winners 557 to 224. Institutional and foreign selling weighed down t

March 15, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on US slump

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday, as investors locked in profits after a three-session winning streak. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 27.51 points, or 1.01 percent, to 2,691.25 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street lost ground after the February producer price index showed US inflation was hotter than expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4 percent, and the S&P 500 dropped 0.3 percent. The Nasdaq Composite also shed 0.3 percent

March 15, 2024

NPS to set up San Francisco office in AI, biotech push

Korea's National Pension Service Investment Management, the investment arm of the world's third-largest pension fund, will launch its fourth overseas office in San Francisco before September, in line with its asset allocation strategy to raise alternative and overseas investments. National Pension Service Chief Investment Officer Seo Won-joo boasted that the pension fund’s record high investment return of 13.6 percent, worth 127 trillion won ($96.4 billion), last year is &ldquo

March 14, 2024

Seoul shares end at nearly 2-year high on financial, auto gains

South Korean stocks finished higher for the third straight session to hit an almost 2-year high Thursday on the back of gains in financial, auto and other blue chips. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 25.19 points, or 0.94 percent, to 2,718.76. It marked the highest since April 22, 2022, when the index finished at 2,704.71 points. Trade volume was heavy at 587 million shares worth 13.5 trillion won ($10.24 billion), with winner

March 14, 2024

Seoul shares open tad higher on financial, tech gains

South Korean stocks opened marginally higher Thursday led by financial and tech companies. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 4.37 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,697.94 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Financial shares got off to a good start, continuing their upward momentum after gains in the past two sessions. Shinhan Financial added 2.10 percent, and Hana Financial rose 0.99 percent. Tech behemoth Samsung Electronics also rose 0.40 percent, and home appliance maker LG Ele

March 14, 2024

DGB opens fund management unit in Singapore

DGB Financial Group said Wednesday it launched its first overseas subsidiary Hi Asset Management Asia, an asset management arm, in Singapore. DGB Financial Group Chairman Kim Tae-oh, Korean Ambassador to Singapore Hong Jin-wook as well as financial firm officials from Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Keppel Group were in attendance at the opening ceremony held on Tuesday. “We will spare no effort in helping HiAMA serve as a global headquarters for key financial players and groups in Singa

March 13, 2024

Seoul shares end higher on overnight US tech rally

South Korean stocks finished higher Wednesday, tracking overnight Wall Street gains driven by megacap tech stocks. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 11.76 points, or 0.44 percent, to 2,693.57. Trade volume was moderate at 491 million shares worth 10.7 trillion won ($8.14 billion), with winners beating losers 444 to 429. Foreign investors led the overall gains, buying a net 334 billion won worth of shares, while institutions and re

March 13, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on US stock gains

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Wednesday, tracking overnight Wall Street gains driven by megacap tech stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 8.85 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,690.66 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street logged strong gains as investors shored up Nvidia, Oracle and other big tech stocks despite higher-than-expected February consumer price data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.61 percent, and the S&P 500 gained 1.

March 13, 2024

Seoul shares close higher on tech, battery gains

South Korean stocks ended higher Tuesday as investors scooped up tech, battery and other blue chips. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 21.97 points, or 0.83 percent, to 2,681.81. Trade volume was moderate at 390 million shares worth 9.45 trillion won ($7.3 billion). Losers, however, beat winners 495 to 365. Institutions led the overall gains, buying a net 508 billion won, while foreign and retail investors unloaded shares. Han Ji-

March 12, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on tech, energy gains

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday on gains in tech, energy and other blue chips. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.99 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,665.83 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Tech shares opened a tad higher, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix adding 0.12 percent and LG Electronics rising 1.15 percent. Energy and chemical shares went up, with leading refiner SK Innovation and top chemical maker LG Chem climbing 1.69 percent and 2.75 percent, respec

