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Korean Stocks Rebound From Brink of Correction on Samsung Rally.

stock :: 19hrs ago :: source - bloomberg

By Youkyung Lee

(Bloomberg) -- South Korean stocks erased their morning losses to finish higher, as optimism over progress in Samsung Electronics Co.’s labor talks helped offset the hit to sentiment from rising bond yields.


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The Kospi edged up 0.3% on Monday, rebounding from an earlier tumble of as much as 4.7% after the opening bell that briefly pushed the index into correction territory. The Korea Exchange halted program selling after a sharp slump in futures.

The latest swings highlight once again the fragility of a market relying on the advance of heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Inc. The benchmark climbed as Samsung shares rallied, buoyed by the union signaling a willingness to negotiate and as a local court granted the company’s request to curtail a potential strike.

“What stood out was the speed of the bounce,” said Jung In Yun, chief executive officer at Fibonacci Asset Management Global in Singapore. “To me, that suggests investors still see Samsung as a core long-term AI and semiconductor proxy for Korea.”

Read: Samsung Shares Jump After High-Stakes Labor Talks Resume (1)

Meanwhile, stocks fell in most other Asian markets on Monday as rising global bond yields on inflation fears sapped risk demand.

Global investors continued to offload Korean equities after withdrawing a record $13 billion last week, taking profit following a sharp surge in the two memory makers. Net foreign outflows on Kospi shares reached 3.7 trillion won ($2.5 billion) on Monday, while retail investors and local institutions increased holdings.

Focus will continue on Samsung’s negotiation with its largest labor union to avert a strike that the nation’s prime minister warned could wreak havoc on the economy. Talks between management and the union representatives are expected to continue through Tuesday.

The immediate triggers for the earlier decline in Kospi “were rising interest rates and Samsung Electronics’ labor strike,” said Ha SeokKeun, chief investment officer at Eugene Asset Management. “However, we do not see this as the beginning of a structural downtrend, but rather a healthy price correction. In fact, we believe attractive buying opportunities in high-quality stocks are emerging again.”

Intraday gyrations of 5% or more have become more common in the Korean market, with leveraged bets tied to Samsung and SK Hynix amplifying volatility. Underscoring the torrid pace of this year’s rally, the Kospi jumped from 7,000 to 8,000 in just seven sessions. In contrast, it took more than 18 years for the benchmark to climb from 1,000 to 2,000, and another 13 years to reach 3,000.

“The current pullback appears to be largely driven by profit-taking and a natural reaction to the market’s sharp advance,” said Kim Dojoon, chief investment officer at Zian Investment Management. “In a market that has rallied sharply, any trigger for profit-taking tends to provoke an outsized reaction.”

--With assistance from Hooyeon Kim.

(Updates with closing prices, adds fresh comment.)

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