The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose by 3.54% during Wednesday morning trading, while the Japanese Nikkei 225 index increased by 1.43%. Despite this growth, the KOSPI index remains down by 17.14% over the past month. The market recovery was partly attributed to a decline in oil prices, with WTI futures falling 1.80% to $101.79 per barrel and Brent crude slipping 0.69% to $108.79.
Market analysts link the current rebound to hopes for US-Iran talks, which have helped stabilize long-term interest rates and encouraged buying in chip stocks. Among the notable performers, Kioxia shares rose by approximately 6%, while SoftBank Group gained about 4.5%. In the Seoul market, Samsung Electronics increased by nearly 3%, and SK Hynix saw a gain of nearly 4%.
Trading activity in South Korea showed a divergence between investor groups. Foreign investors were net buyers, acquiring shares worth ₩131.1 billion, which is approximately $99 million. Conversely, individual investors were net sellers, offloading ₩201.3 billion, or about $152 million, in shares. Analysts warn that renewed oil price volatility and interest rate concerns remain significant risks for growth stocks.
