KOSPI Turns Lower, KOSDAQ Hits 1,062... Record Highs Abound

KOSPI Hits Record High of 5,062 Before Profit-Taking
KOSDAQ Reaches 1,062, Marking Five-Year Peak
Institutions Post Record Net Purchases of 2 Trillion Won

After reaching an all-time high, the KOSPI has dipped below the 5,000 mark and is taking a brief pause, while the KOSDAQ is soaring, hitting its highest level in five years.

As of 1:50 p.m. on January 26, the KOSPI was at 4,951.33, down 0.78% from the previous trading day. The index opened slightly higher at 4,997.54 and climbed to a new all-time high of 5,023.76. However, it later fell back to the 4,900 range as investors took profits.

By investor group, foreigners and institutions recorded net sales of 696.7 billion won and 1.03 trillion won, respectively. Individual investors alone made net purchases of 1.75 trillion won, the largest amount since January 8, when it reached 1.86 trillion won.

Almost all sectors turned downward. Several sectors posted declines of more than 1%, including construction (-2.65%), retail (-2.28%), transportation and storage (-1.86%), food, beverage and tobacco (-1.55%), transportation equipment and parts (-1.51%), electricity and gas (-1.48%), machinery and equipment (-1.28%), electrical and electronics (-1.09%), and securities (-1.04%). Only a few sectors saw gains, such as metals (5.05%), medical and precision instruments (3.46%), and IT services (1.20%).

The majority of the top 10 companies by market capitalization also declined. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-4.3%), Hyundai Motor (-3.6%), SK Hynix (-3.1%), Kia (-2.0%), and Doosan Enerbility (-1.8%) experienced notable drops. Only Hanwha Aerospace rose, gaining 0.4%.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ stood at 1,052.05, up 5.85% from the previous trading day. Around 1:20 p.m., it reached a new 52-week high of 1,062.00. This is the highest level in five years since the previous record of 1,062.03 on August 6, 2021. After opening slightly higher, the "Cheonsdaq" maintained its upward momentum.

In contrast, foreign investors and institutions in the KOSDAQ market recorded net purchases of 576.1 billion won and 2.03 trillion won, respectively. Individual investors made net sales of 2.51 trillion won. Both the net selling by individuals and the net buying by institutions reached record levels.

All sectors in the KOSDAQ market were on the rise. The financial sector surged by a remarkable 12.52%. Many other sectors also posted gains of more than 2%, including pharmaceuticals (8.24%), machinery and equipment (7.05%), general services (6.30%), manufacturing (6.00%), electrical and electronics (5.74%), chemicals (4.86%), non-metallics (4.18%), medical and precision instruments (3.46%), retail (3.41%), entertainment and culture (2.47%), and paper and wood (2.02%).

All of the top 10 companies by market capitalization in the KOSDAQ also posted gains. Several companies saw double-digit increases, including Rainbow Robotics (22.8%), ABL Bio (19.1%), Ecopro (16.9%), Ecopro BM (14.7%), and LegoChem Biosciences (11.3%).