South Korean stocks started a tad higher Tuesday led by gains in Samsung Group shares.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 3.38 points, or 0.17 percent, to 1,967.05 in the first 15 minutes of trading.  Tech giant Samsung Electronics gained 0.63 percent, and Samsung SDI, its battery-manufacturing unit, advanced 3.38 percent.  Samsung Engineering soared 23.66 percent following a plan to sell new shares to improve its financial status.  The local currency was trading at 1,174.45 w

South Korean stock fell 0.54 percent Monday as foreign investors continued to dump local stocks ahead of a rate-setting meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve next week. The local currency lost ground sharply against the U.S. dollar.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 10.73 points to 1,963.67. Trade volume was slim at 375 million shares worth 3.35 trillion won ($2.87 billion), with decliners beating winners 527 to 293.  "The market wants to see the result of the Fed meeting, alth

South Korean stocks traded a tad higher late Monday morning as a robust U.S. jobs report boosted investor sentiment,  with chemical shares getting a big boost from cheaper oil prices that stem from a global oversupply.    The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.04 points, or 0.05 percent, to 1,975.49 as of 11:20 a.m.  Refiners traded bullish after oil prices slid to below US$40 per barrel, with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries deciding to keep production high

South Korea's central bank is expected to hold its key rate steady for another month as it continues to gauge the impact of previous rate cuts and the impact of what many believe to be an imminent U.S. rate hike on the local economy, a poll showed Monday.  In a poll conducted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News Agency, all 14 economists surveyed projected the Bank of Korea (BOK) to keep its policy rate unchanged at a record low 1.5 percent for December at its monthly rate-se

South Korea's overseas assets rose to a record high in the third quarter of this year, with its short-term foreign debt also dipping from three months earlier, the central bank said Monday.  According to the Bank of Korea, the country's external assets stood at $722 billion as of end-September, $5.1 billion more than three months earlier, the highest tallied so far.  This marks a gain from $716.9 billion reached at the end of June and much larger than $683.6 billion tallied in late 2014.   South

South Korean shares started higher Monday as tech firms, cosmetics and other large-cap issues gathered ground.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index  rose 7.64 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,982.04 in the first 15 minutes of trading.  Chipmaker SK hynix moved up 0.96 percent and LG Display, a leading flat panel maker, jumped 1.36 percent.  AmorePacific, the largest cosmetics maker, gained 1.11 percent and No. 2 LG Household & Healthcare advanced 1.21 percent.  The local currency was tr

The market value of bio shares has grown at the fastest clip on the Seoul bourse over the past four years, with Hanmi Pharmaceutical leading the rally on the back of mega license agreements, data showed Sunday. The market cap of bio shares on the KOSPI market came to 28.53 trillion won ($24.57 billion) as of Friday, up from 10.23 trillion won at end-2011 and more than double from a year ago, according to the data by the Korea Exchange.The ratio of bio and health care stocks on the KOSPI rose fro

South Korea’s stock market turned bearish Friday at the news of the eurozone’s overnight decision to extend its stimulus program until at least March 2017.But the impact of the measure, which largely fell short of investors’ expectations, will remain limited in Korea as its economy is more dependent on the incoming rise of the U.S. Fed’s rate and the resulting exchange rate fluctuations than the immediate rate cut in Europe, observers said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 14.

South Korean stocks fell 0.99 percent Friday as investors joined the global selloff stemming from the disappointing stimulus measures by the European Central Bank.The local currency gained ground sharply against the U.S. dollar.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 19.67 points to 1,974.4. Trade volume was slim at 370.9 million shares worth 3.2 trillion won ($2.77 billion), with losers far outnumbering gainers 544 to 254.  The ECB said it will extend its quantitative easing prog

South Korean stocks traded 0.97 percent lower late Friday morning due to disappointment in the European Central Bank's stimulus step.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 19.42 points to 1,974.65 as of 11:20 a.m.  Samsung Group shares traded in negative territory, with Samsung SDI, the group's battery-making unit, slumping 1.25 percent and Samsung C&T, its construction and trading affiliate, sinking 1.36 percent.  Lotte Shopping, the largest retailer, shed 1.3 percent and Shinse

The amount of foreign securities held by South Korea's institutional investors edged down in the third quarter from three months earlier because of a plunge in stock investments, central bank data showed Friday.The value of foreign securities held by the country's institutional investors came to US$114.93 billion at the end of the July-September period, down 0.5 percent from $115.54 billion three months earlier, according to the Bank of Korea.The on-quarter drop in the July-September period mark

South Korean stocks retreated 0.76 percent Thursday as U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen reinforced expectations of an interest rate hike later this month. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar for the third consecutive day.   The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 15.22 points to 1,994.07. Trade volume was slim at 360.92 million shares worth 3.17 trillion won ($2.72 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 475 to 333.  Analysts said investors remain cautious ahead o