Seoul shares ended lower Monday, as strong US jobs data fueled fears of further rate hikes to tame inflation. The Korean won fell sharply to a monthly low against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 42.21 points, or 1.7 percent, to close at 2,438.19 points. Trading volume was moderate at 554 million shares worth some 7.54 trillion won ($6 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 464 to 416. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.4 percent, and

Seoul shares opened lower Monday, tracking losses on Wall Street, as the US Federal Reserve said last week it will continue to raise rates for a while to tame inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 30.8 points, or 1.24 percent, to 2,449.60 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.4 percent to 33,926.01 points, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 1.6 percent to 12,006.95 points. The Fed raised the benchmar

Seoul shares opened slightly lower Friday as investors digest the US Federal Reserve's latest rate decision earlier this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slipped 2.98 points, or 0.12 percent, to 2,465.9 points as of 9:23 a.m. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 3.25 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.11 percent. The Fed raised the benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday (US time) as expected. Investors are weighing eas

Seoul shares closed higher Thursday, tracking gains on Wall Street, after the Federal Reserve delivered a small rate hike while acknowledging progress in its battle against inflation. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 19.08 points, or 0.78 percent, to close at 2,468.88 points. Trading volume was moderate at 682.5 million shares worth some 9 trillion won, with gainers outnumbering losers 604 to 264. The Dow Jones Industrial Average clo

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, after the Federal Reserve delivered a small rate hike while acknowledging progress in its fight against inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 23.98 points, or 0.98 percent, to 2,473.78 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.02 percent higher at 34,092.96 points, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 2 percent to 11,816.32. The Fed raised

Bourse operator to work on opening derivatives market 15 minutes earlier

Seoul shares ended lower Tuesday, tracking falls on Wall Street, as investors stay cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate decision this week. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 25.39 points, or 1.04 percent, to close at 2,425.08 points. The Kospi ended in negative territory for a second straight session after reporting gains in the previous five sessions. Trading volume was moderate at about 606 million shares worth 10.15 tr

Seoul stocks snapped their five-day winning streak Monday, weighed by losses in major tech shares ahead of the US central bank's rate-decision meeting and exports data from Asia's fourth-largest economy. The Korean won rose to the highest in nine months against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index retreated 33.55 points, or 1.35 percent, to close at 2,450.47 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 460 million shares worth some 8.7 trillion won ($7.1 billi

Seoul stocks opened lower Monday, as investors took to the sidelines ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index retreated 10.32 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,473.7 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks got off to a weak start. The tech-heavy Nasdaq closed up 0.95 percent Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 finishing up 0.08 percent and 0.25 percent, respectively. Signs of slowing US inflation hi

Seoul stocks extended their winning streak to a fifth day Friday, as foreign and institutional investors scooped up major tech shares. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 15.37 points, or 0.62 percent, to 2,484.02. Trading volume was moderate at 495.4 million shares worth 8.89 trillion won ($7.21 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 571 to 209. The Kospi opened higher following a tech rally on Wall Street. Foreign and institutional

Seoul stocks opened slightly higher Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.75 points, or 0.03 percent, to 2,469.4 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The local stock market followed overnight advances on Wall Street, where stocks rose to the highest level in nearly eight weeks, as investors bet the US economy is performing better than expected. The S&P 500 added 1.1 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.61 percent,

South Korea’s air traffic rose 16 percent in 2022 from a year earlier on unleashed pent-up demand for travel amid eased COVID-19 virus curbs, the Transport Ministry said. Airlines, domestic and foreign, made a total of 539,788 flights over South Korea last year, up from 465,469 flights a year ago, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. The ministry said the 2022 number of flights still stood at 65 percent of the pre-pandemic levels. Air traffic in the count

By Steve Brice As we start 2023, investors’ scars from last year’s sell-off across publicly traded markets are still very raw. Against this backdrop, the theme of our 2023 Outlook, Playing it SAFE, should resonate with investors. We believe sequencing your investments is going to be important in the coming year: Bonds are a good place to start, given some of the highest yields offered in a decade and our expectation that a recession is likely in the US and Europe in the first half of

Seoul stocks surged over 1 percent Thursday, as foreign investors scooped up market heavyweights in the run-up to the corporate earnings season. The Korean won advanced against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 40.08 points, or 1.65 percent, to 2,468.65. Trading volume was moderate at 476.2 million shares worth 8.1 trillion won ($6.58 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 620 to 249. Foreigners and institutional investors were net buyers at a combined 1.

Seoul stocks opened slightly higher Thursday as investors brace for earnings reports from major companies. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 7.26 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,435.83 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The local stock market opened higher despite lackluster trading on Wall Street overnight. The S&P 500 inched down 0.02 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.03 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq closed 0.18 percent lower than the previous ses