Seoul shares open lower tracking Wall Street slump

South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Friday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street amid lowering hopes for the US Federal Reserve's early rate cuts. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 34.27 points, or 1.26 percent, to 2,687.54 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The S&P 500 fell 0.7 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.5 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite went down 0.4 percent as hotter-than-expected economic reports raised speculations the

May 24, 2024

Seoul shares close almost flat on Fed minutes despite chip gains

South Korean stocks closed almost flat Thursday as an increase in big-cap semiconductor shares was offset by hawkish tones in the latest minutes of the US Federal Reserve. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index edged down 1.65 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 2,721.81. Trade volume was moderate at 421.6 million shares worth 11.3 trillion won ($8.3 billion), with losers beating winners 530 to 349. Individual investors and institutions un

May 23, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on Fed minutes

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street spooked by hawkish tones in the latest minutes of the US Federal Reserve. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 15.57 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,707.89 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In the United States, S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.5 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite went down 0.2 percent as the Fed minutes showed the disappointment of i

May 23, 2024

Seoul shares close nearly flat ahead of Fed minutes

South Korean stocks ended nearly flat Wednesday as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of the release of the US Federal Open Market Committee's meeting minutes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index edged down 0.72 points, or 0.03 percent, to close at 2,723.46. Trade volume was moderate at 476 million shares worth 12.1 trillion won ($8.92 billion), with losers beating winners 474 to 402. Foreigners bought a net 296 billion won worth of local shares, while individuals offloaded a

May 22, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on tech, insurance losses

South Korean stocks opened lower on Wednesday, mainly due to losses from technology and insurance shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 13.59 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,710.59 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Top tech giant Samsung Electronics slid 1.28 percent, and LG Electronics shed 0.62 percent to 95,900 won. Insurance firms were among major losers as well, with Samsung Life Insurance falling 2.94 percent and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance decreasing 3.48 per

May 22, 2024

FSS briefs Hong Kong bankers on new short selling system

The Financial Supervisory Service officials visited Hong Kong to seek cooperation with financial authorities and investment banks there for the regulator’s efforts to stamp out illegal short selling. During his two-day visit from Thursday, a delegation led by FSS Senior Deputy Gov. Hahm Yong-il met executives in charge of the Asia-Pacific region at seven global investment banks to inform them about the Korean government’s plan to set up a monitoring system designed to detect illega

May 21, 2024

Seoul shares end lower ahead of Fed minutes release

South Korean stocks ended lower Tuesday ahead of a release of the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 17.96 points, or 0.65 percent, to close at 2,724.18. Trade volume was moderate at 547.5 million shares worth 10.02 trillion won ($7.3 billion), with losers beating winners 585 to 290. Individual investors purchased a net 501.7 billion won worth of local shares,

May 21, 2024

Seoul shares open lower on declines in technology stocks

South Korean stocks started lower Tuesday as big-cap tech shares fell across the board. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 10.94 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,731.20 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, major US stock indexes closed mixed, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite up 0.7 percent to hit a record high on chip rally ahead of Nvidia's earnings release Wednesday and S&P 500 up 0.1 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.5 percent lower. In Seo

May 21, 2024

Seoul shares close higher on tech, auto gains

South Korean stocks finished higher Monday led by strong gains in chip and auto heavyweights ahead of key events in the United States. The local currency fell slightly against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 17.52 points, or 0.64 percent, to 2,742.14, rebounding from a 1.03 percent drop the previous session. Trade volume was moderate at 572.2 million shares worth 12.1 trillion won ($8.92 billion), with losers slightly beating winners 474 to 402. Institution

May 20, 2024

[Photo News] Give a boost to K-finance

From left: Blackstone Group CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman, KB Financial Group Chairman Yang Jong-hee and Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Bok-hyun pose for a photo during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between the US alternative investment management firm and the Korean financial holding firm held in New York on Thursday. The two companies agreed to go beyond their current cooperation in alternative asset funds to expand their partnership by making joint investments in various

May 20, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on continued rate-cut hopes

