The KOSPI index rose nearly 1%, recovering to the 3170 range after three trading days, boosted by foreign buying. There was a surge in semiconductor stocks, and the shipbuilding and shipbuilding equipment sectors showed strength due to positive sentiment surrounding the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation project.
On the 2nd, the KOSPI index closed at 3172.35, up 29.42 points (0.94%) from the previous day. The KOSPI index started at 3155.73, up 12.80 points (0.41%) from the previous close, and quickly increased its gains due to foreign investor buying. Foreigners were net buyers of 389.7 billion won in the KOSPI market, while individuals and institutions sold a net 347.4 billion won and 141.5 billion won, respectively.
On that day, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, leading companies in the semiconductor industry, performed well. Samsung Electronics finished trading at 69,100 won, up 1,500 won (2.22%) from the previous trading day. Preferred shares of Samsung Electronics also rose 2.35%. SK hynix also closed at 260,500 won, up 1.76%. Recently, the investment sentiment for semiconductor stocks was dampened by news that China's Alibaba has developed its own artificial intelligence (AI) chips.
Additionally, LG Energy Solution, Samsung Biologics, Hanwha Aerospace, Kia, and KB Financial all finished the day with 'red lights.' In contrast, Hyundai Motor and others fell.
On this day, shipbuilding stocks continued to perform well, particularly due to expectations surrounding the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding collaboration support project 'MASGA' (Making America's Shipbuilding Great Again). Hanwha Ocean finished trading at 123,200 won, up 5.84% from the previous trading day, while Samsung Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries also saw increases. Stocks in shipbuilding parts and equipment, such as KSP, also drew attention. It appears the expectation that the domestic shipbuilding industry will secure profitable work through the MASGA project has stimulated investor sentiment. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy also announced that the budget for the shipbuilding sector was increased in the budget proposal for 2026.
The KOSDAQ index closed at 794.00, up 9.00 points (1.15%) from the previous trading day. In the KOSDAQ market, foreign investors and institutions were net buyers of 78.8 billion won and 21.5 billion won, respectively, while individuals sold 87.5 billion won.
Among the top market capitalization stocks, including the 'leading stock' Alteogen, stocks of Peptron, Ecopro, LigaChem Biosciences, Rainbow Robotics, HLB, ABL Bio, and Sam Chun Dang Pharm ended the day at higher prices than the previous day. Ecopro BM and PharmaResearch closed lower.
On this day, cybersecurity stocks stood out in the KOSDAQ market due to the fallout from the hacking incident at Lotte Card the day before. The AI security corporation SANDS Lab finished trading at 8,190 won, up 410 won (5.27%) from the previous trading day. Genians and Suprema also saw increases. Lotte Card, which was hacked last month, reported the electronic financial intrusion incident to the financial authorities on that day. The size of the leaked data is estimated to be about 1.7 gigabytes (GB).
Lee Jae-won, a researcher at Shinhan Investment Corp., noted, "The index rose as foreign buying flowed into large-cap stocks without any special materials or events." Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at DAISHIN SECURITIES, also stated, "Foreign investors' low-price buying has compensated for the losses from the previous day."
In the Seoul foreign exchange market, as of 3:30 p.m., the won-dollar exchange rate was recorded at 1,391.0 won, down 2.7 won from the previous day. The exchange rate started lower at 1,393.0 won, which was 0.7 won lower than the previous day, then rose to 1,395.1 won in the morning before dropping again. The net buying of domestic stocks by foreign investors exerted downward pressure on the exchange rate.