SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – Seoul stocks kicked off the week on a positive note Monday, buoyed by last week’s gains on Wall Street. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) climbed 5.19 points, or 0.2 per cent, reaching 2,599.01 within the initial 15 minutes of trading.
The upward trend followed a modest rise in US markets on Friday, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up by 0.09 per cent to settle at 43,275.91, while the tech-driven Nasdaq Composite rose 0.63 per cent, closing at 18,489.55.
In Seoul, the performance of large-cap stocks varied, reflecting a mixed market sentiment.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics Co fell 0.8 per cent, leading auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis Co declined 1.2 per cent, No 2 carmaker Kia Corp shed 0.2 per cent, and Samsung Heavy Industries Co was down 0.3 per cent.
Among gainers, top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co rose 0.4 per cent, national flag carrier Korean Air Co gained 1.7 per cent, LG Chem Ltd climbed 0.6 per cent, and leading budget carrier Jeju Air Co was up 2.4 per cent.
The local currency was trading at KRW1,367.60 against the US dollar, up KRW2.1 from the previous session.
