Published : Sept. 1, 2021 - 09:43
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) figures are displayed at a dealing room of a local bank in Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Wednesday, tracking a muted session on Wall Street overnight as investors took a breather after US stocks reached record high levels.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 1.97 points, or 0.06 percent, to trade at 3,197.3 points in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.11 percent, while the tech heavy Nasdaq composite inched down 0.04 percent. The Nasdaq had reached a record high the previous session after dovish comments last week from the Federal Reserve.
In Seoul, most large caps traded mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics slipped 0.39 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix fell 0.94 percent.
Internet portal operator Naver remained unchanged, while online messaging giant Kakao was also flat.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor gained 1.65 percent, while leading chemical firm LG Chem added 0.26 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,157.5 won against the US dollar, up 2 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)