[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyung-il ] The KOSPI, which had surpassed the 7,100 mark early in the session on the back of a rally in U.S. semiconductor stocks, is now seeing its gains narrow. With investors adopting a wait-and-see attitude ahead of the Chuseok holiday, the index’s upward momentum appears to be slowing as foreign and retail investors engage in net selling. The KOSDAQ is maintaining a 1% gain.

According to MP Doctor on the 23rd, as of 1:14 p.m., the KOSPI stands at 7,051.11, up 33.20 points (0.47%) from the previous trading day. The KOSPI opened 1.94% higher at 7,153.99 today but has since pared its gains. Currently, 284 stocks are up, 58 are unchanged, and 572 are down. By investor type, retail investors and foreign investors are net sellers of 799.1 billion won and 560.7 billion won, respectively. Institutions are net buyers of 204.4 billion won.

By market capitalization, large-cap stocks are up 0.53%, while mid-cap stocks are down 0.64% and small-cap stocks are down 0.43%. By sector, healthcare and precision instruments are up 3.53%, recording the largest gain. Chemicals and electrical/electronics are also up 1.43% and 1.33%, respectively, while the volatility index and manufacturing are up 1.11% and 0.76%, respectively.

Among the top market-cap stocks, SamsungElectronics(005930)is up 2.53% at 283,500 won. SK hynix(000660)is up 0.68% at 1,852,500 won. SamsungElectronics(1P)(005935)is up 3.55%, and SKSQUARE(402340)is up 3.27%. Conversely, HyundaiMotor(005380)is down 1.8%, SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)is down 1.73%, and KB Financial Group(105560)is down 1.48%.

The KOSDAQ market is showing relatively strong momentum. The KOSDAQ index is currently at 842.69, up 8.31 points (1%) from the previous trading day. There are 789 stocks rising, 109 unchanged, and 838 falling, with three stocks hitting their daily upper price limit. In terms of KOSDAQ supply and demand, retail investors are net buyers of 61.5 billion won, while foreign and institutional investors are net sellers of 800 million won and 59.8 billion won, respectively.

By sector, chemicals are up 2.81%, posting the largest gain. Non-metals are also up 2.79%, while textiles & apparel and machinery & equipment are up 1.94% and 1.64%, respectively.

Among the top-cap stocks on the KOSDAQ, the market leader, Alteogen Inc.(196170), is trading at 250,500 won, up 0.4%. ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)is up 0.58%, JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)is up 1.97%, WONIK IPS Co.,Ltd.(240810)is up 2.07%, and HPSP Co., Ltd.(403870)is up 1.47%. Conversely, ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520)is down 0.5%, Rainbow Robotics(277810)is down 1.14%, and LigaChem Biosciences(141080)is down 1.33%.

In today’s stock market, while the strength of U.S. semiconductor stocks is spilling over into major Korean semiconductor stocks, a wait-and-see attitude ahead of the holiday appears to be limiting the extent of gains. Kang Jin-hyuk, a senior analyst at Shinhan Investment Securities, said, “As oil prices stabilize amid news of the potential for talks between the U.S. and Iran and the partial resumption of operations on the Saudi oil pipeline, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 2.1%, pushing the Nasdaq to another all-time high.” He added, “With the holiday approaching, a wait-and-see attitude is prevailing over buying momentum,” noting that “the index reached its intraday high even as selling pressure in the 7,000-point range continued.”