March 12, 2024

Bank association chief expresses regret over HK ELS misselling

Korea Federation of Banks Chair Cho Yong-byoung on Monday expressed regrets over massive losses inflicted on consumers who invested in derivatives products underlying a key Hong Kong stock market index, sold by local lenders. Earlier in the day, the country’s regulator Financial Supervisory Service advised banks and securities firms to compensate for losses incurred from their incomplete sales of equity-linked securities products tracking Hong Kong's H Index. The total loss on such

March 11, 2024

Bitcoin hits new record high above W100m in Korea

The price of bitcoin jumped to a new record in Korea on Monday, breaking through 100 million ($76,365) for the first time. Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency, traded at above 100 million won on the nation’s largest crypto exchange Upbit at 4:32 p.m., a surge since the price exceeded 98.4 million won on Friday. The record figure was in line with the global rally. According to global price-tracking platform CoinMarketCap, the price of bitcoin surpassed $71,200 as of 4:48 p.m.

March 11, 2024

Seoul shares close lower on profit-taking; won sharply up

South Korean stocks ended lower Monday to snap their two-day winning streak as investors locked in part of gains after a recent rally. The local currency rose sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 20.51 points, or 0.77 percent, to 2,659.84. Trade volume was moderate at 383 million shares worth 8.69 trillion won ($6.63 billion), with losers beating winners 517 to 353. Foreigners and institutions led the decline, dumping a net 107 billion won and 112.3

March 11, 2024

Seoul shares start lower on profit-taking

South Korean stocks opened lower Monday as investors hunted for profits following a recent rally. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index retreated 13.94 points, or 0.52 percent, to 2,666.41 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The main index gained for two straight sessions through Friday on the US central bank's dovish stance. Market heavyweights led the negative opening. Top-cap Samsung Electronics fell 0.55 percent, and No. 2 SK hynix sank 3.08 percent. Leading battery maker LG E

March 11, 2024

[KH Explains] Missing pieces of 'value-up' program

The government’s measures aimed at increasing shareholder returns to boost Korea's undervalued stock market have sparked much debate on their effectiveness due to the lack of motivational drivers for companies to join the program. In the Corporate Value-up Program announced by the Financial Services Commission on Feb. 26, the government directed some 1,600 firms listed on the Kospi and Kosdaq markets to disclose their major investment indicators such as price-to-book ratio, and make p

March 10, 2024

A cryptocurrency mogul arrested in Montenegro faces extradition to South Korea after a court ruling

POGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A Montenegrin court on Thursday ruled that cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon should be handed over to his native South Korea, the latest twist in the months-long legal procedure that followed the arrest of the Terraform Labs founder in the Balkan nation last year. The High Court handed down the ruling just days after an appeals court overturned its previous decision to extradite Kwon to the United States. Kwon, 32, was apprehended on an international arrest warrant

March 9, 2024

Seoul shares close over 1% higher after Fed chief's dovish comments

South Korean stocks closed more than 1 percent higher Friday as investors cheered US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony hinting at a rate cut this year. The local currency gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 32.73 points, or 1.24 percent, to 2,680.35. Trade volume was moderate at 444.9 million shares worth 11.1 trillion won ($8.45 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 520 to 350. Foreigners bought a net 178 billion won worth of

March 8, 2024

Seoul shares open higher amid hopes for Fed's early rate cut

South Korean stocks opened higher Friday as US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted the confidence needed for the rate cut is approaching. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 34.79 points, or 1.31 percent, to 2,682.41 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock market closed higher with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.34 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advancing 1.51 percent. The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high by moving up 1.0

March 8, 2024

Seoul shares end tad higher amid Fed chief's testimony

South Korean stocks closed slightly higher Thursday after US Fed Chairman Jerome Powell hinted at a possible rate cut this year, while acknowledging economic uncertainties still remain. The local currency gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 6.13 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,647.62. Trade volume was moderate at 447 million shares worth 10.2 trillion won ($7.72 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 591 to 297. Foreigners offloaded 308 billion won

March 7, 2024