South Korean shares extend recovery on AI-led Wall Street rally

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS

05/08/2026 02:08

KOSPI up 4.5%; foreigners net buyers
Won edges higher against US dollar
SK Hynix up 6.7%, Samsung advances 4.3%
Aug 5 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares rose on Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as upbeat earnings from U.S. AI-related companies helped steady investor confidence after days of sharp market swings.
** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was up 284.07 points, or 4.47%, at 6,643.02, as of 0014 GMT. The index ended 1.6% higher on Tuesday after a volatile session.
** Seoul shares were boosted by record closes on Wall Street overnight, extending this week's recovery after a month-long selloff that saw the KOSPI fall more than 20% in July on concerns over AI-related valuations and slowing momentum in memory-chip prices. .N
** Among index heavyweights, shares of chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 4.27%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 6.66%. 
** Minutes from the Bank of Korea's July meeting showed policymakers saw a need for further policy tightening, although they said the timing and pace of future rate increases would depend on incoming economic data.
** Shares of Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were up 4.46% and 2.78%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS added 1.28%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS rose 1.36%.
** Of the total 898 traded issues, 780 shares advanced, while 89 declined.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 325.4 billion won  ($227.98 million). ** The won was quoted at 1,427.8 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.08% higher than its previous close at 1,429.0. 
** In offshore trading, the won KRW= was quoted at 1,429.1 per dollar, down 0.0% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract KRW1MNDFOR= was quoted at 1,428.6.
** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 gained 0.12 point to 103.45.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR was flat at 3.742%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR was flat at 4.249%.

($1 = 1,427.3000 won)

 (Reporting by Roshan Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
 ((Roshan.Thomas@thomsonreuters.com;))