KOSPI Breaks Above 8,200 at Close for the First Time, Hitting an All-Time High [Market Close]

\r\n
\r\n[The Financial News] KOSPI broke above the 8,200 level at the close on the 27th, setting a new all-time high, as gains in semiconductor stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix drove the market higher. Buying pressure intensified after the launch of a semiconductor single-stock leveraged Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) and a rally in semiconductors on the U.S. stock market. A buy-side circuit breaker was triggered early in the session. In contrast, KOSDAQ fell more than 3% on net selling by institutions and foreigners, showing a clear decoupling between the two indices.
\r\nAccording to the Korea Exchange (KRX), KOSPI closed at 8,228.70, up 2.25% from the previous trading day. The index opened 2.42% higher at 8,242.12 and extended its gains shortly after the market opened. At one point, it rose as high as 8,457.09, up 5.09%, surpassing 8,400 intraday for the first time ever. The sharp rise at the start of trading also triggered a buy-side circuit breaker.
The gains narrowed somewhat toward the end of the session. The KOSPI 200 Volatility Index (VKOSPI) rose 3.95% from the previous day to 70.78, extending its advance for a second straight day.
By investor type, retail investors and institutions bought a net 406.4 billion won and 188 billion won, respectively. Foreign investors, meanwhile, posted net sales of 449.8 billion won. That marked 14 consecutive trading days of net selling by foreigners.
The rally was clearly led by the two large-cap semiconductor stocks. Samsung Electronics closed at 307,000 won, up 2.68% from the previous session, after climbing as high as 323,000 won intraday, a gain of 8.03%, to set a new record. SK hynix also closed at 2,243,000 won, up 9.31%, and touched 2,358,000 won intraday, up 14.91%, for an all-time high.
However, most other stocks outside the semiconductor sector failed to join the rally. By sector, electricity and electronics rose 7.12%, and manufacturing gained 5.01%, while construction fell 5.60% and medical and precision instruments dropped 5.32%.
KOSDAQ closed at 1,133.13, down 3.36% from the previous trading day, weighed down by the concentration of gains in large-cap stocks.
\r\n
elikim@fnnews.com Kim Mi-hee Reporter