FX.co ★ South Korean Shares Edge Lower on Profit-Taking

The benchmark KOSPI slipped to around 6,970 on Tuesday, giving back gains from the previous session as profit-taking and elevated global bond yields weighed on sentiment. Investors locked in profits after the recent rally, particularly in large-cap technology names. At the same time, the US 10-year Treasury yield climbed to a 24-year high above 5.34%, deepening concerns that interest rates will remain higher for longer.

Wall Street’s Nasdaq, however, hit a record high, bolstering the positive outlook for Korean semiconductor stocks. Samsung Electronics also inched higher ahead of its third-quarter earnings guidance due later this week, with analysts projecting record operating profit of roughly KRW 108.1 trillion, supported by strong memory chip demand.

Performance among major blue chips was mixed: SK hynix (-2.2%), Hanwha Aerospace (-2.4%), and Samsung Biologics (-1.7%) declined, while Samsung Electronics (+0.2%), SK Square (+1.6%), and LG Energy Solution (+1.8%) advanced.