The KOSPI was fluctuating around the 4,100 level in early trading on the 12th. The moves are seen as reflecting the mixed close on Wall Street overnight, where tech stocks weakened.
As of 9:16 a.m., the KOSPI was at 4,095.53, up 10.86 points (0.26%) from the previous session. The index opened at 4,097.44, down 8.95 points (0.22%) from the previous session, quickly rebounded to the 4,120 level, and has been whipsawing around 4,100.
In the main board, individual investors were net buyers of 219.9 billion won, while foreign investors and institutions were net sellers of 207.7 billion won and 18.3 billion won, respectively.
Among the top market-cap stocks on the main board, moves were mixed. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix were falling. LG Energy Solution, Hyundai Motor, Doosan Enerbility, KB Financial Group, Hanwha Aerospace, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries were rising.
At the same time, the KOSDAQ was up 4.65 points (0.53%) at 888.92. The KOSDAQ opened at 890.99, up 6.72 points (0.76%) from the previous session.
On the KOSDAQ, individuals and institutions were net buyers of 38.7 billion won and 14.1 billion won, respectively, while foreign investors alone were net sellers of 52.5 billion won.
Top market-cap stocks on the KOSDAQ were also mixed. Alteogen, EcoPro BM, HLB, Peptron, ABL Bio, LigaChem Biosciences, and Sam Chun Dang Pharm were rising, while EcoPro, Rainbow Robotics, and PharmaResearch were falling.
Meanwhile, Wall Street ended mixed as tech stocks weakened. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 559.33 points (1.18%) to finish at 47,927.96. The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 also closed up 14.18 points (0.21%) at 6,846.61.
In contrast, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 58.87 points (0.25%) to close at 23,468.30.
Investor sentiment improved on expectations that the U.S. federal government shutdown would soon end, but a correction hit tech stocks. The Nasdaq, which had risen sharply since Friday, pulled back, and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, made up of artificial intelligence (AI) and chip-related names, tumbled 2.48%.
Meanwhile, the budget bill to end the shutdown awaits only a vote in the House, where Republicans hold the majority.
In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the dollar-won rate opened at 1,461.0 won, down 2.3 won from the 3:30 p.m. weekly closing level the previous day.