Overview
- South Korea’s benchmark index rose 0.98% to 5,221.25, its third straight record close with heavy trading turnover.
- The Kospi pushed into the low 5,200s intraday after a strong open, then slipped on profit-taking before recovering into the close.
- Samsung Electronics reported all-time quarterly highs with Q4 operating profit up 209% to 20.07 trillion won, while SK hynix posted record revenue and a 19.17 trillion won operating profit and announced a 15.3 million-share treasury cancellation.
- Retail investors net bought about 1.6 trillion won as institutions and foreigners sold roughly 1.5 trillion won and 150.2 billion won, respectively.
- The won hovered near 1,426 per dollar as the Fed held rates steady, and U.S.–Korea trade tensions eased after conciliatory remarks even as officials linked any deal to parliamentary ratification.