SK Hynix Surges Over 6%
Dollar-Won Exchange Rate Closes at 1,429
Driven by continued net buying from foreign investors and a rally in semiconductor stocks, the KOSPI index regained the 4,200 mark for the first time in 38 days and closed higher.
On December 29, the KOSPI index finished trading at 4,220.56, up 90.88 points (2.20%) from the previous session. The index opened at 4,146.48, up 16.80 points (0.41%), and continued to strengthen throughout the day, closing with significant gains. Notably, foreign investors recorded net purchases for the fifth consecutive session, buying 331.5 billion won worth of shares on this day alone. Institutional investors and individuals posted net sales of 286.4 billion won and 8.6 billion won, respectively.
"Samsung Electronics Continues Its Rally, Renewing Its Intraday Record High"
On the 29th, the KOSPI index and others are displayed on the status board of Hana Bank dealing room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
By sector, most industries rose, including metals (3.46%), electrical and electronics (3.34%), IT services (3.09%), transportation equipment and parts (2.98%), manufacturing (2.74%), machinery and equipment (2.68%), finance (1.19%), entertainment and culture (1.06%), pharmaceuticals (0.50%), transportation and warehousing (0.44%), and securities (0.22%). In contrast, some sectors declined, such as non-metals (-3.89%), electricity and gas (-2.61%), textiles and apparel (-2.28%), paper and wood (-1.48%), and insurance (-0.96%).
Among large-cap stocks, Hanwha Aerospace (9.08%) and SK Hynix (6.84%) surged after the investment warning was lifted. Hanwha Aerospace also announced individual positive news, such as a 5.8 trillion won export contract with Poland.
Other notable gainers included NAVER (4.54%), Doosan Enerbility (3.94%), SK Square (3.44%), Hyundai Motor (2.62%), Hyundai Mobis (2.37%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (2.15%), Samsung Electronics (2.14%), Samsung Electronics Preferred (1.47%), Shinhan Financial Group (1.43%), Kia (1.09%), and Samsung Biologics (0.83%). On the other hand, Samsung Life Insurance (-3.02%), Korea Electric Power Corporation (-2.58%), LG Energy Solution (-0.91%), and Hanwha Ocean (-0.77%) declined.
The KOSDAQ index closed at 932.59, up 12.92 points (1.40%) from the previous session. The index started at 923.22, up 3.55 points (0.39%), and gained further momentum during the session, finishing above the 930 mark. Foreign investors and individuals recorded net purchases of 90.3 billion won and 151.5 billion won, respectively, while institutions sold 166.9 billion won worth of shares.
"Improvement in Foreign Investor Supply and Demand... Continued Focus Needed on Sectors with Earnings Momentum"
Among large-cap stocks, winners included Wonik Holdings (19.08%), Peptone (10.24%), Caregen (7.92%), HLB (6.51%), PharmaResearch (5.81%), Samchundang Pharm (5.20%), Kolon TissueGene (4.67%), and Alteogen (3.64%), all of which are considered beneficiaries of the expanding adoption of humanoid robots. In contrast, Aimed Bio (-4.62%), Voronoi (-3.72%), and Ligachem Bio (-3.00%) declined.
Lim Jeongeun, a researcher at KB Securities, stated, "Following the government's exchange rate stabilization measures last week, the dollar-won exchange rate fell by 54 won over three trading days, closing at the 1,429 won level today. This improved the foreign investor supply and demand situation, leading to a shift toward net buying during the session." She added, "However, today's foreign net buying was concentrated in the financial sector, while individuals were the main buyers in the electrical and electronics sector."
She continued, "With customer deposits maintaining a high level of around 80 trillion won, abundant liquidity is supporting a positive outlook for the domestic stock market. Attention should continue to be paid to sectors expected to sustain earnings momentum next year."
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