South Korea's Kospi Opens Over 1% Higher as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Gain; Japanese Markets Closed

TradingKey - On September 23, South Korean stocks rose in early trading, with semiconductor shares showing active momentum. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opened up 1.94% at 7,153.99 points before narrowing its gain to 1.37%, trading at 7,113.74 points. Japanese stock markets are closed today for the Autumnal Equinox.

Source: TradingView

Large South Korean chip stocks extended their gains. SK Hynix rose 2.01%, trading at 1.877 million won (approx. $1,391); Samsung Electronics advanced 2.71%, trading at 284,000 won.

Overnight broad gains in U.S. memory chip stocks provided a positive backdrop for the South Korean semiconductor sector. SanDisk (SNDK) surged 6.82%, Micron Technology (MU) gained 5.00%, Seagate Technology (STX) jumped 4.85%, Western Digital (WDC) rose 3.67%; chip design company Arm (ARM) advanced 3.19%.

The three major U.S. stock indices ended mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.36%, the S&P 500 remaining virtually flat, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rising 0.45% to close at 27,244.28 points, setting another record high.