Stocks eke out 0.26 percent gain after three days of losses

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi closing at 2,410.02 points on Tuesday, up 6.34 points, or 0.26 percent, from the previous trading day. [NEWS1]

Shares closed higher on Tuesday, ending a three-day losing streak, as individuals scooped up large-cap stocks amid concerns over the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hikes and a global recession. The won tumbled to an over 13-year low against the dollar.

After choppy trading, the Kospi rose 0.26 percent, or 6.34 points, to 2,410.02. Trading volume was moderate at 283.43 million shares worth 5.34 trillion won ($3.9 billion), with gainers outpacing decliners 606 to 249.

Individuals bought a net 86 billion won of stocks, balacing institution and foreign combined selling of at 93 billion won.

With few fresh-market moving events, retail investor stock purchases underpinned the main index, analysts said.

Tech, auto and shipbuilding stocks led gains.

Samsung Electronics closed flat at 57,100 won, and SK hynix rose 0.77 percent to 91,800 won.

Hyundai Motor climbed 0.5 percent to 201,000 won, Samsung Heavy Industries jumped 2.1 percent to 5,850 won and Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering rose 0.44 percent to 92,100 won.

LG Chem rose 0.49 percent to 619,000 won, Celltrion rose 0.28 percent to 181,000 won and Samsung Biologics inched up 0.12 percent to 816,000 won.

Among decliners, Hanjin KAL fell 5 percent to 44,550 won, state-run Korea Gas Corp. declined 3.3 percent to 41,100 won and Hyundai Steel shed 0.6 percent to 32,200 won.

Kakao fell 0.43 percent to 69,700 won, while Naver declined 0.42 percent to 235,000 won. Nexon Games shed 1.54 percent to 16,000 won.

The local currency traded at 1,371.7 won against the dollar, up 0.3 won from the previous session's close. It marked the lowest figure since April 1, 2009, when it ended at 1,379.5 won.

The Kosdaq rose 8.03 points, or 1.04 percent, to close at 779.46 points.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed mixed. The yield on three-year government bonds rose 6.7 basis points to 3.683 percent, and the yield on the 10-year government bond fell 6.5 basis points to 3.197 percent.

BY LIM JEONG-WON, YONHAP [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]