On the 24th, the KOSPI ended transaction at the 5,550 level after giving back part of early gains that had topped 4%. Investor sentiment improved overnight as U.S. President Donald Trump delayed strikes on Iran for five days and mentioned the possibility of talks, but Middle East risks resurfaced, sending the index on sharp swings. Thanks to retail buying, it still closed up more than 2%.
It is seen as the market remaining wary that the Middle East war could flare up again as President Trump's so-called "TACO" (Trump Always Chickens Out) pattern repeats.
That day, the KOSPI rose 148.17 points (2.74%) from the previous transaction day to 5,553.92. After topping the 5,600 level early, the KOSPI turned lower intraday but rebounded on the back of individual investors' "buy" stance.
Of the total institutional flows (a net buy of 1.1812 trillion won), flows from financial investment, which tally individuals' exchange-traded fund (ETF) investments, showed a 1.0158 trillion won buying advantage on the main board that day. Individuals bought shares worth 512.1 billion won, while foreigners were net sellers of 1.9383 trillion won.
In particular, secondary battery stocks rallied across the board as expectations for growing energy storage system (ESS) demand aligned with hopes for a global de-China supply chain realignment. L&F jumped 11.51%, LG Energy Solution surged 10.25%, and Samsung SDI also rose 5.58%.
Elsewhere, most of the largest market-cap names on the main board advanced, including SK Square (6.82%), SK hynix (5.68%), Hanwha Aerospace (4.46%), Samsung Electronics (1.83%), Samsung Biologics (1.58%), and Hyundai Motor (1.44%). By contrast, Kia (-2.35%) and Doosan Enerbility (-0.60%) closed lower.
The KOSDAQ ended transaction at 1,121.44, up 24.55 points (2.24%) from the previous transaction day. The KOSDAQ also started with gains in the 3% range before turning lower, then climbed more than 2% again in the afternoon.
On the KOSDAQ market, foreigners and institutions were net buyers of 166.8 billion won and 21.6 billion won, respectively, while only individuals sold 158.8 billion won worth of shares.
Most top KOSDAQ market-cap stocks also flashed red. EcoPro, Alteogen, EcoPro BM, and LigaChem Biosciences gained in the 6–7% range, while Kolon TissueGene (3.22%), ABL Bio (2.43%), Rainbow Robotics (1.35%), and LEENO Industrial (1.13%) also closed higher. Notably, Wonik IPS plunged 7% the previous day but soared nearly 16% that day. Conversely, Peptron and Sam Chun Dang Pharm fell 5.49% and 0.53%, respectively.
Kang Jin-hyeok, a researcher at Shinhan Investment & Securities, said, "The intensity of foreigners' dumping eased that day, and investor sentiment for large caps recovered," but noted, "Despite the positive of President Trump's delay of strikes on Iran, concerns over geopolitical risks remain."