[Market Opening Updates] KOSPI Holds at 2560 Level... Individual Buying vs. Foreign and Institutional Selling

# KOSPI Steadies at 2565 Amid Mixed Market Sentiments The KOSPI index is hovering around the 2565 level in a narrow trading range. Foreign and institutional investors are exerting downward pressure through significant sell-offs, while individual investors are propping up the index with substantial purchases exceeding 2 trillion won. As of 9:32 AM KST on the 10th, KOSPI is recorded at 2565.21, a modest rise of 1.37 points (0.10%) from the previous trading day. The index had initially opened lower at 2555.40. In the main market, individual investors are net buyers with 2.218 trillion won, whereas foreign and institutional investors are selling off 1.770 trillion won and 494 billion won, respectively, dragging the index. # Sector-Wise Performances: Pharmaceuticals and IT Down, Metals and Construction Up Sector-wise, there is a mixed performance. Declining sectors include pharmaceuticals, electrical and electronic equipment, medical precision instruments, IT services, entertainment and culture, and retail. Conversely, sectors like metals, construction, machinery and equipment, chemicals, non-metallic minerals, telecommunications, textiles, and clothing are gaining. Among the top market cap stocks, SK Hynix is falling by more than 2%, while POSCO Holdings and Samsung Biologics are down more than 1%. Other major players like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, KB Financial, Naver, Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Samsung Electronics are also showing weak performance. The KOSDAQ index is on a downtrend. At the same time, KOSDAQ is trading at 723.37, down 0.60% (4.4 points) from the previous trading day. On the KOSDAQ market, foreign and institutional investors are pulling the index down with net sales of 56.6 billion won and 41 billion won, respectively. Meanwhile, individual investors are net buyers with 60 billion won. Most sectors are declining, with the exception of food and beverage, tobacco, and transportation equipment. Entertainment and cultural services are down by more than 1%, with other sectors showing mild declines. Among the top market cap stocks on the KOSDAQ, Alteogen, HLB, and Ecopro are down by more than 1%, while Rainbow Robotics is showing a strong rise of more than 2%. # U.S. Stock Market Rebounds on Powell's Comments, Trump Policies in Focus Last week, the U.S. stock market rallied on optimistic remarks from Jerome Powell, Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.52% to close at 42,801.72. The S&P 500 increased by 0.55% to 5770.20, and the Nasdaq gained 0.70% to end at 18,196.22. At the annual Monetary Policy Forum hosted by the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in New York, Powell stated, "The U.S. economy is still in a good position," adding that "the labor market is robust and inflation is near its target." Regarding Trump administration policies, he noted, "There is no need to rush and we can wait for greater clarity." Han Ji-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, remarked, "This week, the Korean stock market will be influenced by the U.S. stock market rebound, Trump tariff news, the release of U.S. February Consumer Price Index (CPI), and the simultaneous expiration of domestic futures and options." Han added that it is likely to be a week of cautious trading.