▲ Employees monitor stock prices and exchange rates at the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul on the 21st, as the KOSPI successfully rebounded to close at 6,747.95. (Photo: Yonhap News)
The KOSPI rebounded by more than 3% today (July 21), reclaiming the 6,700 level, bolstered by the strength of semiconductor-related stocks.
The KOSPI closed at 6,747.95, up 231.68 points from the previous trading session.
The index opened at 6,553.88, up 37.61 points from the previous close, and after fluctuating in early trading, it trended upward to reach as high as 6,836.86 during the session.
Due to this rapid surge, a sidecar for buying orders was triggered in the KOSPI market at approximately 12:41 p.m.
This marks the 39th sidecar trigger this year and the 19th for buying orders.
By investor type, institutional investors led the index's rise.
Institutions and foreigners net bought 1.39 trillion won and 308.4 billion won worth of stocks, respectively, while individuals net sold 1.6574 trillion won.
Among institutions, financial investment firms net bought 904.7 billion won.
The KOSPI was led by large-cap semiconductor stocks.
This is attributed to the record-breaking streak in semiconductor exports and positive interpretations regarding China's AI model.
According to the Korea Customs Service, exports from July 1 to 20 reached 54.9 billion dollars, an increase of 52.3% compared to the same period last year.
During this period, semiconductor exports rose by 180.6% to 22.1 billion dollars, hitting an all-time high.
Amid this trend, Samsung Electronics rose 6.15%, and SK Hynix climbed 4.08%.
Institutions bought 695.2 billion won worth of SK Hynix and 471.8 billion won of Samsung Electronics.
Foreigners also net bought 500.6 billion won of Samsung Electronics, but net sold 439 billion won of SK Hynix.
The easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East also acted as a positive factor for the stock market.
The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures fell to the 82 dollar range per barrel.
Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities, explained, "With bargain hunting focused on the semiconductor sector and risk-on sentiment strengthening due to mediation efforts in the Middle East, the gains expanded."
Among top market-cap stocks, SK Square and Samsung Biologics rose, while LG Energy Solution and Celltrion fell.
By sector, retail and electrical/electronics rose, while entertainment and culture declined.
The KOSDAQ index also closed at 753.34, up 3.70 points from the previous session.
It ended the day with a slight gain as individual buying continued.
In the KOSDAQ market, EcoPro BM and EcoPro rose, while Samchundang Pharm fell.
In the Seoul foreign exchange market today, the won/dollar exchange rate closed at 1,473.4 won as of 3:30 p.m., down 5.0 won.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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