On the morning of the 12th, the Kospi index broke through the 3,386 level, setting another record. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the No. 1 and No. 2 stocks by market cap on the Kospi, drove the gains as they hit a 52-week high and an all-time high, respectively.
As of 11 a.m. on the 12th, the Kospi index was at 3,385.5, up 41.3 points (1.23%) from the previous day. It surged intraday to as high as 3,386.87, marking a record high.
In the Kospi market, foreigners and institutions were net buyers of 650 billion won and 300 billion won, respectively, lifting the index. In particular, the national pension funds led institutional buying with a net purchase of nearly 130 billion won. Individuals were net sellers of 940 billion won.
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the No. 1 and No. 2 stocks by market cap on the Kospi, were up 2.86% and 7.17%, respectively. Samsung Electronics preferred shares were also strong, up in the 2% range. Kakao, SK Square and Shinhan Financial Group were also rising. In contrast, shipbuilding stocks such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering were struggling.
At the same time, the Kosdaq index was at 844.73, up 9.97 points (1.19%) from the previous trading day. It touched 844.93 intraday, the highest level in a year.
In the Kosdaq market, foreigners and institutions were at the top of the buy side with net purchases of 67 billion won and 30 billion won, respectively. Only individuals were net sellers, at 85 billion won.
Among the top Kosdaq stocks by market cap, Alteogen and ECOPRO BM were leading the index higher with gains in the 2% and 1% ranges, respectively. Ecopro, Rainbow Robotics and Sam Chun Dang Pharm shares were also strong. In contrast, Peptron, PharmaResearch and ABL Bio were trading lower than the previous day.
In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won-dollar exchange rate was 1,389.1 won per $1, down 1.3 won from the previous trading day at the same time.