On the 12th, the KOSPI index closed higher, surpassing the 2,600 mark for the first time in two months. News of progress in trade negotiations between the United States and China stimulated investor sentiment, and Samsung Electronics, the largest company by market capitalization, surged more than 5%.
On that day, the KOSPI index recorded an increase of 30.06 points (1.17%) compared to the previous trading day, closing at 2,607.33. In the securities market, institutions bought 342.8 billion won, while individuals and foreigners sold 390.2 billion won and 2 billion won, respectively.
On that day, Samsung Electronics showed strength, rising 5.11%. As foreign buying flowed in, the increase in share prices expanded. SK hynix also rose by 2.58%, while Hyundai Motor and Kia increased by 3.11% and 3.47%, respectively.
In contrast, Samsung Biologics fell by 4.71%. Hanwha Aerospace also declined by 6.6%, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries dropped by 2.06%. Celltrion closed weaker, showing a decline of nearly 4%.
Lee Kyung-min, head of the investment strategy team at DAISHIN SECURITIES, noted, "Industries such as semiconductors, automobiles, and secondary batteries, which had been suppressed due to concerns over damage from the U.S.-China trade dispute and U.S. tariff policies, rebounded strongly. In contrast, industries such as shipbuilding, defense, and food and beverage, which had been evaluated as having avoided tariff impacts, showed weakness."
The United States and China, engaged in a trade war due to "Trump's tariffs," assessed that they made considerable progress during their first high-level face-to-face negotiations on the 11th over the course of two days and planned to issue a joint statement on the 12th. Major foreign news outlets reported that the negotiations held at the "Villa Saladin" in Geneva, Switzerland, lasted several hours on that day following the 10-hour meeting the previous day.
The KOSDAQ index closed at 725.4, up by 2.88 points (0.4%) compared to the previous trading day. In the KOSDAQ market, foreigners and institutions purchased a net 93.1 billion won and 5 billion won, respectively, while individuals sold a net 72.9 billion won.
The top 10 stocks by market capitalization in the KOSDAQ also showed mixed trends. The number one stock, Alteogen, declined by 2.61%, but the second-ranked Ecopro BM rose by 4.6%. Rainbow Robotics and Peptron increased by 0.74% and 2.89%, respectively. Meanwhile, CLASSYS and HUGEL showed significant declines of 8.78% and 4.07%, respectively.
The won exchange rate against the U.S. dollar remains in the 1,400 won range. As of the market close, it is recorded at 1,404.3 won, up 4.5 won compared to the previous trading day.