South Korean stocks finished Friday's session with gains, propelled by market optimism surrounding anticipated large-scale shareholder return programs from the nation's two leading chipmakers, while the local currency also strengthened against the US dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 60.37 points, or 0.88%, to settle at 6,912.95, after touching an intraday high of 6,954.12. Retail investors and foreign traders were net sellers, offloading a combined 1.34 trillion won, whereas institutional investors stepped in with net purchases amounting to 248.2 billion won.
Analyst Lee Kyung-min from Daishin Securities noted that the shareholder return initiatives from SK hynix and Samsung Electronics are underpinning the domestic equity market, offsetting the negative effects stemming from various external uncertainties.
SK hynix unveiled its shareholder return blueprint on Wednesday, outlining a plan to repurchase common shares valued at roughly 40 trillion won. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics is also anticipated to disclose its own shareholder return scheme, potentially reaching up to 110 trillion won, later in the day. Samsung Electronics climbed 3.87% to 281,500 won, while rival SK hynix advanced 2.31% to 1,730,000 won.
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