South Korean stocks ended higher Tuesday, led by steel and chemical companies, as investor sentiment was boosted by China's economic stimulus plan and hopes for an end to the United States' aggressive monetary tightening. The local currency advanced against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 7.93 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 2,636.46, the third consecutive rise. Trading volume was a bit heavy at 713.46 million shares worth 18.85 trillion won ($1

Bank of Korea expects private consumption to improve, driving economic recovery from Q3

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday, tracking overnight Wall Street gains, as investors are awaiting quarterly earnings reports by major companies and the rate-setting meeting in the United States. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 2.79 points, or 0.11 percent, to 2,631.32 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks closed higher in the run-up to the Federal Reserve's policy meeting this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average grew 0.52 percent

Chance of reversal is low, but worth trying for national reputation and similar cases in the future, experts say

South Korean stocks ended higher Monday as major battery and steel shares rose sharply amid expectations for further industry growth, with a focus on corporate earnings and the United States' upcoming rate-setting meeting. The local currency advanced against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 18.77 points, or 0.72 percent, to close at 2,628.53, the second consecutive rise. Trading volume was a bit heavy at 522.67 million shares worth 18.81 trillion won ($14

South Korean stocks opened lower Monday, as big-cap tech shares lost ground ahead of the release of major corporate earnings reports. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 11.49 points, or 0.44 percent, to 2,598.27 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Investors are awaiting the quarterly results of major companies this week, including chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Eyes are also on the Federal Reserve's two-day rate-setting meeting set to begin Tuesday, where th

Largely buoyed by burgeoning battery business, Posco Group’s market cap doubles to W90tr

South Korean stocks finished slightly higher Friday on strong individual buying amid a slump in the semiconductor sector. The local currency sharply lost ground against the US dollar. Despite a weak start, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.53 points, or 0.37 percent, to finish at 2,609.76. Trading volume was moderate at 491.8 million shares worth 12 trillion won ($9.3 billion), with decliners outpacing gainers 507 to 353. Retail investors scooped up a net 316.6 billion won

Shares of SK Chemicals soared sharply Friday, a day after the chemicals and drug developer announced that it signed a contract manufacturing deal for British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca’s diabetes medicines. Its shares started at 79,800 won ($62.27) as of 9 a.m., a 23 percent jump from the previous trading day. In the afternoon, the stocks were traded slightly lower at 72,200 won, still up around 11 percent from a day ago. In its regulatory fi

South Korean battery materials company EcoPro, the red-hot stock in the nation’s secondary tech-laden Kosdaq, is highly likely to be included in the MSCI Korea Index in August, Samsung Securities wrote in a recent report published Friday. EcoPro is a holdings firm with units EcoPro BM and EcoPro HN under its wings. Running high on the recent electric vehicle boom, the cathode materials maker saw its shares soar to a record high of 1.14 million ($890.28) Wednesday, almost a 10-fold jump fro

South Korea's trade chief met with Bahrain's top envoy in Seoul on Friday for talks on ways to boost bilateral trade and investment, the trade ministry said. Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Bahrain's Ambassador to South Korea Mohamed Ghassan Mohamed Adnan Shaikho and discussed how to enhance two-way trade and industry relations, as well as a free trade agreement between South Korea and the Gulf Cooperation Council, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Nego

South Korea will provide all available tax and financial support to the victims of the recent downpour, the finance minister said Friday, while focusing on preventing its impact on consumer prices of agricultural goods. The move came as the recent heavy rains in the central region damaged 34,583 hectares of farmland while killing 825,000 livestock, including 769,1000 chickens as of Thursday. "The government will concentrate all policy efforts in terms of budget, tax and finance to support t

South Korean stocks started lower Friday as investors took a cautious stance amid strong US jobs data. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 24.37 points, or 0.94 percent, to 2,575.86 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.47 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite tumbled 2.05 percent. The latest US Labor Department data showed that weekly jobless claims fell again last week, suggesting the Federal Reserve wi

South Korea's finance ministry said Friday the country will speed up efforts to adopt digital technologies in the service sector, with the goal of enhancing its competitiveness and bringing convenience to everyday life. The latest move comes in line with efforts to apply the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, to various areas ranging from logistics and finance to public administration, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. "So far, the limited utilizati

Seoul shares ended lower Thursday, bucking gains on Wall Street, as investors remain cautious on whether the US Federal Reserve will raise rates further to tame inflation. The South Korean won fell against the dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 8.01 points, or 0.31 percent, to close at 2,600.23. Trading volume was moderate at 362.59 million shares worth 9.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 446 to 417. Institutions sold a net 319 billion won