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Kospi closes sharply higher ahead U.S. rate-setting meeting

Published: 08 Dec. 2025, 17:35

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi closing at 4,154.85 points on Dec. 8, up 54.8 points, or 1.34 percent, from the previous trading session. [YONHAP]

Shares rose more than 1 percent Monday after choppy trading ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting this week, with investors also waiting for earnings report from major U.S. tech shares. The local currency gained against the U.S. dollar.

The Kospi added 54.8 points, or 1.34 percent, to close at 4,154.85.

Trade volume was moderate at 392 million shares worth 15.1 trillion won ($10.3 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 550 to 314.

Foreigners bought a net 321.3 billion won worth of local shares, and individuals off-loaded a net 342 billion won. Institutions bought a net 30.7 billion won.

The two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting is set to kick off on Tuesday, with market watchers widely anticipating a 0.25 percentage point cut.

"While whether the FOMC will cut rates is important, the market will also focus on the rate outlook and the press conference by Jerome Powell," Han Ji-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said.

Investors are also waiting for the release of earnings reports from Oracle and Broadcom, with the results set to have a significant impact on the direction of the share prices of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, analysts added.

LG Energy Solution, a major battery maker, shot up 5.99 percent to 451,500 won after the company said in a regulatory filing it has inked another supply agreement with Mercedes-Benz.

Samsung Electronics gained 1.01 percent to 109,500 won and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix climbed 6.07 percent to 577,000 won.

Carmakers closed bullish as well, with Hyundai Motors rising 0.16 percent to 315,500 won and Kia gaining 1.62 percent to 125,600 won.

Financial shares closed weaker, with KB Financial losing 2.14 percent to 127,900 won and Shinhan Financial falling 2.74 percent to 78,000 won.

The local currency was quoted at 1,466.9 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., down 0.13 percent from the previous session's figure of 1,468.8 won.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, ended lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys went up 4 basis points to 3.034 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds gained 4.1 basis points to 3.24 percent.

Yonhap