South Korea shares edge up as Samsung Elec flags soaring earnings

LG Energy Solution

07/04/2026 04:10

KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers

Korean won weakens against dollar

South Korea benchmark bond yield rises

SEOUL, April 7 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korean shares rose on Tuesday, led by Samsung Electronics' surprising flagging of an eight-fold increase in quarterly profit. The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose.

** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was up 20.81 points, or 0.38%, at 5,471.14 as of 02:52 GMT.

** Samsung Electronics on Tuesday projected its first-quarter earnings would exceed its entire profit for last year, beating expectations as booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure stretched supply and drove chip prices higher. ** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 0.83%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 2.26%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS was flat. ** Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were unchanged and down 1.25%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS shed 0.72%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS rose 1.48%.

** South Korean presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-shik said on Tuesday he would travel to Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia to secure supplies of crude oil and naphtha amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.     ** Of the total 914 traded issues, 298 shares advanced, while 564 declined. ** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 88.6 billion won. ** The won was quoted at 1,510.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.03% lower than its previous close at 1,509.8. ** The KOSPI has risen 29.83% so far this year. ** The won has weakened 4.7% against the dollar so far this year. ** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.03 point to 104.00. ** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR fell by 0.5 basis points to 3.441%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose by 3.3 basis points to 3.757%.

 (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar)

 ((Cynthia.Kim@thomsonreuters.com; 822 3704 5655; Reuters Messaging: cynthia.kim.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))