The KOSPI index reached a new record high, closing at 8476.15, driven by strong institutional buying. The index maintained its upward momentum, buoyed by gains in semiconductor and large-cap stocks.
According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI rose by 290.86 points (3.55%) from the previous trading day. It opened at 8384.31, up 199.02 points (2.43%), and fluctuated throughout the day, surpassing the previous high of 8457.09 at one point.
In terms of trading activity, individuals and foreign investors sold a net 1.4 trillion won and 1.07 trillion won, respectively, while institutions bought a net 2.36 trillion won, leading the index's rise.
Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities, noted, "The KOSPI's strength was fueled by the existing upward trend of leading stocks and the anticipation surrounding Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, visiting South Korea. Although foreign and individual investors were net sellers, the increased buying from institutions and financial investors exerted upward pressure on the index."
Most of the top stocks in the securities market showed strong performance. Samsung Electronics rose by 5.51%, SK Hynix by 2.05%, SK Square by 0.65%, Samsung Electro-Mechanics by 14.82%, Hyundai Motor by 6.79%, LG Energy Solution by 3.39%, Samsung Life by 8.81%, and Samsung C&T by 8.01%.
In contrast, the KOSDAQ index struggled, closing at 1074.80, down 29.56 points (2.68%). It opened at 1112.15, up 7.79 points (0.71%), but reversed course as selling pressure from foreign and institutional investors increased.
In the KOSDAQ market, individuals bought a net 310.1 billion won, while foreign and institutional investors sold a net 17.4 billion won and 300.5 billion won, respectively, contributing to the index's decline.
The top stocks in the KOSDAQ also generally performed poorly. EcoPro BM fell by 0.46%, Alteogen by 0.14%, EcoPro by 3.52%, JUSUNG Engineering by 3.85%, Kolon TissueGene by 4.54%, Rino Technology by 1.72%, and Peptron by 5.00%. However, Rainbow Robotics rose by 0.71%, Samchundang Pharm by 0.30%, and HLB by 0.59%.
Meanwhile, interest in single-stock leverage exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued, marking their third trading day alongside the KOSPI's strength. According to Koscom ETF Check, four of the top ten ETFs by trading volume were single-stock leverage ETFs for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
The KODEX SK Hynix Single-Stock Leverage ETF recorded a trading volume of 27.48 trillion won, ranking second overall, while the TIGER SK Hynix Single-Stock Leverage ETF ranked fourth with 16.60 trillion won. The KODEX Samsung Electronics Single-Stock Leverage ETF and TIGER Samsung Electronics Single-Stock Leverage ETF recorded trading volumes of 15.39 trillion won and 9.88 trillion won, respectively.
However, returns varied by stock. The KODEX Samsung Electronics Single-Stock Leverage ETF and TIGER Samsung Electronics Single-Stock Leverage ETF rose by 12.05% and 12.58%, respectively, thanks to Samsung's strong performance. In contrast, the KODEX SK Hynix Single-Stock Leverage ETF and TIGER SK Hynix Single-Stock Leverage ETF only increased by 3.19% and 2.57%.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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