KOSPI Holds Steady... Hanwha Aerospace and HLB Plunge

Supported by Foreign Buying, KOSPI Ends Flat
KOSDAQ Closes Lower as Top Market Cap Stocks Like Hanwha Aerospace and HLB Plunge

On the 21st, the KOSPI index closed in a flat range. Supported by foreign buying, the market ended the day without significant volatility. Although foreign buying also entered the KOSDAQ market, it closed lower due to the poor performance of major market cap stocks such as HLB.

On that day, the KOSPI closed at 2,643.13, up 0.23% from the previous day. After opening at 2,633.90, down 0.12% from the previous day, the index remained stable without major fluctuations.

Foreign investors supported the index with net purchases worth 845.1 billion KRW. Individuals and institutions net sold 540 billion KRW and 397.2 billion KRW, respectively.

By sector, machinery and equipment (1.99%), distribution (1.43%), electrical and electronics (1.25%), and electricity and gas (0.85%) showed significant gains. Meanwhile, medical and precision instruments (-2.63%), transportation equipment and parts (-1.92%), metals (-1.09%), paper and wood (-0.93%), and chemicals (-0.90%) declined.

Among the top 10 market cap stocks, more stocks rose than fell. SK Hynix (2.6%), Samsung Electronics (2.4%), Samsung Biologics (2.1%), Hyundai Motor (1.2%), and NAVER (0.7%) led the gains. Hanwha Aerospace (-13.0%), LG Energy Solution (-1.6%), KB Financial Group (-1.2%), and Kia (-0.3%) declined.

The KOSDAQ closed at 719.41, down 0.79% from the previous day. It opened slightly lower at 724.94 and continued to fall, reaching as low as 713.82 at one point.

In the KOSDAQ market, both foreign investors and institutions showed net buying, but the index could not avoid a decline. They net purchased 53.2 billion KRW and 116.8 billion KRW, respectively. Only individuals net sold 167 billion KRW.

By sector, pharmaceuticals fell the most, down 4.54%. This was followed by construction (-1.74%), transportation equipment and parts (-1.58%), manufacturing (-1.11%), and textiles and apparel (-0.91%). Entertainment and culture (1.71%) and finance (0.90%) rose.

Among the top market cap stocks, HLB dropped to the maximum price decline limit of -29.9%. Rainbow Robotics (-4.3%), Alteogen (-0.8%), and EcoPro BM (-0.8%) also declined. Samchundang Pharmaceutical (7.6%), Pharma Research (2.3%), Ligacombio (1.7%), Hugel (1.2%), and EcoPro (1.1%) rose. Classys closed at the same price as the previous day.