KOSPI Tops 5,500 Before Closing at 5,290.53 ... Foreign Investors Net Sell 703.4 Billion Won [fn Market Close]

[Financial News] The KOSPI rose more than 3% early in the session, topping the 5,500 mark, but then reversed course and closed below 5,300. Foreign investors, who had been buying stocks in the morning, turned net sellers during the session, while Samsung Electronics and SK hynix also fell. KOSDAQ rose more than 4% at one point but gave back most of its gains.
According to the Korea Exchange (KRX), the KOSPI closed at 5,290.53 on the 13th, down 52.20 points (0.98%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 5,452.41, up 109.68 points (2.05%), and climbed to 5,504.44 early in the session. After noon, it reversed course and fell as low as 5,259.09 before paring some of its losses. The gap between the intraday high and low was 245.35 points.
According to KB Securities' tally as of 3:30 p.m., foreign and institutional investors net sold 703.4 billion won and 22 billion won, respectively, on the main board. Individual investors net bought 180.1 billion won. Foreign investors, who had been net buyers in the morning, turned net sellers during the session, recording net sales for the first time in four trading days. SK hynix was the stock they net sold the most on the main board, at 471.6 billion won.
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which had risen into the 3% and 5% ranges, respectively, during the session, gave back all their gains. Samsung Electronics closed at 206,000 won, down 2,000 won (0.96%) from the previous trading day, while SK hynix ended at 1,216,000 won, down 38,000 won (3.03%). Samsung Electro-Mechanics (-3.50%) and Samsung Biologics (-2.62%) also fell. By contrast, Shinhan Financial Group (5.65%) and KB Financial Group (4.74%) rose.
By sector, electricity and gas posted the steepest decline, falling 7.74%. Electrical and electronics (-1.79%) and metals (-1.67%) also weakened.
KOSDAQ closed at 699.66, up 3.13 points (0.45%) from the previous trading day. The index climbed as high as 725.81 during the session, a gain of 4.20%, but pared its advance in the afternoon to finish below 700. According to KB Securities' tally, institutional investors net bought 127 billion won on the KOSDAQ market. Individual and foreign investors net sold 74.1 billion won and 61.3 billion won, respectively.
Lim Jeong-eun, a researcher at KB Securities, said in her closing comment that concerns had grown after Jensen Huang's resignation over “whether the circular financing structure within the AI ecosystem would continue and the stability of funding.” She said it would be necessary to watch “the market reaction and changes in supply and demand” in response to key upcoming events, including NVIDIA's earnings announcement next week.

[email protected] Lee Jeong-hwa Reporter