[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon ] The KOSPI continues to trade down by more than 3% in the afternoon session. Retail and institutional investors are engaging in net selling, increasing downward pressure on the index.

According to MP Doctor on the 20th, as of 1:52 p.m. today, the KOSPI is trading at 6,614.20, down 206.40 points (3.03%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 6,643.58, down 2.60% from the previous trading day. Although it narrowed its losses to near a flat line early in the session, it soon turned lower and extended its decline. During the morning session, it even dropped to the 6,515.24 level.

At 11:21 a.m. that day, the 20th sell-side “side car” (suspension of sell orders in program trading) of the year was triggered. The KOSPI sell-side “side car” is triggered when the price of the futures contract with the highest trading volume on the previous trading day (the nearest-month contract) among those based on the KOSPI 200 falls by 5% or more and remains at that level for one minute.

By investor type, retail and institutional investors are exerting downward pressure on the index with net sales of 53.2 billion won and 120.7 billion won, respectively. Foreign investors are the only group showing net buying, at 142.8 billion won. Program trading, combining arbitrage and non-arbitrage trades, shows a net buying position of 327.6 billion won.

By sector, insurance is down by around 8%. Machinery and equipment are down by around 6%, while retail and transportation equipment and parts are each down by around 5%. Following these, securities, metals, medical and precision instruments, paper and wood, finance, IT services, construction, textiles and apparel, manufacturing, electricity and gas, and general services are also trading lower.

Among the top-market-cap stocks on the KOSPI, SamsungElectronics(005930)is trading at 247,500 won, down 7,500 won (2.94%) from the previous trading day. SK hynix(000660)is trading at 1,807,000 won, down 35,000 won (1.90%) from the previous close.

Following these, SKSQUARE(402340)(-0.41%), HyundaiMotor(005380)(-5.29%), LG Energy Solution(373220)(-3.44%), SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)(-2.22%), Samsung Life Insurance(032830)(-8.61%), KB Financial Group(105560)(-7.23%), and KIA CORPORATION(000270)(-6.15%) are all trading lower. In contrast, SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)is the only stock showing a gain in the 1% range.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index is also trading lower, down 33.38 points (4.22%) from the previous trading day to 758.46. While foreign and institutional investors are net sellers of 144.3 billion won and 77.6 billion won, respectively, retail investors are the only group showing net buying, purchasing 219.9 billion won worth of shares.

The KOSDAQ also triggered its 10th sell-side circuit breaker of the year at 10:52 a.m. The KOSDAQ sell-side circuit breaker is triggered when the KOSDAQ 150 futures (nearest month) fall by more than 6% compared to the previous day, and the KOSDAQ 150 Index falls by more than 3%, and this decline persists for one minute.