On the 16th, the KOSPI market started with a slight gain. In contrast, the KOSDAQ opened lower, and the domestic stock market showed mixed results.
As of 9:03 a.m., the KOSPI index showed an increase of 5.71 points (0.22%) from the previous trading day, standing at 2627.07. The KOSPI index opened at 2568.8, up 7.44 points (0.28%) from the previous day.
In the KOSPI market's top 10 by market capitalization, there were mixed results. LG Energy Solution fell by 3.09%, showing the largest decline. Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electronics preferred shares, and KB Financial also started lower. In contrast, SK hynix, Samsung Biologics, Hyundai Motor, Hanwha Aerospace, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Kia started higher.
The KOSDAQ index recorded a decrease of 2.68 points (0.37%), reaching 730.64. The KOSDAQ index opened at 732.61, a drop of 0.63 points (0.08%) from the previous trading day.
Among the top 10 corporations by market capitalization, HUGEL, PharmaResearch, and LigaChem Biosciences started higher. In contrast, Alteogen, ECOPRO BM, HLB, Ecopro, Rainbow Robotics, Peptron, and CLASSYS declined.
Last night, the U.S. New York stock market closed with mixed results. On the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.65% from the previous day, while the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index increased by 0.4%. The technology-focused Nasdaq Composite Index fell by 0.18%.
The U.S. Department of Labor stated that the Producer Price Index (PPI) for April fell by 0.5% compared to the previous month, marking the largest decline in the past five years. PPI, also known as wholesale prices, is considered a leading indicator of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The drop in PPI indicates that inflation concerns have somewhat eased.
However, retail sales in the U.S., announced by the Department of Commerce, totaled $724.1 billion, which is a 0.1% increase from the previous month (approximately 1014 trillion won). This figure surpassed market expectations, but the increase has significantly slowed compared to the previous month (1.7%), raising concerns about consumer slowdown.
Joe Koushik, senior vice president of Calamos Investments, noted, "Concerns about an economic recession are subsiding, and the stock market is building a solid foundation, showing cautious optimism in the market," but he added that "investors must navigate macroeconomic and microeconomic risk factors."