On the 20th, the KOSPI index closed higher for the fourth consecutive trading day. Samsung Electronics surpassed the 60,000 won mark for the first time in over five months since October of last year, but the index's gain was limited to 0.3%. The KOSDAQ index, which started off strong, turned negative within an hour of the opening and widened its decline in the afternoon.
By sector, a strong performance was notable in the semiconductor and secondary battery sectors led by Samsung Electronics and Samsung SDI, while funds also flowed into oversold sectors like steel and chemicals. In the defense and shipbuilding sectors, profit-taking sell-offs continued, with the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors showing weakness.
On that day, the KOSPI index closed at 2,637.10, up 8.48 points (0.32%) from the previous trading day. The KOSPI, which opened 0.78% higher than the previous day, gradually reduced its gains in the afternoon. In the securities market, foreign investors and institutions purchased 551.4 billion won and 67.3 billion won, respectively, while individuals sold 703 billion won.
The top 10 stocks by market capitalization in the securities market showed a mixed trend. Samsung Electronics, the number one by market cap, rose 2.91%, leading the index increase, while SK hynix and LG Energy Solution rose 2.19% and 1.21%, respectively. KB Financial also increased by 1.35%.
In contrast, Hanwha Aerospace fell 4.5%, and Samsung Biologics and Hyundai Motor also fell 0.65% and 0.74%, respectively. Additionally, Kia (-1.13%) and Celltrion (-0.48%) also showed weakness.
The KOSDAQ index recorded a decline of 13.20 points (1.79%) to 725.15 compared to the previous day. The KOSDAQ, which began with a 0.68% increase, switched to a downward trend around 10 a.m. In the KOSDAQ market, foreign investors and institutions net sold 27.1 billion won and 33.8 billion won, while individuals net purchased 90.8 billion won.
The top 10 stocks by market capitalization in the KOSDAQ also showed weakness. Kolon TissueGene plummeted 14.59%, while Alteogen and HLB fell 10.98% and 7.65%, respectively, indicating notable weakness in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. In contrast, Ecopro and ECOPRO BM rose 0.33% and 0.89%, respectively, while CLASSYS increased by 1.74%.
Lee Kyoung-min, head of investment strategy at DAISHIN SECURITIES, noted, “Recently, expectations for a rebound in the semiconductor industry have attracted foreign investors' bargain hunting to Samsung Electronics,” adding, “With NVIDIA's 'GTC2025' event ongoing, the increased expectations for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) deliveries and positive factors like Morgan Stanley's upgraded investment opinion have emerged.
Cho Min-kyu, a researcher at Shinhan Investment Corp, said, “The investment sentiment in pharmaceutical and biotech corporations like Kolon TissueGene was dampened, putting downward pressure on the index,” and added, “Newly listed stocks such as Hantech and TXR Robotics showed strong performance.