The South Korean stock market has experienced an upward trend over the past three sessions, gaining over 65 points, or a 2.7% increase. The KOSPI index now holds slightly above the 2,480 mark, though investors might consider securing their gains on Thursday.
The outlook for Asian markets is somewhat uncertain, with potential minor declines anticipated in the oil and technology sectors. European markets saw slight decreases, while U.S. markets remained mixed and largely unchanged. Consequently, Asian markets are also expected to show minimal movement.
On the day in question, the index rose by 10.34 points, or 0.42%, to close at 2,482.29. It fluctuated within a range of 2,471.79 to 2,489.15. The trading volume reached 400.3 million shares, with a total value of 7.7 trillion won. There were 435 stocks that advanced and 420 that declined.
Key performers included Shinhan Financial, which increased by 3.72%; KB Financial, which surged by 4.37%; and Hana Financial, which saw a 2.00% rise. Conversely, Samsung Electronics dropped by 1.78%, while Samsung SDI inched up by 0.19%. LG Electronics advanced by 2.42%, Naver rose by 0.05%, and LG Chem climbed 1.04%. Lotte Chemical fell by 2.98%, POSCO improved by 1.37%, and SK Telecom rallied by 2.16%. KEPCO decreased by 1.04%, Hyundai Mobis grew by 1.80%, Hyundai Motor gained 1.39%, and Kia Motors increased by 2.94%. Both SK Hynix and SK Innovation remained unchanged.
Wall Street's influence offers no definitive direction, as the key averages spent most of Wednesday trading in the red before a late surge led to a mixed and relatively stable close.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 139.53 points, or 0.32%, to finish at 43,408.47. The NASDAQ Composite decreased by 21.33 points, or 0.11%, to 18,966.14, while the S&P 500 ticked up by 0.13 points, effectively flat, to close at 5,917.11.
This late rally was invigorated by anticipations surrounding Nvidia's (NVDA) earnings report, released post-market close. Despite being strong, the results fell short of high expectations.
The session's volatility was partly due to a relatively quiet trading environment, as there was a scarcity of major U.S. economic data. Additionally, traders seemed hesitant to engage in significant transactions, influenced by the evolving developments in the tense situation between Ukraine and Russia.
Oil prices saw a decline on Wednesday, driven by weak demand concerns and data reflecting an increase in U.S. crude oil inventories from the previous week. December futures for West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell by $0.52, or 0.75%, settling at $68.87 a barrel.
