KOSPI Falls to 4,899 Before Briefly Rebounding Above 5,000 on Retail and Institutional Buying

According to Financial News, the KOSPI fell intraday to the 4,899 level but briefly recovered the 5,000 mark on the back of buying by retail investors and institutions.
As of 10:20 a.m. on the 6th, the KOSPI was trading at 4,978.32, down 185.25 points (3.59%) from the previous session. The index opened at 5,013.15, a decline of 150.42 points (2.91%) from the prior close. It slid to as low as 4,899.30 during the session, briefly climbed back above 5,000, then turned lower again.
In the KOSPI Market, retail investors and institutions were net buyers of 1.3963 trillion won and 27.7 billion won, respectively. Foreign investors, by contrast, were net sellers of 1.4598 trillion won.
All industry sectors were in negative territory. Telecommunications (-4.85%), transportation equipment and parts (-4.39%), retail (-4.17%), securities (-3.88%), metals (-3.49%), and machinery and equipment (-3.40%) were among the weakest performers.
Most large-cap stocks by market capitalization were also under pressure. Samsung Electronics (-3.08%), SK hynix (-3.33%), Hyundai Motor (-5.02%), LG Energy Solution (-3.80%), Samsung Biologics (-2.88%), and SK Square (-5.81%) all declined. In contrast, KB Financial Group gained 7.53%, and Shinhan Financial Group edged up 0.33%.
The KOSPI appeared to be weighed down by renewed concerns over a potential artificial intelligence (AI) bubble. Overnight, the three major U.S. stock indices all closed lower on worries that AI agents could devastate the existing software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry.
Lee Sung-hoon, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said, "The U.S. stock market ended lower due to concerns over higher costs following Alphabet Inc.’s sharp upward revision of its AI-related capital expenditure outlook, which triggered a correction in software stocks, as well as a slump in risk appetite after steep drops in Bitcoin and silver prices." He added, "A weak opening for the domestic market is inevitable today, as it reflects the correction in U.S. AI-related tech stocks and related factors."
At the same time, the KOSDAQ index was trading at 1,069.73, up 38.68 points (3.49%) from the previous session. It had opened at 1,077.08, down 31.33 points (2.83%) from the prior close.
In the KOSDAQ market, institutions and foreign investors were net buyers of 92 billion won and 3.9 billion won, respectively, while retail investors were net sellers of 70.9 billion won.


yimsh0214@fnnews.com Reporter Lim Sang-hyuk Reporter