Seoul shares almost flat amid lack of market-moving catalysts

South Korean stocks finished almost flat Friday amid a lack of investment catalysts following mixed overnight results on Wall Street. The local currency gained against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 1.58 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 2,592.09.

Trade volume was moderate at 424.6 million shares worth 7.92 trillion won (US$5.76 billion). Winners, however, outnumbered losers 493 to 395.

Foreign investors and institutions combined sold a net 160.7 billion won, while individuals bought a net 133.9 billion won.

Overnight, U.S. stocks closed mixed after a session marked by high volatility.

The passage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax bill through the House of Representatives was seen as a step toward resolving policy uncertainty, helping ease concerns that had been fueled by a sharp rise in U.S. Treasury yields the previous day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 1.35 points, unchanged from the previous session, while the S&P 500 slid 0.04 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite gained 0.28 percent.

“The lack of additional upward momentum led to the prevailing wait-and-see stance among investors,” said Kim Ji-won, an analyst at KB Securities.

In Seoul, blue chips traded mixed.

Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics fell 0.91 percent to 54,200 won, while chip rival SK hynix gained 1.57 percent to end at 200,000 won.

Financial shares gained momentum, with KB Financial rising 2.38 percent to 99,000 won and Shinhan Financial climbing 1.85 percent to 55,100 won.

Bio and battery shares lost ground. Samsung Biologics plunged 5.93 percent to 1,016,000 won, and top battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution declined 2.37 percent to 268,000 won.

Automotive and heavy industry shares also retreated. Hyundai Motor fell 1.37 percent to 179,900 won, and top defense systems manufacturer Hanwha Aerospace shed 0.36 percent to 830,000 won.

The local currency was trading at 1,375.6 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., up 5.7 won from the previous session.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys rose 0.2 basis point to 2.338 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds climbed 0.9 basis point to 2.502 percent.