Kospi ends up despite foreign investor selling
Shares ended higher Monday as investors cheered positive Chinese factory activity while remaining hopeful for a U.S.-China trade deal, but foreign sell-offs continued for the 18th straight session. The won fell against the dollar.The benchmark Kospi rose 3.96 points, or 0.19 percent, to close at 2,091.92. Trading volume was moderate at 369.62 million shares worth 3.96 trillion won ($3.34 billion), with losers outnumbering winners 448 to 364.
China’s PMI, a key gauge of activity in the country’s factories, rebounded last month for the first time in seven months.
Institutions and individuals bought a combined 359 billion won worth of stocks, offsetting foreign selling valued at 392 billion won.
Foreigners were net sellers for the 18th consecutive session, the longest selling streak since January 2013, when they sold local shares for 22 consecutive sessions.
On Monday, the Kospi trimmed earlier gains after opening higher as investors remain concerned over the trade talks after a Chinese newspaper reported that Beijing wants all tariffs rolled back as part of a phase-one deal and U.S. President Donald Trump last week signed a law supporting Hong Kong protesters, analysts said.
“Investors are now closely watching whether Washington and Beijing will sign a mini trade deal or not in the next two weeks,” said NH Securities analyst Noh Dong-kil. “If they fail to make a deal by mid-December, the United States is expected to impose 15 percent tariffs on [$156 billion worth of] Chinese products on Dec. 15, causing a further escalation in their trade war.”
Large-cap stocks in Seoul were mixed.
Samsung Electronics rose 0.2 percent to 50,400 won, but chipmaker SK Hynix fell 0.5 percent to 80,500 won.
Hyundai Motor climbed 0.4 percent to 121,500 won, while Kia Motors declined 1.4 percent to 42,650 won.
State-run utility Korea Electric Power gained 1.3 percent to reach 28,250 won.
The secondary Kosdaq shed 1.51 points, or 0.24 percent, to close at 634.50.
The won closed at 1,183.10 won per dollar, up 1.90 won from the previous session.
Bond prices traded in negative terrain. The yield on three-year bonds gained 3.8 basis points to 1.422 percent, and the yield on 10-year bonds rose 1.2 basis points to 1.78 percent.
BY KIM BYUNG-WOOK, YONHAP [kim.byungwook@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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