Seoul stocks rally after extra budget is passed

The final Kospi figure is displayed on a screen in a dealing room of KB Kookmin bank, located in the financial district of Yeouido, western Seoul, Monday. [YONHAP]

Stocks rallied Monday on hopes of economic recovery led by the government's extra budget and possible robust earnings from tech companies. The won rose against the dollar.

The Kospi rose 35.52 points, or 1.65 percent, to close at 2,187.93. Trading volume was high at about 659 million shares worth some 12 trillion won ($9.6 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 573 to 267.

Foreigners sold a net 258 billion won and individuals offloaded a net 362 billion won, while institutions bought a net 625 billion won.

The Kospi's rally was largely attributed to rising optimism for a quick economic recovery.

The National Assembly passed a 35.1 trillion-won extra budget Friday, while the number of new Covid-19 infections showed a slight decrease.

Korea added 48 new coronavirus infections Monday, down from 61 reported Sunday and 63 on both Friday and Saturday.

Possible robust earnings from some tech companies for the second quarter also buoyed investor sentiment. Tech and internet shares surged in particular amid the prolonged Covid-19 outbreak.

"It's time that the stocks show different price changes according to their earnings report," IBK Securities analyst Kim Ye-eun said.

Most large caps closed higher.

Samsung Electronics jumped 2.61 percent to 55,000 won as brokerage houses raised the company's quarterly earnings estimate. Samsung's April-June earnings guidance is set to be released Tuesday.

SK hynix added 0.70 percent to 86,000 won.

Untact shares also fared strong. Naver advanced 1.44 percent to 281,500 won, and Kakao surged 2.21 percent to 300,500 won.

Leading online game developer Ncsoft Corp. spiked 5.40 percent to 995,000 won.

Samsung BioLogics dropped 2.20 percent to 754,000 won, while LG Chem climbed 0.39 percent to 509,000 won.

The local currency closed at 1.195.80 won against the dollar, up 2.80 won from the previous session's close.

The secondary Kosdaq added 7.72 points, or 1.03 percent, to close at 759.90.

The yield on three-year bonds added 1.4 basis points to 0.853 percent, while there is no data for the return on the benchmark 10-year government bonds as the U.S. market was closed for the Independence Day holiday.

BY CHEA SARAH, YONHAP [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]