Foreigners’ ownership of South Korean shares has increased through November this year, data showed Monday, due mainly to their record-long buying rally tallied from August to October.
Overseas investors held 35.64 percent of stocks traded on the main bourse as of last Wednesday, up 0.88 percentage point from end-December 2012, according to the data compiled by the Korea Exchange.
The increase came as foreigners scooped up a net 4.66 trillion won ($4.36 billion) through Nov. 13 this year, the data showed.
Overseas investors became net buyers of Seoul shares for an all-time-long buying streak of 44 consecutive sessions from Aug. 23 to Oct. 30, 2013.
The number, however, still marked a sharp drop from an all-time high of 44.12 percent tallied in April 2004, the KRX said.
By sector, foreigners’ stake in technology shares came to 46.79 percent, up 0.89 percentage point from end-2012. Their holdings of shares in mobile carriers also rose 1.25 percentage points to reach 44.13 percent.
In contrast, foreigners’ stake in food producers fell 1.45 percentage points to reach 23.29 percent over the cited period, and that of nonmetal firms also shed 3.02 percentage points to 13.38 percent.
Foreigners accounted for an 88.93 percent stake in Halla Visteon Climate Control Corp., a South Korean maker of air-conditioners, the highest figure among listed firms, trailed by Hankuk Glass Industries Co. with 80.6 percent.
Ssangyong Motor Co., the local unit of Indian sport utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., saw its foreign holdings reach 76.54 percent, and DGB Financial Group held a comparable figure of 74.5 percent. (Yonhap News)
