Stock analysts began to look for signs that the current bull market will end its run, as stocks in South Korea got started the year strongly on Monday, setting yet another all-time high on the first trading day of 2021. The Korea Exchange’s main board, the Kospi, closed at 2,944.45 points on Monday, up 2.5 percent from the previous close. The combined market capitalization of the Kospi’s 916 constituents, including electronics giant Samsung Electronics, exceeded 2,028.3 trillion wo

K bank, South Korea’s first internet-only bank, said Monday that it had revamped its mobile application to provide tailored services to its customers. Designed as a personal finance platform, the app operates an open banking system that allows users to transfer and withdraw money from accounts registered at separate banking institutions. Once a customer logs in, the main page of the K bank app displays the list of all accounts held by that customer. Customers can also personalize the

Leaders of state-run investment institutes and private brokerage firms here said they would accelerate digital transformation of the market and beef up their risk management capabilities in the face of lingering pandemic uncertainties. The Korea Exchange, the nation‘s sole securities exchange operator, said it would seek ways to expand the market entries of promising companies and secure market fairness by strengthening regulations on short selling. “The KRX will support innovative

In New Year’s messages, heads of financial giants say digital transformation is priority

South Korean stocks kicked off higher Monday, the first session of the new year, led by strong chip and auto gains. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 4.48 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,877.95 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 0.37 percent, but No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix advanced 2.95 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor soared 6.77 percent, and its auto part making affiliate Hyundai Mobis spiked 12.13 percent. Leading chem

The number of companies delisted from the South Korean stock market rose fourfold in 2020 from the previous year due to poor financial health or other reasons, data showed Monday. A total of 16 firms, including solar-battery parts maker Woongjin Energy Co., were delisted from the country's main KOSPI and secondary KOSDAQ markets last year, according to the data from the Korea Exchange. Three companies were removed from the main bourse and the remainder from the tech-laden KOSDAQ market. Of th

Increased liquidity, tightened housing regulations, and anticipation of post-pandemic recovery to attract more ‘ant warriors’ to equity investment in 2021

Holdings of small shareholders in the nation’s largest company, Samsung Electronics, grew to 6.5 percent in 2020, up from 3.6 percent at the end of 2019, data showed Sunday. The number of small stockholders is expected to have more than tripled from 568,313 to 2 million during the same period. Small shareholders refer to individual investors who have less than a 1 percent stake. The portion of Samsung shares held by retail traders in 2019 stood at 3.6 percent in end-2019 while domestic

S. Korea’s main bourse records second-highest gains from yearly low among G20 peers

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Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has become South Korea’s richest stakeholder, replacing his father’s name that held the title for decades, data showed Wednesday. The vice chairman’s stock value stood at 9.07 trillion won ($8.35 billion) as of Tuesday, nearly 2 trillion won more than last year, according to CEO Score, a local corporate researcher. Stock ownership of the 49-year-old heir to the world‘s largest chipmaker is set to grow, as he and his famil

South Korean stocks opened lower Wednesday, the last trading session this year, as investors sought to lock in gains after the benchmark index closed at an all-time high the previous session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.75 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,815.76 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Local stocks got off to a weak start, led by financial, tech and bio losses. The KOSPI closed at a record high for a third straight day Tuesday. Market bellwether Sam

South Korea’s housing price rally, sparked by a supply shortage and tightened regulations throughout the year, is likely to continue next year, stoking concerns about housing market instability.　 According to KB Financial Group in a report, housing prices across the country will see an upward march overall next year while two-year rentals requiring a refundable lump-sum deposit in lieu of monthly rent, called “jeonse,” will also be more expensive. The report, based on a surve

Buttressed by retail investors’ optimism over continual stock rallies in the South Korean stock market, the nation’s main bourse, the Kospi, logged an all-time closing high for the third consecutive session Tuesday, the ex-dividend date. The Kospi began trading at 2,810.55, up 1.95 points or 0.07 percent from the previous session’s close. It fluctuated up and down, hovering around the 2,800 mark until closer to the end of trading. After the sudden upward move, the index close

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday on the ex-dividend day, largely due to investors' optimism for a further hike in stock prices. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.32 point, or 8.92 percent, to 2,817.52 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The gain came after a choppy start on the ex-dividend day. Investors were obliged to hold on to their shares until the previous session for year-end dividends. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics edged up 0.13 percent,