South Korean shares hit 1-month high as chipmakers jump

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS

18/08/2026 02:40

KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
     
** South Korean shares rose more than 2% on Tuesday to their highest levels in a month, as chipmakers tracked an overnight rally in U.S. peers on AI demand optimism. 
** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was up 190.63 points, or 2.73%, at 7,168.57 as of 0127 GMT, extending gains for a sixth consecutive session and hitting its highest intraday levels since July 15. 
** South Korean financial markets were closed on Monday. 
** The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index .SOX rose 1.6% on Monday, with chipmaker Micron Technology MU.O adding 4% and Applied Materials AMAT.O climbing 5.5%, despite broader weakness on Wall Street. .N
** Investors are waiting for results, due out next week, from leading AI chipmaker Nvidia NVDA.O, the world's most valuable company.
** South Korean chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 3.01% on Tuesday, and peer SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 7.72%, leading the benchmark higher. 
** Among other index heavyweights, battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS slid 2.03%, while Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were unchanged and down 0.56%, respectively. 
** Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS shed 0.75%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS fell 1.03%.
** Of the total 906 traded issues, 281 shares advanced, while 603 declined.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 1.1 trillion won ($780.58 million). 
** The won was quoted at 1,409.5 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.43% higher than its previous close at 1,415.6.
** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.18 point to 103.06.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose by 9.5 basis points to 3.864%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose by 10.2 basis points to 4.402%.
     
($1 = 1,409.2000 won)

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))