The KOSPI has surpassed the 9,300 mark for the first time, driven by strong buying in semiconductor stocks.
As of 9:09 a.m. on June 19, the KOSPI was trading at 9,320.51, up 256.67 points (2.83%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 9,288.89, reflecting a rise of 225.05 points (2.48%).
In the main stock market, individual investors led the rise with a net purchase of 861.3 billion won, while foreign and institutional investors sold off 517.7 billion won and 332.4 billion won, respectively, to realize profits.
Most of the top market capitalization stocks showed strong performance. Samsung Electronics rose 1.66%, SK Hynix increased by 4.95%, SK Square was up 6.06%, Samsung Electro-Mechanics gained 5.50%, Hyundai Motor climbed 0.50%, Samsung Life Insurance surged 7.46%, LG Energy Solution rose 3.13%, and Samsung C&T jumped 12.26%. However, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries fell by 0.73%.
Notably, SK Hynix, which set a record high the previous day, surpassed 2.8 million won early in the session, achieving another all-time high. Its market capitalization also exceeded 2,000 trillion won for the first time, reaching 2,003 trillion won.
The KOSDAQ index showed relative weakness. At the same time, it recorded 989.55, down 11.38 points (-1.14%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 1,001.40, reflecting a slight increase of 0.47 points (0.05%), but quickly turned downward.
In the KOSDAQ market, individual investors net bought 126 billion won, while foreign and institutional investors sold off 304 billion won and 998 billion won, respectively.
The top market capitalization stocks exhibited mixed performance. Alteogen rose by 1.35%, and EcoPro BM increased by 0.87%. In contrast, Rainbow Robotics fell by 1.63%, Juseong Engineering dropped by 4.94%, Kolon TissueGene decreased by 0.84%, Wonik IPS fell by 6.25%, LinoTech dropped by 1.52%, and HLB decreased by 0.20%.
Overnight, U.S. stock markets closed higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising by 0.14%, the S&P 500 increasing by 1.08%, and the Nasdaq gaining 1.91%. The memory semiconductor sector was particularly strong, with Micron Technology soaring by 8.7% and SanDisk jumping by 11.54%.
International oil prices fell slightly. The July futures price for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil settled at $76.60 per barrel, down 0.3% from the previous trading day. U.S. gasoline prices also dropped below an average of $4 per gallon for the first time in about two and a half months.
Market analysts expect the strong trend in semiconductor stocks to continue, but they also caution about potential profit-taking following the KOSPI's breach of the 9,000 mark.
Han Ji-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, stated, "The domestic market is expected to start with a semiconductor-led rally, supported by a more than 6% surge in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index and a 3% rise in KOSPI 200 night futures. However, during the day, the desire for profit-taking due to the KOSPI surpassing 9,000 points and concerns over the rapid rise may limit additional upward momentum, leading to a rotation among sectors."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.