KOSPI Closes Slightly Lower at 6,800... KOSDAQ Posts Small Gain

Major Events Ahead, Including U.S. Inflation Data Release

"Market Fluctuates in a Narrow Range Amidst Cautious Sentiment"

On September 30, the KOSPI gave up its early gains and closed slightly lower. The KOSDAQ, on the other hand, ended with a small increase.

That day, the KOSPI ended trading at 6,838.04, down 0.48% from the previous session. Although it had started the day up 1.06% at 6,943.47, the mood reversed during the session.

On the 30th, the KOSPI index opened at 6943.47, up 1.06% (72.66 points) from the previous trading day. Employees are working in the dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. September 30, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Individual investors made net purchases totaling 1.1667 trillion won, but early gains were offset by selling from foreign investors and institutions. Foreign investors posted a net sell of 2.052 trillion won on the KOSPI, while institutions recorded a net sell of 768 billion won.

Among the declining sectors were insurance (-3.27%), financials (-1.40%), entertainment & culture (-1.28%), food, beverages and tobacco (-1.05%), telecommunications (-1.03%), securities (-0.79%), electricity & gas (-0.70%), textiles & apparel (-0.64%), and real estate (-0.60%). Conversely, machinery & equipment (+1.98%), chemicals (+0.83%), metals (+0.80%), and construction (+0.22%) showed gains.

Among the top market capitalization stocks, Samsung Electronics (-1.47%), Samsung Electro-Mechanics (-0.98%), Hyundai Motor (-1.43%), KB Financial Group (-2.71%), Samsung Life Insurance (-2.93%), and Samsung C&T (-1.01%) closed weaker. In contrast, SK hynix (+0.62%), SK Square (+1.88%), LG Energy Solution (+1.28%), and Samsung Biologics (+0.48%) gained ground.

The KOSDAQ finished trading at 855.91, up 6.11 points (0.72%) for the day. Individual and institutional investors bought 11.8 billion won and 48.8 billion won respectively, while foreign investors made net sales of 67.7 billion won.

Most of the top KOSDAQ market cap stocks rose. Alteogen (+0.39%), Ecopro (+2.28%), Jusung Engineering (+4.73%), Ecopro BM (+2.83%), Rainbow Robotics (+0.36%), Wonik IPS (+0.92%), EO Technics (+4.94%), and HLB (+3.11%) showed increases. Meanwhile, Simmtech (-1.25%) and Leeno Industrial (-0.14%) underperformed.

After the close that day and before the market opens the next day, the U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) inflation data and Micron's earnings announcement are scheduled. Kyungmin Lee, a researcher at Daishin Securities, commented, "Despite improvements in external conditions, the domestic stock market fluctuated within a narrow range as caution prevailed ahead of major events," adding, "Continued net sales by foreign investors for the fourth consecutive trading session also increased supply pressure."

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