Seoul shares opened lower Wednesday as investors locked in profits following a two-session winning streak despite overnight Wall Street gains. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 2.17 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,863.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street shares rose on rising expectations for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.9 percent to hit a fresh high, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite gained 0.2 pe

Seoul shares closed lower to snap their three-day rise Monday as investors moved to lock in profits. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 4.47 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,857.76. Trade volume was moderate at 420.2 million shares worth 9.8 trillion won ($7.1 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 518 to 344. The Kospi declined as retail investors and institutions sold shares worth 184.2 billion won and 347.6 billion won, respect

South Korean shares hit the highest level in nearly two and half years on Thursday, with much-awaited tax incentive plans for the Korean government’s program to boost the stock market taking shape. The benchmark Kospi rose 1.11 percent to close at 2,824.94, reaching the highest since January in 2022. Institutional and foreign investors were net buyers of shares worth 1.11 trillion won ($803.8 million) and 321.5 billion won, respectively, while retail investors sold off 1.41 billion of sh

South Korean stocks finished more than 1 percent higher to hit this year's high Thursday as investor sentiment was boosted by revived hopes for a rate cut in the United States and Samsung Electronics' upcoming earnings guidance. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 30.93 points, or 1.11 percent, to 2,824.94. It marked the highest closing price since Jan. 21, 2022, when it finished at 2,834.29. Trade volume was slim at 386.4 million shares worth 12.8 trillion won ($9.26

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street led by hopes for a possible rate hike. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 23.37 points, or 0.84 percent, to 2,817.38 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In the United States, the S&P 500 index and tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose to hit record highs backed by Tesla and Nvidia amid softening labor data raising hopes for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. In Seoul, market bellwet

South Korean stocks finished higher Wednesday as investor sentiment was boosted by Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell's comments for a possible interest rate cut. The local currency traded weaker against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 13.15 points, or 0.47 percent, to 2,794.01, rebounding from the previous session's 0.84 percent drop. Trade volume was slim at 334.2 million shares worth 10.1 trillion won ($7.26 billion), with decliners beating gain

Foreign investors’ net purchases on the South Korean stock market during the first six months of this year surged to an all-time high of over 23 trillion won ($16.6 billion), according to the nation's sole bourse operator, the Korea Exchange, on Sunday. Overseas investors amassed a total of 23.28 trillion won worth of local shares in the first half of this year, the highest since the Korea Exchange began compiling related data in 1998. The previous high was set at 12.23 trillion won

Seoul shares opened a tad higher Friday ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 2.61 points, or 0.09 percent, to 2,786.67 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street closed slightly higher, as the US personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index for May is set to be released Friday, the latest data for any clues on the Fed's monetary policy direction. In Seoul, market bellweth

Seoul shares opened lower Thursday despite overnight gains on Wall Street as big-cap tech stocks started off weak. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 24.58 points, or 0.88 percent, to 2,767.47 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street closed higher, mainly driven by megacap tech shares' performance. But Micron Technology declined after earnings results failed to meet investors' expectations. In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 0.74 pe

Seoul shares opened lower Wednesday as big-cap tech and auto shares started in negative territory. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 5.23 points, or 0.19 percent, to 2,769.16 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.76 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 gained 1.26 percent and 0.39 percent, respectively, as megacap tech shares gained ground. In Seoul, tech behemoth Samsung Electronics lost 0.87 percent, while No. 2

More local banks are implementing so-called optional "parental resignation" programs as internal welfare measures, as one attempt to address the nation's notoriously low birth rate problem. According to industry sources, Woori Bank recently received applications for parental resignations with the guarantee of re-employment. A total of 35 employees applied, and they are scheduled to resign at the end of this month to begin a maximum two and a half years of unpaid child care leave.

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

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

US insurance group Chubb is uniting its three Korean affiliates under the Lina brand, seeking to create synergies by integrating brand identities. Ace American Fire and Marine Insurance Company Korea, Chubb's general insurance subsidiary, announced Friday that it will rename its brand from Ace General Insurance to Lina General Insurance starting Saturday, aligning with Chubb Korea's other affiliates -- Lina Life Insurance and Lina One. "The unified 'Lina' brand embodies

KB Financial Group is to release a plan to uplift its corporate value in the fourth quarter as part of the government's "corporate value-up” directive, the financial giant said Monday in a regulatory filing. Its board members and executives held a meeting Friday, discussing how to boost its corporate value through mid- to long-term asset management, asset growth strategies and shareholder return policies, according to the announcement. The boost plan will include monitoring of th