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Foreign investors exit KOSPI, net selling totals $3 bil. over past month

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 Samsung Electronics employees are seen at the firm's building in Seocho District, Seoul, July 22. Yonhap

Samsung Electronics employees are seen at the firm's building in Seocho District, Seoul, July 22. Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Foreign investors have net sold approximately 4 trillion won ($3 billion) in the Korean stock market over the past month, according to the Korea Exchange, Friday.

This is attributed to a combination of concerns about a U.S. economic recession, skepticism about artificial intelligence (AI) and a decrease in the won-dollar exchange rate.

From Aug. 5, when the KOSPI market experienced a significant crash known as Black Monday, to Thursday, the most heavily sold stock by foreign investors was Samsung Electronics, which saw net sales of approximately 3.2 trillion won.

Foreign investors had been net buying shares of the Korean tech giant until July, but they turned to net selling starting in August.

Following Samsung, the most heavily sold stocks were SK hynix with net sales of 789 billion won, Kia with net sales of 385 billion won, and Naver with net sales of 350 billion won.

Analysts said concerns about a U.S. economic recession have diminished risk appetite, prompting foreign investors to withdraw from the Korean stock market.

Additionally, ongoing skepticism about the AI bubble, which is centered on concerns that the monetization of the AI industry might be delayed compared to initial expectations, has heightened caution toward the KOSPI market.

"There is a particularly heightened caution toward the Korean stock market, which has a high proportion of semiconductors," Yuanta Securities Korea analyst Cho Chang-min said.

Analysts anticipate that market volatility will persist until uncertainties surrounding the U.S. presidential election are resolved and interest rate cuts become more certain.

"The employment expansion engine (of the United States) appears to be cooling down, as seen by the steady increase in unemployment benefit claims. This indicates signals of the rising layoff rate," KB Securities analyst Kim Il-hyuk said.

"Given the Federal Reserve's strong commitment to supporting the labor market, if signs of weakness in the job market are confirmed, the Fed might implement more accommodative monetary policies. Once uncertainties related to the U.S. presidential election are resolved, manufacturing companies may resume production and shipments, potentially leading to a rebound in the sector."

On Friday, the KOSPI closed at 2,544.28 down 31.22 points, or 1.21 percent, from the previous day.

Samsung Electronics' share price fell 0.14 percent to 68,900 won.

Jun Ji-hye jjh@koreatimes.co.kr


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