Fine dust pollution boost home appliance, personal cares stocks

Public concerns over heavy fine dust concentration in recent days have lifted stock prices of local personal care product manufacturers and home appliance makers Monday. 

Personal care products company Monalisa, which manufactures and distributes face masks for fine dust, jumped 11.39 percent from the previous trading day. It was traded at an opening price of 4,060 won ($3.61) per share.

Firms listed on the tech-heavy Kosdaq such as Welcron and Okong, also manufacturers of protective masks also jumped 3.39 percent and 1.94 percent respectively. Welcron mainly manufactures of microfiber products, while Okong treats adhesive products.

Air purifier maker Winix rose 3.57 percent and Nano, a maker of catalysts that selectively remove nitrous oxides, inched up 4.3 percent. Clean and Science Co. which provides filters for purifiers, climbed up 3.69 percent. All three companies are listed on Kosdaq. 

But most failed to hold onto their morning gains, dragged down by the bearish stock market. Monalisa closed merely 3.84 percent higher at 1,785 won.

Authorities have been issuing their first fine dust warnings of the year in recent days, in line with the surge in fine dust concentration. Seoul’s fine dust level skyrocketed to 151 micrograms per cubic meter as of 10 a.m., with its ultrafine dust fine level at 119 micrograms. This is nearly five times World Health Organization’s recommended level of 25 micrograms.

By Jung Min-kyung (mkjung@heraldcorp.com)