KOSPI Reclaims 4,620 Mark, Extends Rally to Seven Consecutive Sessions

Record Highs for KOSPI Both Intraday and at Close
KOSDAQ Also Ends Higher

On January 12, the KOSPI surpassed the 4,620 mark, closing at a record high, driven by institutional buying. The KOSDAQ also ended higher in positive territory.

Yonhap News Agency

On this day, the KOSPI closed at 4,624.79, up 0.84% from the previous trading day. The index opened at 4,639.89, up 1.17% from the previous session, and at one point during the session soared to 4,652.54, setting a new intraday all-time high. Although it briefly turned negative in the afternoon as gains were pared, the index rebounded later in the session to finish higher for the seventh consecutive trading day.

Institutions led the rally, purchasing a net 208.9 billion won. In contrast, individuals and foreign investors sold off 100.1 billion won and 351.2 billion won, respectively.

By sector, construction saw the largest increase, surging 8.49%. This was attributed to Hyundai Engineering & Construction, a domestic nuclear power-related stock, jumping over 20% on news that Meta had signed large-scale supply contracts with nuclear power companies. Metal (up 3.35%), machinery & equipment (up 3.28%), transportation & storage (up 3.06%), non-metal (up 2.97%), and electricity & gas (up 2.87%) also ended strong. On the other hand, pharmaceuticals (down 0.96%), real estate (down 0.47%), textiles & apparel (down 0.17%), and insurance (down 0.13%) declined.

The two leading semiconductor stocks, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, started higher but paused due to concerns over short-term rallies and the fading impact of Samsung Electronics’ earnings. Samsung Electronics slipped 0.14% to close at 138,800 won, while SK Hynix rose 0.67% to finish at 749,000 won. Among other large-cap stocks, LG Energy Solution (up 4.41%), Hyundai Motor (up 0.27%), and Doosan Enerbility (up 4.63%) closed higher. In contrast, Samsung Biologics (down 1.01%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (down 0.82%), Hanwha Aerospace (down 0.16%), and SK Square (down 0.70%) ended lower.

On the same day, the KOSDAQ closed at 949.81, up 0.20% from the previous session. The index opened at 948.48, up 0.06%, and expanded its gains to reach as high as 957.37 during intraday trading.

Individuals led the rise with a net purchase of 99.6 billion won, while foreign investors and institutions sold off 7.5 billion won and 68.6 billion won, respectively.

By sector, financials (up 3.82%), metals (up 3.74%), transportation equipment & parts (up 3.09%), non-metal (up 3.05%), electrical & electronics (up 2.58%), and textiles & apparel (up 1.71%) posted the largest gains. In contrast, general services (down 3.43%), telecommunications (down 1.08%), pharmaceuticals (down 0.86%), and distribution (down 0.45%) finished lower.

Among the top market cap stocks, performances were mixed. Battery-related stocks such as Ecopro BM (up 6.62%) and Ecopro (up 6.59%) rose along with HLB (up 7.71%) and Samchundang Pharm (up 5.68%), while Alteogen (down 6.95%), ABL Bio (down 1.47%), Rainbow Robotics (down 0.22%), Legochem Biosciences (down 2.59%), Kolon TissueGene (down 0.95%), and Peptron (down 4.51%) declined.

KB Securities researchers Lim Jeongeun and Tae Yunseon analyzed, "With the release of the U.S. December Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Korea-Japan summit scheduled for tomorrow, it is worth noting that U.S. President Donald Trump continues to make hardline remarks on geopolitical issues involving Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and Greenland, while uncertainty remains due to the launch of an investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell."