On the 3rd, marking one month since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung government, the KOSPI index started by hitting the 3100 mark. The positive impact on investment sentiment is interpreted to stem from the overnight trade agreement between the United States and Vietnam and the expectations surrounding the passing of the Commercial Act amendment.
As of 9:08 a.m. on that day, the KOSPI index recorded 3100.77, an increase of 25.71 points (0.84%) compared to the previous trading day. The KOSPI index opened at 3100.33, up 25.27 points (0.82%) from the previous day.
The major stocks by market capitalization showed a 'red signal.' Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the leading semiconductor stocks, are up 1.48% and 1.43%, respectively. The preferred stock of Samsung Electronics is rising by 1.38%. Additionally, Samsung Biologics, LG Energy Solution, Hyundai Motor, KB Financial, Hanwha Aerospace, and Kia are also experiencing an upward trend in stock prices.
At the same time, the KOSDAQ index is trading at 787.43, down 5.20 points (0.67%). The KOSDAQ index opened at 785.77, up 3.60 points (0.46%) compared to the previous trading day.
Looking at the top 10 by market capitalization, ECOPRO BM, HLB, Ecopro, Rainbow Robotics, PharmaResearch, HUGEL, LigaChem Biosciences, CLASSYS, etc., are seeing stock price increases. Alteogen and Peptron are experiencing stock price declines.
On the 2nd (local time), the U.S. stock market in New York closed mixed. The news that the U.S. reached a trade agreement with Vietnam lifted the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 index, which represents the New York stock market, to a record high. The S&P 500 index finished the transaction at 6227.42, up 29.41 points (0.47%), surpassing the previous month’s peak on the 30th.
On that day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, focused on blue-chip stocks, closed down 10.52 points (0.02%) at 44,484.42. The tech sector-focused Nasdaq index closed at 20,393.13, up 190.24 points (0.94%), nearing the previous high.
On that day, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a trade agreement with Vietnam was reached, optimism that ongoing negotiations with various countries would progress improved investor sentiment. The Trump administration had imposed a reciprocal tariff of 46% on Vietnam in April, but Vietnam agreed to significantly reduce the tariff rate to 20% in exchange for opening its market.
However, news that private-sector employment shrank significantly contrary to expectations limited the optimism of investors regarding the trade agreement. The U.S. employment information company Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported that private sector employment in the U.S. dropped by 33,000 compared to the previous month. This marks the first decline in monthly private sector employment since March 2023 (-53,000).
On that day, the won-dollar exchange rate started at 1355.0 won, down 3.7 won from the previous transaction day. (The value of the won is rising.)