The KOSPI opened higher on the 8th before turning downward in early trading.

According to the Korea Exchange, as of 9:12 a.m. today, the KOSPI stood at 6,760.15, down 43.75 points (0.64%) from the previous trading session.

The index started at 6,808.68, up 4.78 points (0.07%) from the previous session, driven by Samsung Electronics' strong earnings announced before the market opened.

Samsung Electronics announced in a preliminary earnings disclosure that its consolidated operating profit for the third quarter reached 107.4 trillion won.

This is the first time a domestic company has exceeded 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit, and a first among global big tech companies as well.

Affected by this, shares of Samsung Electronics as well as SK Hynix turned "red," causing the index to open higher.

However, as Samsung Electronics lost momentum and pulled back, the index soon turned downward, showing a weak or flat trend.

Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiom Securities, noted regarding Samsung Electronics' third-quarter performance and the stock market's direction, "Rather than whether it exceeded consensus, we need to pay closer attention to changes in stock prices and foreign supply-demand dynamics right after the earnings announcement, as well as shifts in 2027 earnings estimates."

She also added, "It is necessary to keep in mind that short-term supply and demand issues could come into play due to the market closure on Friday (the 9th), ETF rebalancing on the 8th and 12th, and the options expiration date on the 8th."

In the KOSPI market, retail investors are net buyers of 323.3 billion won, while foreign investors and institutional investors are net sellers of 305.2 billion won and 48.8 billion won, respectively.

Among large-cap stocks, Samsung Electronics (-0.37%), SK Square (-2.28%), and Samsung Electro-Mechanics (-0.37%) are declining, while SK Hynix (0.52%), LG Energy Solution (3.58%), and Samsung SDI (2.31%) are rising.

By sector, only electrical and electronic goods (0.18%) are up, while most sectors such as construction (-2.98%), IT services (-2.68%), and entertainment and culture (-2.65%) are declining.

At the same time, the KDAQ index fell 11.60 points (1.29%) from the previous session to 886.83.

The index opened at 898.19, down 0.24 points (0.03%) from the previous session, and is widening its losses.

While retail investors are net buyers of 96.4 billion won, foreign investors and institutional investors are net sellers of 74.2 billion won and 21.7 billion won, respectively.

Among top market cap stocks, Alteogen (-7.39%), Rainbow Robotics (-2.13%), and HLB (-0.65%) are falling, while EcoPro (0.87%), EcoPro BM (2.57%), and Jusung Engineering (0.61%) are rising.
(Photo: Yonhap News)