Seoul: Foreign holdings of shares in Samsung Electronics Co. have declined to their lowest level in nearly 12 and a half years amid a recent selloff in the South Korean stock market, financial data showed.
According to Yonhap News Agency, foreigners held 48.9 percent of Samsung Electronics stocks as of Friday, marking the lowest level since October 1, 2013, when the figure was at 48.87 percent. The proportion of foreign holdings has been on a downward trend for months after reaching 52.63 percent on November 3.
The decline in foreign ownership was particularly noted after February 27, following U.S.-Israeli air strikes on Iran, when it was recorded at 50.66 percent. March witnessed a significant selloff, with foreign investors selling a net 15.5 trillion won (US$10.3 billion) worth of Samsung Electronics stocks. Their total net selling in the broader stock market reached 30.3 trillion won during the same period.
Samsung Electronics' stock price fell 0.22 percent to close at 179,700 won on the main bourse, closely outperforming the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), which experienced a 0.4 percent drop.