The KOSPI is attempting to settle above the 7,900 line in afternoon trading, buoyed by retail investor buying exceeding 2 trillion won. While the two semiconductor heavyweights are moving in opposite directions, defense, shipbuilding, logistics, and power equipment stocks are uniformly weak on expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China will ease Middle East tensions.
As of 1:29 p.m. on the 14th, the KOSPI was trading at 7,909.62, up 65.61 points (0.84%) from the previous session. On the main bourse, retail investors net purchased 2.2886 trillion won, propping up the index. In contrast, foreigners and institutions net sold 2.0679 trillion won and 313.7 billion won, respectively, in a continuing pattern of retail investors absorbing shares unloaded by foreigners.
At the same time, the KOSDAQ stood at 1,170.57, down 6.36 points (0.54%) from the previous close. On the KOSDAQ, retail investors were also the sole net buyers at 265.8 billion won, while foreigners and institutions sold 164.8 billion won and 87.9 billion won, respectively.
At the top of the market cap rankings, the divergence between the two semiconductor bellwethers that began in early trading has continued into the afternoon. Samsung Electronics (005930) rose 3.26% from the previous session, shaking off its relative underperformance against SK Hynix (000660). Samsung Electronics briefly surged to 299,500 won during the session, coming within reach of the 300,000-won milestone. SK Hynix, which had raced to record highs recently, was down 0.64% on profit-taking.
In the afternoon session on the main bourse, power equipment, defense, shipbuilding, and logistics shares — which had led the index's recent rally — were tumbling. Analysts attributed the slide to growing expectations that the summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will help end conflicts in the Middle East, including Iran, and ease geopolitical risks.
Hyosung Heavy Industries (298040), a key beneficiary of power infrastructure investment, plunged 4.69%, while other power and nuclear-related names including Doosan Enerbility (034020) (-3.08%), LS ELECTRIC (-2.81%), and HD Hyundai Electric (267250) (-1.80%) also weakened in tandem. Logistics player Hyundai Glovis (086280) slid 6.69% on concerns over falling shipping rates, while expectations of weaker shipbuilding and defense demand sent shipbuilding and defense names lower across the board, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-7.78%), HD Hyundai (-7.04%), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (-3.80%), Samsung Heavy Industries (-2.58%), and Hanwha Ocean (-1.19%). Elsewhere, battery heavyweight Samsung SDI also slipped 1.10% to catch its breath.
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