South Korean stocks started higher Monday on continued hopes for a possible US rate cut. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 19.76 points, or 0.73 percent, to 2,744.38 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wall Street on Friday, US stocks rallied to hit a record high, with the Dow Jones Industrial rising 0.34 percent to top the 40,000 point line for the first time. In Seoul, market heavyweights opened bullish. Top cap Samsung Electronics jumped 1.16 percent, and its chipmakin

May 20, 2024

Seoul shares dip over 1% on profit hunting, caution over Fed's rate cuts

South Korean stocks slumped more than 1 percent Friday as investors locked in profits from a recent rally caused by hope for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 28.38 points, or 1.03 percent, to 2,724.62, snapping a two-session winning streak. It rose 0.83 percent on the previous day. Trade volume was moderate at 561.1 million shares worth 10.3 trillion won ($7.6 billion), with losers beating winne

May 17, 2024

Seoul shares start tad lower on profit taking

South Korean stocks started a tad lower Friday following the previous day's rally amid hopes for a US rate cut. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 6.19 points, or 0.22 percent, to 2,746.81 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wall Street, major stock indices closed lower Thursday after their record high on the previous day on data showing a slowdown in inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.26 percent. In Seoul, most

May 17, 2024

Seoul shares up for 2nd day on revived rate-cut hopes; won soars to near 2-month high

South Korean stocks finished nearly 1 percent up Thursday as hopes for a possible US rate cut boosted investor sentiment here. The local currency sharply rose to an almost two-month high against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 22.66 points, or 0.83 percent, to 2,753, after reaching an intraday high of 2,773.46 points. Trade volume was moderate at 510.3 million shares worth 13 trillion won ($9.66 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 531 to 345. Foreign i

May 16, 2024

[Herald Interview] For US overnight stockbroker Blue Ocean, golden hour falls on Sunday 8 p.m.

For Blue Ocean ATS, a broker platform that facilitates overnight trading for the US stock market, Sunday night is the peak trading hour as South Korean investors flock to execute orders before the US day trading begins. “Sunday night is our biggest night when it is Monday morning for the Asian investors and Korean investors. They start trading at 8 p.m. when traditional exchanges here in the US do not open until 9:30 a.m. on Monday,” Brian Hyndman, president and CEO at Blue Ocean Tec

May 16, 2024

Seoul shares start sharply higher on hopes for US rate cut

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Thursday on hopes for the US Federal Reserve's possible rate cut after slower-than-expected inflation in the world's largest economy. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 35.69 points, or 1.31 percent, to 2,766.03 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock market closed at record highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.88 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite jumping 1.4 percent. The la

May 16, 2024

[Contribution] Where to invest your time -- career or investing

By Steve Brice From a very young age, we are taught that if you want to get better at something, then you need to expend time and effort to learn the necessary skills. We are also taught that you should focus on areas that you are going to make the biggest impact. When it comes to maximizing your financial position in life, the best way is to focus on your career and adopt a simple approach to investing i.e. regularly invest into a diversified portfolio regardless of what videos you see on TikTo

May 15, 2024

Seoul shares end tad higher ahead of US inflation data

South Korean stocks ended slightly higher Tuesday as investors took a wait-and-see stance ahead of US inflation data expected to affect the US Federal Reserve's rate-setting decision. The Korean won dropped against the US greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index went up 3.13 points, or 0.11 percent, to 2,730.34. Trade volume was slim at 436.6 million shares worth 9.3 trillion won ($6.79 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 526 to 342. Foreign investors and institutio

May 14, 2024

Seoul shares open almost flat ahead of US inflation data

South Korean stocks opened almost flat Tuesday as investors awaited a key US inflation report set to be released later this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 0.51 point, or 0.02 percent, to 2,727.72 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the S&P 500 closed almost flat, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite gained 0.3 percent. Investors' eyes are on the US Consumer Price Index data for April due out Wed

May 14, 2024

Seoul shares almost flat ahead of US inflation data

South Korean stocks ended almost flat Monday as investors were cautious ahead of the release of US inflation data set to be released later this week. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.42 point, or 0.02 percent, to 2,727.21. Trade volume was slightly heavy at 614.2 million shares worth 12.9 trillion won ($9.4 billion), with losers outpacing winners 481 to 380. Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained ground for the fourth c

May 13, 2024