SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean stock markets ended slightly lower on Friday as investors adopted a cautious stance in anticipation of the latest U.S. employment data. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell by 7.02 points, or 0.26 percent, closing the day at 2,676.63, marking a continuation of the previous session's losses.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the market's attention is particularly focused on the forthcoming U.S. employment figures. "Recent advance data on the U.S. job market indicated a slowdown in the job market in the second quarter," Yoon noted. "The U.S. Fed and the market's focus will shift to employment from inflation should the employment data to be released tonight fall short of market expectations."
The session saw foreign investors net purchase 88.8 billion won worth of local shares, extending their buying spree to a fifth consecutive day. Meanwhile, retail investors and institutions sold off shares worth 116.2 billion won and 8.1 billion won, respectively. Large caps showed mixed results; Samsung Electronics dropped 0.51 percent, while LG Energy Solution saw gains of 0.51 percent. Financial shares like KB Financial and Shinhan Financial were among the top gainers.
The local currency, the won, strengthened against the U.S. dollar, closing at 1,362.80 won, up 13.10 won from Thursday’s close.