Foreign Investors Sell 2.9 Trillion Won; KOSPI Closes Slightly Lower at 6,870

Institutions and Individuals Unable to Stem Decline Despite Joint Buying
KOSDAQ Closes Higher on Strength in Semiconductor Equipment Stocks

The KOSPI index closed lower on September 29, dragged down by heavy selling from foreign investors. However, semiconductor stocks, which had performed poorly the previous day, rebounded, mainly among materials, parts, and equipment shares.

On this day, the KOSPI finished at 6,870.81, down 18.93 points (0.27%) from the previous trading session. The index opened at 6,844.41, down 45.33 points (0.66%) from the previous day, but managed to pare some of its losses. Foreign investors were net sellers of stocks worth 2.9046 trillion won, putting downward pressure on the index. In contrast, individuals and institutions bought 1.145 trillion won and 120.6 billion won worth of shares, respectively.

On the 29th, the KOSPI is displayed on the status board of the Hana Bank dealing room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Jungeun Lim, a researcher at KB Securities, said, “Risk aversion increased after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This was compounded by Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's suggestion of a possible further rate hike. Additionally, the renewed discussion on 'AI speed moderation' following OpenAI's Agent Model leaving the sandbox further weakened investor sentiment.”

Most sectors ended the day lower. Construction posted the largest decline at 4.95%, followed by metals (-2.98%), chemicals (-2.68%), paper & wood (-2.44%), general services (-2.37%), transportation equipment & parts (-1.95%), electricity & gas (-1.52%), IT services (-1.49%), entertainment & culture (-1.29%), and insurance (-1.11%). On the other hand, precision medical devices (2.21%) and food, beverages & tobacco (0.59%) posted gains.

Among large-cap stocks, many closed lower. Samsung SDI (-4.13%), LG Energy Solution (-3.16%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-2.94%), Doosan Enerbility (-2.80%), Hanwha Aerospace (-2.13%), Samsung Life Insurance (-1.86%), Samsung Electronics (preferred shares) (-1.45%), Kia (-1.36%), Hyundai Motor (-1.27%), and Samsung Biologics (-1.07%) all declined. However, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (1.93%), SK Square (1.64%), SK Inc. (1.38%), and Samsung Electronics (0.93%) registered gains.

The KOSDAQ index ended the day at 849.80, up 3.22 points (0.38%) from the previous session. The index had opened at 843.87, down 2.71 points (0.32%) from the day before, but managed to turn upward in the latter part of the session. While foreign investors were net sellers of 129.4 billion won, individual investors bought a net 148.4 billion won and institutional investors bought 5.3 billion won, helping lift the index.

Among large-cap stocks, semiconductor-related shares showed notable gains. HPSP (8.93%), PSK Holdings (8.33%), Eugene Technology (7.74%), TCK (7.14%), Jusung Engineering (6.22%), Wonik IPS (5.76%), EO Technics (5.76%), PSK (5.53%), TES (5.50%), Simmtech (3.40%), Padu (3.34%), and Lino Industrial (3.23%) all posted strong performances. In contrast, EcoPro BM (-4.67%), EcoPro (-3.79%), and Rainbow Robotics (-1.19%) closed lower.

Researcher Lim noted, “Although the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury rose as high as 5.27% during the session, putting pressure on the stock market, the key issue is whether expectations for earnings growth can be sustained. While volatility stemming from the Middle East and caution over high interest rates persist, it will be important to see whether the market stabilizes as we digest the results of major events this week, including the U.S. August PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) price index, Micron earnings, and jobs data.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.