SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - Asian markets rose Tuesday after Japan’s postelection surge extended into a second session, setting the tone for regional trading as South Korean stocks lagged the rally.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.3 percent to close at 57,650.5, marking a second straight record. The benchmark has risen more than 6 percent in the two days since the election, as investors welcomed policy continuity and prospects for aggressive fiscal support.
Elsewhere, China’s Shanghai Composite edged up 0.2 percent to 4,130.1, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.5 percent to 27,159.2.
South Korean stocks lagged the regional rally. The benchmark KOSPI closed nearly flat, up 0.07 percent at 5,301.7, as institutional and foreign buying was offset by profit-taking from retail investors. The KOSPI 200 slipped 0.02 percent to 780.8, reflecting mixed performance among heavyweight shares.
On the main board, institutions bought a net 563.9 billion won, while foreign investors added 143.7 billion won ($98.4 million). Retail investors sold 873.7 billion won, trimming exposure after recent gains.
Sector performance was selective. Industrial and construction-related names showed relative strength, while technology shares weighed on the index.
Samsung Electronics slipped 0.4 percent to 165,800 won, and SK hynix fell 1.2 percent to 876,000 won.
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ underperformed, declining 1.1 percent to 1,115.2, as investors rotated out of smaller-cap growth stocks. Foreign investors sold 216.1 billion won, and institutions offloaded 81.1 billion won, while retail investors bought 324.4 billion won, providing partial support.
Among individual movers, Hanon Systems surged 17.9 percent to 4,570 won, and Daewoo Engineering & Construction jumped 22.4 percent to 7,060 won amid controversy over a canceled redevelopment bidding process.
Emart climbed 9.6 percent to 117,600 won on expectations of strong holiday-season demand at its warehouse-style stores, while NAVER rose 1.6 percent to 254,000 won after securing a major enterprise collaboration contract with Catholic Medical Center.
In currency markets, the won weakened slightly, with the dollar closing up 1.00 won at 1,460.50.
Commodity prices strengthened amid renewed demand for hard assets. Gold rose 2.0 percent to $5,079.4 per troy ounce, while silver surged 6.9 percent to $82.23 per ounce.
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