KOSPI Closes at Record 5,221 for the First Time; KOSDAQ Also Hits New 52-Week High at 1,164 [FN Closing Market]

[Financial News] Powered by strong net buying from retail investors, the KOSPI broke through the 5,200-point level at the close for the first time in its history.
According to the Korea Exchange (KRX) on the 29th, the KOSPI ended the session at 5,221.25, up 50.44 points (0.98%) from the previous day. The index opened 1.40% higher at 5,243.42, climbed intraday to 5,252.61, then retreated before rebounding again to finish higher.
In the KOSPI Market, individual investors alone bought 16.175 trillion won worth of shares, driving the index higher. In contrast, foreign investors and institutions sold 15.07 trillion won and 1.502 trillion won, respectively.
By sector, securities surged 9.99%, showing a "super-strong" rally. Machinery and equipment (3.00%), transportation and storage (2.93%), finance (2.57%), electricity and gas (2.56%), transportation equipment and parts (2.39%), metals (2.33%), and IT services (2.18%) also advanced. Pharmaceuticals fell 0.93%, while electrical and electronics edged down 0.04%.
Among large-cap stocks by market capitalization, SK hynix (2.38%), Hyundai Motor Company (7.21%), SK Square (5.16%), Hanwha Aerospace (1.09%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (0.85%), and Kia Corporation (3.61%) were strong. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (-0.86%), LG Energy Solution (-3.13%), and Samsung Biologics (-0.56%) weakened.
Brokerage analysts say the bullish trend in the stock market continues, led by major semiconductor names. Lee Jae-won, a researcher at Shinhan Securities, noted, "Foreign investors and institutions carried out large-scale net selling today, and most of it was profit-taking in semiconductor stocks that had reported strong earnings." He added, "SK hynix announced earnings that beat expectations, and Samsung Electronics expressed confidence in HBM4E (High Bandwidth Memory 4E), which kept the upward momentum in semiconductors intact."
The KOSDAQ Index also set a new 52-week high. It closed at 1,164.41, up 30.89 points (2.73%) from the previous session. The index opened 19.91 points (1.76%) higher at 1,153.43 and extended its gains throughout the session.
Institutional investors in the financial investment industry, including those managing Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF), bought 20.422 trillion won worth of shares, while foreign investors purchased 2.153 trillion won, together driving the rise. Retail investors sold 21.28 trillion won.
Lee explained, "The financial investment industry bought a substantial amount of KOSDAQ today," adding, "Expectations for growth in industries such as robot stocks, combined with profit-taking sentiment, widened the intraday volatility."

yimsh0214@fnnews.com Lim Sang-hyuk Reporter