[Good Morning Market] U.S. Stocks Rise on Hopes for Easing Uncertainties... Korean Market Also Expected to Open Higher

The New York stock market rose for the third consecutive day on expectations that tariff-related uncertainties would ease. On April 25, the Korean stock market is expected to open higher and show strength, particularly in sectors affected by tariffs.

Reuters Yonhap News

On April 24 (local time), the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow Jones Index) closed at 40,093.4, up 486.83 points (1.23%) from the previous trading day on the New York Stock Exchange. The large-cap S&P 500 Index rose 108.91 points (2.03%) to 5,484.77, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Index jumped 457.99 points (2.74%) to 17,166.04.

The United States continued to signal its willingness to engage in dialogue with China. This helped ease concerns about a trade war between the two countries, which had a positive impact on the market. On this day, at a luncheon meeting at the White House with Jonas Gahr Store, Prime Minister of Norway, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked with whom in China he was negotiating trade. He replied, "They had a meeting this morning." He added, "I can't say who they are right now, but I may be able to announce it later."

Officials from the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) continued to make cautious remarks about interest rate cuts. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said, "If the labor market starts to deteriorate seriously, I expect that more rate cuts will be made sooner."

Beth Hammack, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said regarding the possibility of a rate cut in May, "I think it's too early," and added, "We need to be patient." However, she explained that if there is clear evidence about the direction of the economy, a rate cut could occur as early as June.

The Korean stock market is expected to open higher and show strength, particularly in sectors affected by tariffs.

Lee Sunghoon, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said, "The domestic stock market is expected to open higher, reflecting factors such as the three-day rebound in the U.S. stock market and the smooth progress of Korea-U.S. trade consultations. This will likely lead to gains, especially in sectors affected by tariffs on automobiles and semiconductors." He added, "With the continued weakening of foreign selling since mid-April and the progress seen in the latest Korea-U.S. trade consultations, it is worth noting whether this could influence the direction of foreign capital flows."

Kim Jiwon, a researcher at KB Securities, said, "It was announced that during the roughly one-hour Korea-U.S. trade consultation, the two sides agreed to prepare a 'July package' aimed at eliminating tariffs." He predicted, "Amid the positive atmosphere of the negotiations, we expect to see stock price differentiation based on earnings performance."