South Korean shares opened higher Thursday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 14.08 points, or 0.54 percent, to 2,623.66 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The upbeat start follows overnight advances on Wall Street amid growing expectations of US rate cuts from the second quarter of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.40 percent while the S&P 500 gained 0.82 percent to close at 4,955.06. In Seoul, large caps traded m

South Korean shares closed higher Wednesday, snapping a two-day losing streak amid an extended buying streak by foreign investors. The local currency fell slightly against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 33.38 points, or 1.30 percent, to close at 2,609.58. Trade volume was heavy at 508.3 million shares worth 11.3 trillion won ($8.5 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 642 to 239. Foreign investors extended their buying streak to a sixth consecutive ses

South Korean shares opened higher Wednesday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 17.75 points, or 0.69 percent, to 2,593.95 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.37 percent overnight. In Seoul, most large caps were in positive terrain. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.54 percent, with top pharmaceutical firm Celltrion advancing 0.66 percent. Top battery maker LG Ener

South Korea logged a current account surplus for the eighth straight month in December on the back of an increased trade surplus and increased dividends from overseas, central bank data showed Wednesday. The country's current account surplus reached $7.41 billion in December, following the surplus of $3.89 billion. December's surplus came as the country's trade balance has remained in the black. The country's goods account racked up an $8.04 billion surplus in December, follo

South Korean shares closed lower for a second consecutive day Tuesday amid US rate woes prompted by the Federal Reserve chair. The local currency slightly gained ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 15.11 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 2,576.20. Trade volume was heavy at 404.4 million shares worth 10.1 trillion won ($7.6 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 613 to 265. Foreign investors scooped up a net 338.1 billion won worth of shares,

South Korean First Vice Finance Minister Kim Byoung-hwan (second from left at table) speaks during an investor relations session in London on Monday about the current status of the South Korean economy and the country's economic policy plans. Ten global investment banks, including JP Morgan, Fidelity, Wellington, UBS and Morgan Stanley, attended the session to introduce Korea's new policies to boost accessibility for the country's foreign exchange market. (Ministry of Economy and

Seoul shares opened lower Tuesday tracking overnight losses on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 7.74 points, or 0.30 percent, to 2,583.57 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.71 percent lower after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made remarks that suggested rate cuts may come later than anticipated. In Seoul, large caps traded mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics advanced 0.13 percent, while the w

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development revised down its outlook for South Korea's economic growth this year to 2.2 percent, Seoul's finance ministry said Monday. The figure marked a 0.1 percentage-point fall from its projection of 2.3 percent made in November, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The projection was on par with that of the South Korean government, though the Bank of Korea presented a 2.1 percent growth outlook for this year. The Internati

South Korean stocks closed lower Monday on profit taking after recent gains. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 24 points, or 0.92 percent, to 2,591.31, ending a two-day winning streak. Kospi soared nearly 5 percent over the bullish period. Trade volume was heavy at 500.2 million shares worth 12.1 trillion won ($9.09 billion), with losers closely outnumbering winners 459 to 434. Institutions sold a net 724.2 billion won worth of lo

Two employees sort out dollars at Hana Bank's Counterfeit Notes Response Center in central Seoul on Monday. Korea's foreign reserves stood at $415.7 billion as of end-January, down $4.39 billion from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea. It was the first time in three months for the figure to fall. The US greenback has been strengthening as the market has lowered its expectation of an early pivot in the Federal Reserve's monetary policy. Korea was the world's ni

South Korean financial regulators are set to collaborate with their counterparts in Hong Kong as part of its ongoing investigation into illegal short selling involving Hong Kong-based companies. The Financial Supervisory Service on Monday announced plans to dispatch working-level officials to Hong Kong in early February to facilitate this cooperation. FSS Chief Lee Bok-hyun disclosed this initiative during a meeting with local journalists at the agency's headquarters in Seoul, where he outl

South Korean stocks started lower Monday as investors locked in profits following a surge the previous session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 1.32 percent, or 34.56 points, to 2,580.75 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the Kospi soared 2.87 percent on the back of a climb in autos and techs. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics sank 1.46 percent, and its consumer electronics rival LG Electronics declined 0.51 percent. Bio shares also traded weaker, with Sam

Despite lingering management risks, tech giant Kakao may see a surprise increase in its stock price this year, with analysts bullish on its advertising and commerce businesses. According to market intelligence firm FnGuide, Kakao's target price, provided by more than three analysts, was 69,458 won ($51.90) as of Sunday, up 10.6 percent from 62,783 won recorded at the end of last year, marking the highest increase rate among the target prices of the top 20 firms listed on the Korean stock ma

South Korean stocks rose by almost 3 percent Friday, backed by techs, autos and financials following solid earnings reports from US big techs. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 72.85 points, or 2.87 percent, to 2,615.31. Trade volume was high at 580 million shares worth 14.1 trillion won ($10.7 billion), with winners far outpacing losers 710 to 180. Foreign investors and institutions drove up the Kospi, buying shares worth 1.89 tri

Korea's inflation grew at slower pace in January, coming down to the 2 percent range for the first time in six months, data showed Friday. The government warned on the possibility of prices resurging in the months ahead. Consumer prices rose 2.8 percent on-year last month, according to data from Statistics Korea. The figure shows inflationary pressure easing significantly, following rises of 3.2 percent in December and 3.3 percent in November. It is also the smallest increase seen since 2.3 perc