[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyung-il ] While “other corporations” are fending off selling pressure from foreign and institutional investors in the KOSPI market, companies such as HANWHA GALLERIA(452260)and LGELECTRONICS(066570) are drawing attention by ranking among the top net buyers in the “other corporations” category. Unlike stocks where the rationale for buying is clear—such as SamsungElectronics(005930)and SK hynix(000660), which have initiated share buybacks, or cases where the largest shareholder has purchased shares—no specific transactions have been identified in these stocks that would directly explain the recent net buying by “other corporations.”

According to the Korea Exchange’s Data Marketplace on the 3rd, from the 31st of last month through the 2nd of this month, “other corporations” made net purchases totaling 4.924 trillion won in the KOSPI market. During the same period, retail investors also made net purchases of 2.531 trillion won, while institutions and foreign investors made net sales of 4.691 trillion won and 2.7749 trillion won, respectively. While individual investors and “other corporations” absorbed the selling pressure from foreign investors and institutions, the scale of net buying by “other corporations” was particularly notable.

“Other corporations” refer to corporate investors that are not classified as institutional investors—such as financial investment firms or pension funds—nor as individual or foreign investors. While it is not possible to verify the trading purposes of individual corporations or the actual entities behind the investments in the market, factors such as share buybacks are reflected in these figures.

In particular, HANWHA GALLERIA and LGELECTRONICS ranked among the top companies in terms of net purchases by “other corporations.” During this period, other corporations made a net purchase of 1,255,872 shares of HANWHA GALLERIA, with a net transaction value of 2,694,380,000 won. LGELECTRONICS also saw a net purchase of 283,593 shares, with a net transaction value totaling 58,084,760,000 won.

SamsungElectronics and SK hynix, which are currently engaging in share buybacks, saw net purchases of 5,968,938 shares and 1,930,022 shares, respectively. The net purchase transaction values were 1,520,792,500,000 won and 3,180,434,150,000 won, respectively. Based on the scale of net buying by other corporations, HANWHA GALLERIA ranked 4th, and LGELECTRONICS ranked 10th.

On the other hand, among the top 10 stocks by net buying volume— SunnyElectronics(004770), NamsunAluminium(008350), ChinYangChemicalCorporation(051630), MANIKER(027740), DL E&C CO., LTD.(375500), and CITECH(004920) —transactions were identified that could be linked to buying pressure from other corporations, such as recent share buybacks or share purchases by major shareholders and related parties. Consequently, HANWHA GALLERIA and LGELECTRONICS stand out because, unlike these other stocks, no transactions have been identified that would directly explain the large-scale net buying by other corporations during the relevant period.

However, the securities industry highlights expectations for a shift in LGELECTRONICS’ business portfolio—centered on its AI data center (AIDC) and robotics businesses—as a key investment attraction. Choi Bo-young, an analyst at KYOBOSECURITIESCO.,LTD., explained, “The company is generating steady earnings from its home appliance business, is poised to secure orders for cooling products related to AI data centers, and is pursuing a structural transformation through its robotics business, making it an attractive investment.”

In a recent report, KYOBOSECURITIESCO.,LTD. projected that the AIDC business would become a key driver of LGELECTRONICS’ earnings growth, outpacing the robotics business. The firm expects the order backlog to exceed 3 trillion won in the second half of this year, with approximately 2.5 trillion won in additional AIDC-related orders expected in October. Analysis indicates that the existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) business—which has traditionally centered on chillers—is expanding into high-value-added liquid cooling solutions such as cooling water distribution units (CDUs), cold plates, and immersion cooling.

No specific transactions were identified that would directly explain HANWHA GALLERIA’s net purchase of shares in other companies this time. However, from a business perspective, the company is accelerating the reconstruction of its luxury store in Apgujeong, Seoul, and the expansion of its food and beverage (F&B) business. The Apgujeong luxury store passed the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s architectural review last May and is scheduled to proceed with the relevant permits and construction procedures. Additionally, through its subsidiary Verus Scoop Creamery, the company is operating the ice cream brand “Benson” and expanding its store network.

In the retail industry, some suggest that the recent strength in stock prices across the Hanwha Group, coupled with rising foreign sales of high-end products such as luxury jewelry and watches, may have influenced investor sentiment toward HANWHA GALLERIA. Analysts note that since HANWHA GALLERIA has established competitive strength in the luxury goods sector, centered on the Apgujeong Luxury Mall, market expectations that the company will benefit from increased consumption of high-end products by foreign tourists may have been reflected in the stock price.

A securities industry official stated, “Unlike financial investment firms or pension funds, it is difficult to verify the specific trading purposes of individual ‘other corporate entities,’ so it is hard to definitively determine investment intent based solely on their net purchases.” The official added, “However, it is necessary to distinguish between stocks where the rationale for the purchase is clear—such as share buybacks or transactions by the largest shareholder—and those where it is not.”