[Edaily Reporter Kim Yoon-jung] The KOSPI turned higher in the afternoon of the 17th, climbing to the upper 8,700s. Although caution persists ahead of Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Kevin Warsh’s first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting and the simultaneous expiration of futures and options contracts, buying interest—particularly in industrial stocks—is driving the index higher.

According to MP Doctor, as of 1:25 p.m. today, the KOSPI is trading at 8,787.38, up 60.78 points (0.70%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 8,622.13 and showed weakness early in the session but subsequently managed to turn higher.
In terms of market sentiment, retail investors and institutions are net buyers of 1.6795 trillion won and 23.6 billion won, respectively. In contrast, foreign investors are net sellers of 1.6778 trillion won.
Overnight, the New York stock market closed mixed amid divergent trends in tech and cyclical stocks. While profit-taking centered on semiconductor stocks—with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) plunging 5.7%—cyclical stocks such as financials and industrials showed strength, driving the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a record high.
While the market views the drop in international oil prices below $80 per barrel following the electronic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Iran as a positive development, caution remains ahead of Chair Wash’s first FOMC meeting and the simultaneous expiration of U.S. futures and options contracts.
Kang Jin-hyuk, a senior researcher at Shinhan Investment Securities, explained, “Although the KOSPI opened lower due to weakness in Samsung Electronics, it is recovering its losses thanks to strength in SK Hynix and SK Square, as well as capital inflows centered on industrial goods.” He added, “Expectations surrounding the implementation of the U.S.-Korea Special Investment Act and the execution of a $350 billion investment are driving gains in the shipbuilding and nuclear power sectors.”
Among the top KOSPI stocks by market capitalization, #Samsung Electronics is trading at 342,000 won (-0.29%). #SK Hynix is showing strength at 2,455,000 won (3.06%).
Other stocks on the rise include #SK Square (6.06%), #LG Energy Solution (1.46%), #Samsung Life Insurance (0.58%), #HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (2.58%), and #Doosan Enerbility (0.58%). On the other hand, #Samsung Electro-Mechanics (-1.37%), #Hyundai Motor (-3.13%), and #Samsung C&T (-3.32%) are down.
The KOSDAQ market is also continuing its upward trend. As of this writing, the KOSDAQ index stands at 1,031.08, up 12.40 points (1.22%) from the previous trading day.
In the KOSDAQ market, institutional investors are net buying 46.3 billion won worth of stocks. In contrast, retail investors and foreign investors are net selling 13.0 billion won and 42.1 billion won worth of stocks, respectively.
The top two stocks by market capitalization on the KOSDAQ are on the rise. #Alteogen is trading at 364,500 won (up 3.40%), and #Ecopro BM is trading at 180,200 won (up 0.39%).
Other stocks on the rise include #Rainbow Robotics (0.81%), #Kolon TissueGene (8.94%), #Wonik IPS (0.64%), #HLB (4.24%), and #Samchundang Pharmaceutical (6.79%). On the other hand, #EcoPro (-0.08%), #Juseong Engineering (-2.21%), and #Rino Industries (-0.74%) are showing weakness.