Seoul shares open lower amid rate-cut delay prospects

Seoul shares opened lower Monday, after a mixed close on Wall Street, as investors remain concerned over a possible delay in long-awaited interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 6.15 points, or 0.22 percent, to 2,752.27 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2 percent to 38,589.16 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.1 percent to 17,688.88. The Fed has recently pared back projections for rate cu

June 17, 2024

Seoul shares up for 4th day on revived hopes for Fed's rate cut

South Korean shares closed up for the fourth consecutive session Friday amid hopes for a US rate cut that helped push US stock indexes to record highs. The local currency lost ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 3.53 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 2,758.42. Trade volume was heavy at 633.1 million shares worth 15.7 trillion won ($11.38 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 481 to 399. Foreign investors remained net buyers for a third con

June 14, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened slightly higher Friday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 4.72 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,759.61 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Kospi has finished higher for three consecutive sessions, tracking US stock indexes that climbed to record highs amid a slowdown in inflation. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 again reached new highs Thursday, helped by renewed hopes for the start of US rate cuts within the year

June 14, 2024

Seoul shares gain nearly 1% on tech gains

South Korean stocks finished nearly 1 percent higher Thursday, extending their winning streak to a third session on tech gains. The local currency slightly rose against the US greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surged 26.72 points, or 0.98 percent, to 2,754.89. Trade volume was heavy at 690 million shares worth 18.9 trillion won ($13.72 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 461 to 398. The index had opened sharply higher, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street led b

June 13, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened over 1 percent higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surged 37.26 points, or 1.37 percent, to 2,765.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The bullish start follows overnight gains on Wall Street where the advances of tech shares, led by Apple, pushed the Nasdaq to a new high for the third consecutive session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.09 percent to 37,712.21, but the Nasdaq jumped 1.5

June 13, 2024

Seoul shares up for 2nd day ahead of Fed's rate decision

South Korean shares closed higher Wednesday led by gains in tech shares tracking advances on Wall Street, ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate decision. The local currency gained ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 22.85 points, or 0.84 percent, to close at 2,728.17. Trade volume was moderate at 499.4 million shares worth 11.5 trillion won ($8.35 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 502 to 372. Foreign investors net purchased 234.4 billio

June 12, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on US tech gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains by US big tech shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.05 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,714.37 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US stock market closed mixed overnight as investors remained cautious about the conclusion of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, set to end Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 0.31 percent to close at 38,747.42, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq advance

June 12, 2024

Seoul shares close tad higher ahead of US Fed meeting

South Korean shares closed slightly higher Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting this week. The local currency fell slightly against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 4.15 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 2,705.32. Trade volume was moderate at 550 million shares worth 11.6 trillion won ($8.4 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 510 to 349. The index had opened higher, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. After choppy tra

June 11, 2024

KB Kookmin Card's Indonesia unit marks 30th anniversary

KB Kookmin Card on Monday celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Indonesian subsidiary, KB Finansia Multi Finance, in the capital city Jakarta. Established in 1994, KB FMF is a credit finance corporation that primarily offers mortgages for used cars and motorcycles, as well as installment financing for durable goods. KB Kookmin Card acquired shares of KB FMF in July 2020, integrating it as a subsidiary. KB Kookmin Card CEO Lee Chang-kwon attended the event and encouraged local employees, present

June 11, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street ahead of a US Fed meeting. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.99 points, or 0.37 percent, to 2,711.16 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The positive start follows overnight gains on Wall Street, with investors taking caution ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting slated for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.18 percent to close at 38,868.0

June 11, 2024

Seoul shares close lower ahead of US Fed meeting; won sharply down

South Korean shares closed lower Monday as investors took to the sidelines ahead of the US Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting later this week. The local currency sharply lost ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 21.5 points, or 0.79 percent, to close at 2,701.17. Trade volume was moderate at 499.3 million shares worth 11.16 trillion won ($8.1 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 499 to 381. Retail investors scooped up a net 553.8 billi

June 10, 2024

400,000 minors own Samsung Electronics shares worth W1.54tr

The number of underage stakeholders in Samsung Electronics, the country's largest company by market capitalization, has surged nearly 21 times in four years, reaching almost 400,000. According to the Korea Securities Depository's securities data portal, as of the end of last year, there were 391,869 Samsung Electronics shareholders under the age of 20, making up 8.38 percent of the total 4,672,130 shareholders. The total value of Samsung Electronics shares owned by these underage inves

June 10, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply lower ahead of Fed meeting

Seoul shares opened sharply lower Monday ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 28.47 points, or 1.05 percent, to 2,694.20 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The weak start follows losses on Wall Street last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 87.18 points, or 0.22 percent, to close at 38,798.99 on Friday, following stronger-than-expected employment data that weakened hopes for a US rate cut. The US Federal R

June 10, 2024

From K bank to Shift Up, major players to heat up IPO market

South Korea's initial public offering market is set to maintain its momentum in the latter half of the year, driven by the stock market recovery, as well as the successful listings of big names earlier this year. Having shaken off last year's slump, the total amount raised through IPOs stood at 1.6 trillion won ($1.16 billion) as of end-May, accounting for over 40 percent of the previous year's annual total of 3.86 trillion won. Just in June, an additional 700 billion won is expected to flood in

June 9, 2024

Seoul shares rise over 1% on revived rate-cut hopes

South Korean stocks ended more than 1 percent higher Friday as investors' hopes for US rate cuts increased after the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time in almost five years. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 33.17 points, or 1.23 percent, to close at 2,722.67. Trade volume was heavy at 771.8 million shares worth 12.2 trillion won ($8.9 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 460 to 400. Foreign invest

June 7, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply higher on tech gains

South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Friday backed by gains of big-cap tech and financial shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 38.36 points, or 1.43 percent, to 2,727.86 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock market closed mixed as investors remained cautious ahead of key jobs data to be released later in the day, which will likely set the tone for the Federal Reserve's rate policy. In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.9

June 7, 2024

KLCA supports listed firms to offer corporate information in English

The Korea Listed Companies Association said Monday it has launched guidelines for listed firms to offer their corporate information in English and increase accessibility for foreign investors. The guidelines offer a standardized form for articles of incorporation, including key details about a company, the general purpose of the corporation, the type and number of shares, the board election process and more. The association has shared the standard form for articles of incorporation since 1980 bu

June 5, 2024

Seoul shares rise over 1% on US rate cut hopes

South Korean stocks rose more than 1 percent Wednesday backed by gains of chip and battery shares amid hopes for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 27.40 points, or 1.03 percent, to close at 2,689.50. Trade volume was heavy at 871 million shares worth 13.4 trillion won ($9.76 billion), with gainers far outpacing losers 642 to 226. Foreign investors bought shares worth a net 589 billion won, while

June 5, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on hopes for Fed rate cut

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Wednesday backed by gains of chip and battery shares amid hopes for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 7.42 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,669.52 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock market closed slightly higher on softer-than-expected labor market data that bolstered hopes for an interest rate cut by the Fed. In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 1.99 percent f

June 5, 2024

Seoul shares end lower on profit taking

South Korean stocks closed lower Tuesday after strong gains in the previous session and mixed overnight results on Wall Street. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 20.42 points, or 0.76 percent, to close at 2,662.10. Trade volume was heavy at 759.2 million shares worth 12.5 trillion won ($9.07 billion), with losers far outpacing gainers 642 to 226. Foreigners and institutions dumped shares worth a net 516 billion won, while individu

June 4, 2024