The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) is up more than 1% during the trading day, thanks to simultaneous buying by foreigners and institutions. The calming of tariff conflicts between the United States and Canada and the agreement between Russia and Ukraine on a '30-day ceasefire' are interpreted as positive influences on investor sentiment.
According to the Korea Exchange, as of 11:20 a.m. on the 12th, the KOSPI index was up 38.78 points (1.53%) to 2576.38. The index started at 2552.60, 15.00 points (0.59%) higher than the previous close, and has continued to rise.
Foreigners are leading the index rise with a net purchase of over 100 billion won. Although foreigners initially engaged in selling, they quickly shifted to buying. Institutions are also net buyers, with 93.3 billion won. In contrast, individuals started as buyers but are net sellers, disposing of 233.3 billion won.
Last night, as mutual tariff conflicts between the United States and Canada escalated, domestic stock market sluggishness was anticipated; however, it turned favorable as the two countries reached a dramatic resolution. The White House announced it would withdraw the additional tariff policy on Canadian steel and aluminum products after the New York stock market closed.
Kim Ji-won, a researcher at KB Securities, noted, 'Market fatigue has increased due to Trump's weaponization of tariffs' and 'Although the continued adjustment in the U.S. stock market has kept the Korean stock market in a solid trend, the expansion of volatility linked to tariffs is inevitable.'
By sector, major KOSPI semiconductor stocks, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, are both in strong condition. This comes as Nvidia's stock price recovers, alongside expectations for improved demand for D-RAM. SK hynix has risen over 4%. Additionally, all of the top 10 companies by KOSPI market capitalization are experiencing increases in their stock prices.
At the same time, the KOSDAQ index recorded 734.01, up 12.51 points (1.73%) from the previous trading day. The index started at 724.58, up 3.08 points (0.43%) from the last close. Institutions and individuals are net purchasers of 25.5 billion won and 9 billion won, respectively, driving the index higher.
By individual stock, semiconductor-related stocks such as LEENO Industrial, HPSP, and EO Technics are showing significant gains, while most of the top market capitalization stocks, including HUGEL, PharmaResearch, Ecopro, and ECOPRO BM, are on the rise.