[THE INVESTOR]  South Korean shares traded lower late morning on Sept. 28, amid bleak outlooks on a deal on output reductions among OPEC nations. The benchmark KOSPI shed 8.57 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,054.25 as of 11:20 a.m.Large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics falling 0.45 percent and global chipmaker SK hynix up 1.09 percent.Top automaker Hyundai Motor declined 1.77 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors traded 2.26 percent lower.POSCO, the No. 1 steelmake

Sept. 28, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Less than one-third of small and medium enterprises are likely to survive past five years, a report showed Sept. 28. According to the Small and Medium Business Administration which submitted the report to the parliamentary trade committee, only 29 percent of small-scale enterprises that opened in 2008 were still in business in 2013. Sixty percent of them stayed open for a year, but the rate fell to 47.3 percent for the second year, to 38.2 percent for the third year and to 32.2 pe

Sept. 28, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean shares opened lower on Sept. 28, amid a drop in global oil prices that dragged down investor sentiment. The benchmark KOSPI fell 1.59 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,061.23 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Most large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics falling 0.51 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor declined 0.35 percent, while Naver, the operator of the country’s top internet portal, rose 0.57 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,097.3

Sept. 28, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Volatility in share prices have a high influence over the financial condition of South Korean securities firms, the government’s data showed Sept. 27.In an April stress test of 45 local brokerages, the Financial Supervisory Service analyzed changes in net capital ratio, a proportion of net operating capital to gross risks.It was based on major indices in late November last year, when the KOSPI stood at 1,997.97 and the yield on three-year Treasury was 1.785 percent. The local curr

Sept. 27, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean shares rebounded late morning on Sept. 27, amid institutional buying, with investors eyeing the first US presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The benchmark KOSPI rose 4.17 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,051.28 as of 11:20 a.m.Large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics falling 0.13 percent, and global chipmaker SK hynix up 0.63 percent.Top automaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.36 percent, while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors trade

Sept. 27, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean shares opened lower on Sept. 27, ahead of upcoming US presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The benchmark KOSPI slipped 13.76 points, or 0.67 percent, to 2,033.35 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Most large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics falling 0.96 percent.Top automaker Hyundai Motor declined 1.07 percent, while top steelmaker POSCO rose 0.22 percent.Naver, the operator of the country’s top internet portal, shed 0

Sept. 27, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean stocks ended lower on Sept. 26 as a drop in oil prices weighed on the market. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark KOSPI fell 6.96 points, or 0.34 percent, to close at 2,047.11. Trade volume was moderate at 355 million shares worth 3.6 trillion won (US$3.20 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 483 to 329.Investors also resisted making big moves after losses on Wall Street, and ahead of the first US presidential debate, where Democrat Hillary

Sept. 26, 2016

[THE INVESTOR]  South Korean shares traded lower late morning on Sept. 26, amid a drop in global oil prices. The benchmark KOSPI shed 5.97 points, or 0.29 percent, to 2,048.10 as of 11:20 a.m.Large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics adding 0.13 percent, and global chipmaker SK hynix down 0.76 percent.Top automaker Hyundai Motor fell 1.41 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors traded 2.46 percent lower.POSCO, the No.1 steelmaker, declined 0.88 percent.Naver, the oper

Sept. 26, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean shares opened lower on Sept. 26, on investors’ decision to cash in part of recent gains.The benchmark KOSPI fell 3.21 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,050.86 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Most large caps traded lower with market kingpin Samsung Electronics falling 0.19 percent.Top automaker Hyundai Motor declined 0.7 percent and top steelmaker POSCO slipped 1.1 percent.The local currency was trading at 1,103.60 won against the US dollar, down 1.2 won from the previo

Sept. 26, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean stocks traded slightly higher late morning on Sept. 23, extending gains through six consecutive sessions, as the US Federal Reserve has decided to freeze its key rate. The benchmark KOSPI gained 3.57 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,053.27 as of 11:20 a.m.The Fed on Sept. 21 maintained its target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent.Large-cap stocks traded mixed across the board.Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 1.67 percent

Sept. 23, 2016