KOSPI Closes at Another All-Time High of 3,144, Up 0.9% from Previous Day

Simultaneous Buying by Foreign and Institutional Investors...
KOSPI Hits 3344.70 During Session
Expectations Rise for President Lee's Easing of Major Shareholder Capital Gains Tax Threshold

The KOSPI index settled in the 3340 range, breaking its all-time high for the second consecutive day and entering uncharted territory. This upward trend is believed to have been driven by simultaneous buying from both foreign investors and institutional investors.

On September 11, the KOSPI closed at 3344.20, up 0.90% from the previous day. The index set a new record high for the second day in a row. During the session, it climbed as high as 3344.70. Although it temporarily dipped to the 3311 range in the morning, the rebound continued, and the index ultimately settled in the 3340 range by the market close.

By investor type, foreign investors and institutional investors recorded net purchases of 254.6 billion won and 852.2 billion won, respectively, helping to lift the index. Individual investors, on the other hand, recorded a net sell-off of 1.1147 trillion won. Despite individual investors recording net sales in the trillion-won range for three consecutive days since September 9, buying by foreign and institutional investors continued to drive the index upward.

Almost all sectors posted gains. The food and beverage and tobacco sector saw the largest increase, rising by 3.02%. This was followed by transportation equipment and parts (2.03%), telecommunications (1.98%), distribution (1.39%), electrical and electronics (1.33%), and manufacturing (1.27%), all of which recorded gains in the 1% range. However, the electric and gas sector (-2.47%) and securities sector (-1.71%) declined.

Most of the top 10 stocks by market capitalization also showed strong performances. Hanwha Aerospace posted the largest gain at 3.6%. This was followed by LG Energy Solution (2.3%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (1.5%), Celltrion (0.9%), SK Hynix (0.6%), Hyundai Motor (0.6%), and Samsung Electronics (0.5%). Only KB Financial Group declined, falling by 0.5%.

The KOSDAQ closed at 834.76, up 0.21% from the previous day, showing relatively weaker performance compared to the KOSPI. The index rose to the 836 level in the morning but then turned downward, repeatedly rebounding and declining before finally holding above the 834 level at the end of the session.

In the KOSDAQ market, individual investors and institutional investors recorded net purchases of 75.9 billion won and 16.9 billion won, respectively. Foreign investors recorded a net sell-off of 75.3 billion won.

Many sectors also posted gains. Transportation equipment and parts (2.17%), non-metallic minerals (1.71%), metals (1.46%), and construction (1.42%) saw relatively large increases. However, textiles and apparel (-1.62%) and general services (-0.99%) declined.

Most of the top 10 stocks by market capitalization also rose. Peptone surged by 6.1%. Other stocks that rose by more than 1% included ABL Bio (2.1%), PharmaResearch (1.7%), Ligachem Bio (1.3%), and HLB (1.2%). On the other hand, Alteogen (-2.4%), Samchundang Pharm (-1.6%), and Ecopro (-0.8%) declined.

The KOSPI's upward momentum on this day appears to reflect expectations for the government's easing of the major shareholder threshold for stock capital gains tax. At a press conference marking his 100th day in office, President Lee Jaemyung addressed whether the government would strengthen the threshold for major shareholders subject to the stock capital gains tax from 5 billion won to 1 billion won as previously announced. He indicated that if such a change would hinder the revitalization of the stock market, there would be no need to insist on it, suggesting that the threshold would remain at the current 5 billion won.

The KOSPI index started the session at 3336.60, up 22.07 points from the previous trading day, marking a record high for the second consecutive day. On September 11, 2025, the KOSPI index was displayed on the electronic board at the Korea Exchange in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung