South Korean stocks closed higher Monday on hopes of global stimulus measures and rising oil prices. The local currency fell against the US dollar amid a renewed trade dispute between the United States and China. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 9.83 points, or 0.51 percent, to close at 1,937.11. Trading volume was moderate at about 752.7 million shares worth some 9.24 trillion won ($7.49 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 424 to 423. The index got off t

NH Investment & Securities, the brokerage unit of South Korea’s NongHyup Financial Group, has joined a consortium to acquire a stake in the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s natural gas pipelines, according to investment banking sources Monday. It is part of the $8 billion project financing from the oil firm, composed of the American private equity fund firm Canadian Brookfield Asset Management, Italian infrastructure operator Snam, Ontari

Incidents of suspected illicit stock trading soared last year, reflecting the rampant amount of false and exaggerated information in the market amid uncertainties, the Korea Exchange said Sunday. The bourse operator’s market supervisory committee reported that 120 suspected cases of unfair transactions were observed here last year, up from 118 in 2018 and 117 in 2017. Of the total, illicit trading accounted for 28 cases, or 23.3 percent, up 47.4 percent -- 19 more cases -- from a year e

South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Monday with major techs and autos suffering heavy losses. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 3.86 points, or 0.20 percent, to 1,923.42 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Large caps traded mixed. Market kingpin Samsung Electronics lost 0.21 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix plunged 3.17 percent. Leading carmaker Hyundai Motor slipped 0.87 percent, with its smaller affiliate Kia Motors losing 0.34 percent. Pharmaceuti

Market contraction to some extent inevitable for long-term regulation’s sake: FSC

Amid the prolonged economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank of Korea may slash its policy rate at the next monetary policy board meeting, according to local brokerages Sunday. The yield of three-year treasury bonds on Friday closed at 0.87 percent, down 0.13 percentage point from end-April, while that of 10-year bonds fell to 1.38 percent, down 0.14 percentage point during the same period. Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, have been on a sharp decline since market expe

Nexon Co. became the first South Korean game developer to log a market capitalization of more than 20 trillion won ($16 billion), data showed Sunday, on the back of soaring demand for home entertainment contents during the virus pandemic. The gaming giant saw its market value reach 1.9 trillion yen (21 trillion won) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as of Friday, with its shares closing at 2,152 yen, up 3.86 percent from a session earlier, industry data showed. Shares in Nexon jumped a whopping 14

South Korean stocks are expected to trade in a tight range next week due to the growing tension between the United States and China, coupled with a rise in new virus cases here, analysts said Saturday. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 1,927.28 points Friday, down 0.95 percent from a week earlier. On Monday, the stock market lost ground on growing concerns over new cluster infections of COVID-19 in the capital city. South Korea had added fewer than 15 cases of COVID-1

South Korean stocks closed slightly higher Friday after a choppy session as investors sat on the sidelines over the growing concerns over the diplomatic and economic tension between the United States and China. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 2.32 points, or 0.12 percent, to finish at 1,927.28. Trading volume was moderate at 850 million shares worth 9.55 trillion won ($7.75 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 485 to 360.

Seoul stocks opened higher Friday, tracking the overnight gains from Wall Street as investors welcomed the gradual reopening of businesses across the globe, including the United States. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 7.64 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,932.60 in the first 15 minutes of trading. After trading in negative terrain earlier in the sessions, the Dow Jones Industrial Average eventually advanced 1.62 percent overnight, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.91 perc

Yuanta Securities Korea said Thursday it has partnered with multinational financial market data provider Refinitiv to mount a new stock search engine function on its trading system for investors in US stocks. The service, dubbed “Reuters tRadar,” will allow users to access Refinitiv’s stock reports related to US stocks and their forecasts on the company performance based on its Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System database, which comprise the combined estimates of som

South Korean stocks closed lower Thursday as investor sentiment was dented by a grim forecast for global economic recovery amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 15.46 points, or 0.80 percent, to close at 1,924.96 Trading volume was high at 744 million shares worth 9.3 trillion won ($7.5 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 638 to 229. The index never moved above the flatline through

Foreign investors will return to the Korean stock market starting from the second half of the year if the US job market hits rock bottom in June, according to a local brokerage Thursday. “If figures on the US labor market hit a low point in June, offshore investors are highly likely to inject their capital into the local stock market from July,” said Lee Eun-taek, an analyst at KB Securities. “They will eye large-cap stocks first.” The US’ monthly employment repo

Seoul stocks opened lower Thursday, tracking losses on Wall Street amid the new coronavirus pandemic. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 24.37 points, or 1.26 percent, to 1,916.05 in the first 15 minutes of trading. US stocks plunged Wednesday (local time) after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell expected a slow economic recovery from the novel coronavirus fallout. Investor sentiment was also hit by growing concerns over tensions between the United States and Chin

Power of responsible investing becoming more visible in pandemic era, says Green Climate Fund’s evaluation head