"A New Chapter for Korea's Stock Market"... Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) Tops 5,100, Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) Surpasses 1,100 [FN Morning Market Report]

[Financial News] The country’s two main stock indices soared to fresh record highs. Both indices gained more than 1%, with the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) breaking above the 5,100 level and the Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) climbing past 1,100.
At 10:08 a.m. on the 28th, the KOSPI was trading at 5,163.26, up 78.41 points (1.54%) from the previous session. The index opened 1.19% higher at 5,145.39 and then extended its gains.
In the KOSPI Market, individual investors alone bought 905.3 billion won worth of shares, lifting the index. Foreign investors and institutions recorded net sales of 695.8 billion won and 217.9 billion won, respectively.
By sector, electrical and electronics (2.95%), securities (2.44%), and insurance (2.14%) advanced, while utilities including electricity and gas (-1.44%), metals (-0.81%), and IT services (-0.62%) declined.
Among large-cap stocks by market capitalization, Samsung Electronics (2.19%), SK hynix (5.0%), Hyundai Motor (1.33%), and LG Energy Solution (5.39%) were strong. Samsung Biologics (-0.22%) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-0.85%) showed slight weakness.
Overnight, the U.S. stock market ended mixed. Tech names such as Nvidia, Micron Technology, and Microsoft (MS) were strong on expectations of higher NAND prices and solid fourth-quarter earnings, but the December consumer confidence index came in weaker than expected.
Han Ji-young, a researcher at KIWOOM Securities, said, "Today, despite cooling U.S. consumer sentiment and heightened volatility in the dollar and interest rates, the market is expected to open higher, supported by strength in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) and conciliatory remarks from Donald Trump." She added, "During the session, as investors turn cautious ahead of the January Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting and take profits in recently surging sectors, the market is likely to shift into a rotational pattern."
The KOSDAQ was trading at 1,113.08, up 30.49 points (2.82%) from the previous session. The index opened 10.88 points (1.0%) higher at 1,093.47 and rallied sharply early in the session.
In the KOSDAQ market, foreign investors and institutions bought 174.1 billion won and 784.3 billion won worth of shares, respectively, while individual investors sold 883.0 billion won.
nodelay@fnnews.com Park Ji-yeon Reporter